Elixir (BHU)

Years active	2011 - present
Website	http://www.elixir-imsbhu.com/
Members	s. subhra ankur akash amit sahu vivek ashutosh
Past members	akhil sarin

Elixir is the annual cultural, literary and sports festival of the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. It is held in the second half of February, usual dates being 12–15 February. This week-long extravaganza is the one of biggest inter-college festival of the medical fraternity of India, with participation of about 100 medical colleges all over India. Apart from the medical colleges, women's college, BHU & basanta women's college also participate in various events in Elixir. For some of the mega events, like the Rock Nite, attendance may go over 10,000. The number of registered delegates varies from 3,000 to 6,000 every year. Registration is required for participants from outside IMS BHU. Registered delegates are provided accommodation and transportation at a nominal cost for the four days. Participants in medical colleges from even the farthest corners of India eagerly await the invitation to elixir and come to Varanasi to attend Elixir. The regular winning teams for many events practise vigorously to maintain their status in Elixir. An Elixir champion in the well participated events can be considered an inter-medical champion of national level.

History

The festival with its present name elixir probably started in 1982 with a trade name of plexus but unfortunately it was not organised from 1998 to 2006. It has now been started as Elixir Each year, the highlights of elixir are being recorded online in reflection and also the magazine of IMS students.

Common Events

The events in elixir can be broadly categorized into:

• Social and cultural events
• Literary events
• Sports events
• Informals
• Mega events

Under each of these divisions there are numerous events. Also there are various other carnival activities including those organized by some of the sponsors. Stalls of food items and various other local attractions add to the carnival atmosphere.

At any point of time multiple events go on almost round the clock for one full week with vociferous support from the crowds. Due to the high level of participation, the events are hotly contested national level inter-medical competitions, apart from some women-team events like basketball where non-medical teams are allowed participation.

Special attractions

Elixir holds high class due to quality of participation as well as the judges. The best people in their fields available are invited to be the judge for the respective fields. Many of them are national level celebrities. The major attraction for every night is the Music Request Counter in the central quadrangle in the hostel. Every evening on all four days there is one mega event in addition to the regular competitive events. The K. N. UDDUPA auditorium and the SWATANTRATA BHAVAN (BHU's central auditorium) - the heart of Elixir activities - is generally decorated with a huge rangoli which stays for the four days.

Behind the scenes

Elixir takes place by the co-ordinated efforts of the students at IMS. Preparations for Elixir starts more than six months before the event. Team leaders are elected for different activities (like finance, conduction, internal publicity, external publicity, security, general arrangements, transport, central reception, accommodation etc.). These teams are under a Chief Co-ordinator and act in concodrance with the teams under the Social & Cultural, Literary and Sports Secretaries (imsonian BHU) who host the competitive events. They all receive materials and instruction from the previous years' teams for the same activities, some of which, with more than three decades heritage, have become part of a well standardized (but complicated) algorithm. The most laudable part is that IMS students take pride in executing most of these activities with the least hired professional help in spite of the small size of its student population. This is possible due to the high motivation and cooperation of all members of IMS community to let Elixir go on at its best.