Balancing technology artfully

Bharati Pawaskar  

He has diverse skills and aptitudes. A Physics undergrad, dancer and  a skateboarder this youth is captivated by the universe! Everything in  the world from science to spirituality interests this curious sophomore  Physics student from BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus who grabs every  opportunity to exhibit his skills not only in Indian classical dance  form Bharatnatyam but also in contemporary, jazz and freestyle. Known as  a curious, talkative person among his friends Jaychandran Padayasi  engages himself in learning new skills and indulge in intellectually  stimulating conversations on philosophy and science.  

Recalling his recent dance performance in April this year at the  BITS auditorium in the show ‘Dance Night 2018’ Jaychandran shares, “I  choreographed a five minute classical medley group performance here on  April 17. In this 40-minute- show consisting of various sub-sequences  and dance styles, I was part of the classical team. We choreographed and  performed a selection of three songs, by indie classical bands like  Agam. The total participants in the group were 11 and 40 plus in the  entire dance night.”  

Some of his memorable performances were in Quark (technical  festival) inauguration in 2016 and Waves (cultural festival)  inauguration in 2014. Apart from these, he has been participating in  Dance Night hosted by BITS Pilani Goa Campus every year in April. “Dance  Night is an annual show hosted by Dance Club BITS Goa, for students and  faculties of BITS. It is usually 40-70 minutes in length and  encompasses a variety of dance styles, our original productions  (storylines) and fun elements for the audience,” states Jaychandran who  is proponent for the modernisation of the themes in which Bharatanatyam  is presented.  

Inspired by his teachers at the department of Physics, BITS-Goa,  Jaychandran realised something profound while sitting in one of those  physics lectures - “I realised that my life’s calling is to question and  seek to discover nature, and to pass on the spirit of questioning by  means of research and teaching.” Jaychandran is keen in research  associateship or a PhD degree in Physics once he graduates, a year from  now.  

“I want to contribute my wee bit to shrinking humanity’s circle of  ignorance,” points out this recipient of Mitacs Globalink Research  Internship 2018 sponsored by the government of Canada. Happy with the  support that he has received through this fellowship, Jaychandran does  not shy to mention that he comes from a lower middle class background,  and his father owns a small scale mechanical industry in the industrial  area of Surat.  

“I have been supported by scholarships from BITS throughout my stay  in Goa, for which I am deeply grateful. Such scholarships are important  to students interested in pursuing research as a career. Mitacs  Globalink has a unique advantage, which is that if I choose to pursue my  graduate studies from a Canadian institute, I am entitled to a one-time  grant of 15000 Canadian dollars.” Globalink Research interns are held  in great regard in the eyes of the Canadian academia.  

Jaychandran has a lifelong passion for dancing in addition to  Physics. “Dance energises me, connects me to my inner rhythm and brings  about a certain discipline to my life. I am a trained Bharatanatyam  dancer and have picked up a few other dance styles during my tenure as a  member of the Dance Club at BITS-Goa,” shares Jaychandran who hails  from a Tamilian family residing in Gujarat.  

Jaychandran feels blessed to be able to pursue both, research in  Physics as a profession and dance as a passion. Thankful that his mother  enrolled him for Bharatnatyam class when he was just six, he shares,  “This was probably an act of nostalgia for her, and a desire to educate  me about Tamil culture and heritage. Over the years, dance has become an  inseparable part of my life; I have come to love dancing and especially  classical for it gives me an amazing platform to express myself on stage.”