Mithali Raj inaugurates Riviera 2026 at VIT in Vellore

A fusion of talent, ideas, and all-pervasive energy was clearly visible at the Vellore Institute of Technology’s (VIT) cultural fest, ‘Riviera 2026’, which commenced at the college campus in Vellore on Thursday.

The four-day festival was inaugurated by former Indian Women Cricket captain Mithali Raj in the presence of G. Viswanathan, founder and chancellor, VIT, in the campus.

With the theme of ‘Rise, Rush and Revel’, the festival will attract over 18,000 students, including from 28 countries, to participate in various events. “Students should never deviate from achieving their goals in whichever profession they are involved. It’s one life so students should work continuously towards their dreams irrespective of ups and downs they face during the process of achieving their target,” Ms. Mithali Raj, Indian cricketer, said.

Amid thundering applause, the former Indian Women cricket skipper shared her thoughts on scoring a century in her debut match. “The achievement comes after over two decades of hard work. Just go the distance to grab your success,” she said.

When asked to choose between Australia and England cricket teams for being the toughest one to play against, the former cricketer chose Australia. She also acknowledged that the playing conditions in England was more challenging than its cricket team. 

In his presidential address, Mr. Viswanathan said Ms. Raj was bilingual as she is fluent in Tamil and Telugu. “She (Ms. Raj) has made history with her performances at national and international levels. Such cultural festivals help students from other countries share ideas and exhibit their talents,” he said. 

As part of the pro-shows of Riviera 2026, playback singer Sunidhi Chauhan’s performance was part of the inaugural on Thursday. Music composer Thaman S will also perform on the following day.

On the third day, playback singers Benny Dayal and Pradeep Kumar will perform. Performances by indie-electronic artist Ritviz and DJ Shaan will be held during the valedictory on Sunday.

The total prize money for Riviera 2026 will exceed ₹25 lakhs. On the occasion, Sankar Viswanathan and Sekar Viswanathan, vice-presidents, VIT, were present. The Hindu is the print media partner of the festival.