Entertainment
The entertainment programmes are classified into weekly, monthly and periodical. The weekly and monthly events include movies, tambola and the Gym 3S, which features talks, presentations and movie shows. Some of the standard entertainment programmes that have remained unaltered over the years are held on Republic Day Eve, Valentine’s Day, Derby Nite (where the Epsom Derby commentary is aired over radio and bets are placed locally), Independence Eve, Deepavali, Children’s Fancy Dress and Christmas party, Carols Night with carol singing and a sit-down turkey dinner, Boxing Day and New Year Eve.
These apart, every year sees visits from a range of internationally acclaimed artistes covering Ghazal, Pop, Indipop, Fusion, Rock and Jazz genres, and Bollywood and Kollywood nights. Some of the prominent performers include Pankaj Udhas, Usha Uthup, Sivamani and Louiz Banks, Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan and a variety of rock bands from India and abroad.
Cultural events are huge draw and an intrinsic part of the year’s activities. Special nights to commemorate festive occasions like Pongal, Tamil New Year, Navaratri, Deepavali and Christmas being standard features, there are also theme based programmes celebrating the diverse cultures of the country. These are punctuated with events representing these cultures along with the cuisine of the region.