IIT Madras unveils musical fountain to help students beat stress

CHENNAI: IIT Madras, on Saturday, unveiled ‘Sangeetha Poovaram’, a modern musical and dancing fountain at the Gajendra circle, turning a longstanding campus landmark into a space designed to help students unwind and ease stress through music, water and light.

The project, valued at around Rs 43 lakh, involved transforming the existing static water fountain into a fully engineered installation featuring choreographed water jets, lighting and customised song programming, all synchronised to create a coordinated audiovisual experience.

Located at the heart of the campus between the central library and the administrative building, Gajendra circle is a familiar gathering point for students and a venue for campus events and celebrations. The landmark is distinguished by its iconic sculpture of two elephants facing opposite directions beneath the central water feature.

IIT-Madras director V Kamakoti said that the initiative was conceived to help students deal with anxiety and stress. “Listening to music, along with water and light, is a great medicine for students to lower their anxiety,” he said.

Dean (students) Satyanarayana Gummadi delivered the welcome address, while music director Ramesh Vinayagam explained the conceptualisation of the fountain. The institute’s press note said that the initiative was aimed at enhancing student wellbeing by creating an accessible space for relaxation amid academic routines.