by: Nicoline Hansen
The third annual ‘Discover India’ event, hosted by the Indian Graduate Students Association (IGSA), was held on March 3rd in Foellinger Auditorium, located in the heart of the University of Illinois campus.
The event was divided into three parts. For the first hour, the lobby was filled with various exhibits, all showcasing the different elements of the Indian culture. A variety of posters were set up, which all informed and explained the Indian culture to the viewers.
To add to that, beautiful, traditional Indian sarees were showcased, an Indian spice tasting stand was set up, henna/mehendi tattoo stations were present and the experience of trying on a traditional turban from the Sikh religion was even offered.
There was a definite feeling of pride throughout the entire event. It was clear that the students were very excited and proud to showcase their culture. Even as a non-Indian participant, the event was incited big smiles and warm welcomes.
After looking at all the exhibits, attendees were all let into the auditorium. Here, the next few hours were spent further discovering the different layers of Indian culture through performances. The performances consisted of music, dance and even a play by the CU BalaVihar kids, which are all children from the local Indian community.
Before the show started, there was time taken out of the schedule to sing both the Indian and the American national anthem, as well as thanking all of the sponsors who made the event possible.
Being a part of the audience, as someone who has never really explored this culture, I was blown away. I was amazed by all the talent and creativity in the auditorium. Some performances were deeply rooted in tradition, whereas other performances focused on mixing the traditional aspects with more modern elements.
The focus of the event was not just the performers. The IGSA had clearly prioritized a lot of the events to make sure the audience had an unforgettable experience. Two hostesses kept the audience engaged and involved throughout the evening; in between many of the performances, the hostesses presented trivia questions about Indian culture with gift card rewards for correct answers.
Though the talent and the beautiful performances amazed me, the production was not without flaw. There seemed to be some technical difficulties throughout the show with microphones not working and the speakers making unwanted noise. This resulted in the show not being as smooth as it was probably anticipated. It also made the wait between the performances a little long, which wasn’t ideal. However, the technical difficulties were quickly forgotten as soon as the next performers went onto the stage with an impressive performance.
Credit should also be given to the audience for being very engaged and supportive of the performers on the stage. Especially during the dance performances, the crowd was great at clapping and cheering, which created great mood that clearly inspired the dancers. After the performances were over, the night was ended with a Bollywood DJ session to wrap up the event.
My overall reaction to the event was a good one. I learned a lot about Indian culture and what it has to offer. It was interesting to dive into another culture for a night and discover both the differences and similarities to my own culture.
After the event, I reached out to Dr. Sadarangani, who teaches Humanities 109: India and its Neighbors here at Parkland College. Sadarangani provided her perspective on why it is important to gain an understanding about cultures other than our own. “Learning about other cultures helps us to develop empathy. We learn that different cultures have different values, and we can understand their practices and choices within the context of those values,” Dr. Sadarangani said. “Also, studying other cultures helps us to develop analytical skills and a mindset that can help us with all kinds of learning.”
If you are nterested in learning more about South Asian cultures, consider taking Dr. Sadarangani’s Humanities 109 course. The course consists of watching films, reading both fiction and nonfiction, being creative through arts and crafts, going out to eat and participating in lively discussion. This course fulfills 3 credits of humanities or fine arts general education requirements and the non-Western cultures requirement. If the Discover India event appealed to you, then Sadarangani’s course might be the perfect course for you.
