The Online Reflector

Ransburg Auditorium was transported to the colorful and musical streets of India as the University of Indianapolis Indian Student Association (ISA) hosted “Colors of India,” a program that included dance, fashion, henna tattoos and an arrangement of Indian food.

On Wednesday, March 2, students participated in the fifth annual ISA production that featured several Indian traditions. Admission was free to UIndy students and $2 for visitors.

All proceeds went to support the Indianapolis chapter of Room to Read, a non-profit organization advocating literacy and gender equality in Asian countries. ISA raised around $200 for Room to Read through the “Colors of India” event.

Participants practiced in between class, work and assignments for about three weeks prior to the event, finding hours they were available to work. ISA is available to all students and can be found on Facebook through their group page “Indianapolis Indian Student Association.”

Every year ISA hosts at least one cultural event to add diversity to campus as well as give students a way to participate in something not related to academics. ISA usually hosts Diwali, a festival of lights, but decided this year to hold an event that wasn’t focused on any festivals.

“Traditionally, this event has been an occasion, which has brought a lot of alumni back to campus and is an opportunity for them to reconnect with our faculty and meet the current students,” said ISA Treasurer Anu Kalpathi.

Students danced to traditional and modern Indian music and “Jai Ho,” a song by composer A.R. Rahman made popular by the movie “Slumdog Millionaire.” The dance moves resembled interpretive dancing, showing emotions through the hands and hips. Elegant saris, the traditional wear for women of India, and beading glistened in the stage lighting, illuminating and accentuating the dancers’ every move.

“The songs are the currently popular numbers that were chosen by the students based on the type of choreography that they were interested in setting up,” said ISA President Ketal Kulkarni.

A slideshow on eastern, western, northern and southern India was played for attendees, educating them about the food, economic issues, arranged marriages and ceremonies, as well as other social matters.

The program concluded with a fashion show, featuring traditional, casual and semi-traditional Indian attire. Women dressed in elaborate saris and men dressed in dhotis (the male version of a sari), walked down the runway.

The arrangement of colors invoked feelings of happiness and joy as well as the urge to catch the first flight to India.

The music reverberated a peaceful ambiance and enlightenment around Ransburg that could be heard not only with the ears, but with the heart.

“I hope that the event provided insight into the unfamiliar aspects of India and provided a glimpse into the diversity that one can find in India,” Kalpathi said.

After the production, an Indian feast was prepared and served in the Schwitzer atrium for students, faculty and visitors. The dinner consisted of vegetarian and non-vegetarian appetizers, three main courses like chicken tikka masala, naan (traditional Indian bread), rice, and dessert. During dinner, all were welcome to receive henna tattoos, which are a popular form of ceremonial art, especially for women to wear at weddings.

“In India, we have a custom that guests never leave on an empty stomach, and it seems appropriate to continue this tradition, though we are in another country,” Kulkarni said.

The participation of faculty and students not of Indian descent was one of the main goals that ISA hoped to achieve.

“As International students, the faculty and staff at UIndy and the students welcome us every year and make us a part of their culture. They invite us to their homes during holidays so we do not feel left out,” Kulkarni said. “They provide us with a sense of family away from home, and this is our way of saying thanks, of introducing and inviting everyone into our lives.”