UM News
A Celebration An assortment of people, flavors, music, and dance came together this spring for India Week, a festival organized by the UM student group Develop Empower and Synergize India (DESI). The celebration gathered people involved in a wide array of activities onto one stage—from singers, dancers, and painters to businessmen, academics, and ambassadors—with every day offering variety and diversity, the very principles that characterize the Indian mindset and lifestyle. The following are just a few activities that took place:
Art Exhibitions of Indian religious philosophies and art forms spanning several centuries provided an intriguing glimpse of the sophisticated religious and cultural evolution of India. A poster exhibit displayed the great scientific feats in Sanskrit literature, while another exhibit “Akshara” (literally meaning letter from alphabet) beautifully blended the colors of nature with patterns in various Indian alphabets.
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Maryland International
The dances performed each represented a different demography, while also displaying a holistic representation of the cultural fabric that binds the many forms of dance in the subcontinent. Ashyka Dave, a proficient Kathak dancer had the audience glued as she tapped her feet in rhythm to the beat and executed the movements with flair. Other performances included dance demonstrations from Nataraj School
of Dance, Bharat Mallika School of Dance, and Konark School of Dance. The musicians—Aparna Jayaram, Sidharth Kumar, Ananth Kumar, Gurukrupa, Madhura Date, Kushboo Kalyani, and Sonal Tewari—also performed melodies in various languages and ragas (or melodic modes). Their styles ranged from classical carnatic to contemporary fusion.