A tapestry of India’s diverse and rich culture represented through dance, music and stage plays was on display Nov. 1 at the Copernicus Center, Chicago, as the second annual Kala Utsav, a unique platform to display India’s art and culture, was organized by the Consulate General of India in Chicago.
More than 230 artists and 26 Indian-American community organizations from across the Midwest, including from the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, were provided with the platform to showcase their top-class performances. At least 1,500 people from various states of India attended the event. The audience included a large number of diplomats and elected officials as well.
The festival began with a lamp-lighting ceremony by Ausaf Sayeed, Consul General of India in Chicago and his wife Farha Sayeed, joined by O.P. Meena, head of chancery at the Consulate, and members of Executive Committee of Kala Utsav.
The members included Harish Kolasani, Sushmita Arunkumar, Usaha Pariti, Elizabeth Koshy, Ashfaq H. Syed, Iftekar Shereef, Beena Patel, Sriram Sonty, Keerti Kumar Raveeri, Bharti Deai, Neil Khot, and Shalini Saxena.
“Indian culture is rich, unique, time-tested, and multi-faceted and it is India’s diversity which has made a huge impact on the world today,” Sayeed said in his inaugural address.
He commended the efforts of devoted parents who, he said, have worked hard to inculcate cultural literacy and praised them for prominent part in shaping the younger generation. He also congratulated the Indian- American community organizations for their endeavors.
U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R.) from Chicago sent a message to the community and congratulated Sayeed and the Indian-American community on the occasion.
The dance recitals from various regions of India, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, featuring some 65 artists drove home the central theme of the festival – India’s cultural diversity.
Among the participants was the Northwestern Bhangra team presenting the high-energy Punjabi folk dance.
The team of Rina Thakur from Himachal Pradesh presented the folk dance in the backdrop of a song “Piya Basanti Re”. The presentation of team “Ghungru” of Kerala brought together the grandeur of Kathakali, grace of Mohiniyattam, elegance of Thirvathirakkali, and a flavor of Murals Arts.
Utkala Center for Odishi Dance presented a composition, while Pallavi. Sriranga Dance Academy, Tarana Kathak Dance Academy, and Maharashtra Mandal Chicago presented Kuchipudi, Kathak, and Lavani dance forms, respectively.
In the contemporary/fusion category, a presentation by the Soorya Dance School, based on the ‘Nirbhaya,’ the symbolic name of the young woman who was gang-raped in Delhi a few years ago that led to her death, moved the audience to tears and also seemingly raised awareness about the importance of women’s security.
There were also several Bharat Natyam dances, one of the most popular dance forms of India.
Performances from the Natyarpana School of Dance, Nrithya Bharathi Institute of Dance, Natya Dance Theatre, Noopura Dance Academy, and Nrithya Sangeeth School of Dance enacted Indian mythological and religious stories like the churning of sea by Lord Vishnu, the blossoming of nature flowers and the ascent of Lord Ganesha.
The most inspiring and outstanding performance, however, was by Kamlesh Patel, a physically-challenged dancer and star of a television reality show who presented a electrifying dance performance and conveyed a message that determination results in victory despite physical challenges.
The audience cheered with great enthusiasm as Kamlesh Patel’s strength and determination reminded everybody that one could achieve greatness despite any obstacles.
“My disability is actually a gift and blessing from God and I don’t consider myself “disabled,” he said.
In addition to the dance performances, there were also classical music performances and plays, the musical highlight was a Veena ensemble performed by five musicians and two hilarious dramas, “Kanya Daan” and “Political Satire”, presented by Dramatech and Mandi Theater Groups.
Many in the audience were enthralled with the exceptional talent and performances and the great diversity of culture displayed during the evening.
“I just felt like I have visited states in India that I have never been too, although I grew up in India. I have never been to Himachal or Kerala but today I feel like I just took a tour across India” commented one attendee.
“I cannot believe the amount of coordination it must have taken to organize so many acts from across the Midwest. I give all the parents a lot of credit for their hard work and Ausaf Sayeed, his team, and the community organizations deserve full credit for the stupendous success of the event,” said another.
“The culture of Indian sub-continent is similar. The Consul Generals of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc. should, therefore, jointly host a holistic cultural event to develop cross-cultural sensitivities in the region”, said Noor Tejani, a leading Pakistani Businessman.
Many teachers, students and parents were grateful that a platform of this magnitude was provided for them to showcase their talents.
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