A night of Indian culture

Indian Students’ Association to showcase Indian culture

To celebrate and showcase Indian culture, the University of Idaho Indian Students’ Association (ISA) will hold India Night at 5 p.m. Friday in the International Ballroom of the Bruce Pitman Center.

The annual event will include a variety of performances and foods to introduce people to Indian culture.

ISA President Alaap Anujan said the event is usually popular among the UI community and he does not expect this year to be an exception.

“People look forward to India Night,” Anujan said. “We have a sold out events every year. We have delicious Indian food and performances from every part of India. We show how diverse our country is and we give out information about India — Indian culture, Indian language.” Tickets for the event are $10 for students and $12 for the general public, and children under the age of 5 can attend for free. The event is open to all ages, and high school and middle school students also pay the student price. Tickets may be purchased ahead of time by contacting an ISA officer and they will also be sold at the door.

“It’s a great way to learn about India,” Anujan said. “There aren’t many Indian students at the university, so we can give great insight into how we live, as opposed to what they’ve seen in movies. We will give the real taste of Indian at India Night.”

ISA Treasurer Mahalingam Dhamodaran said India Night is a fun event to showcase Indian culture, a culture not many people have an opportunity to see and learn about.

“Not many people have any idea about India,” Dhamodaran said. “It will give some idea of what India is all about, about their people, about their culture, about their food, about their hospitality.”

Anujan said India is diverse in its languages — it has 23 official languages — so it’s important to learn about all the different cultures within a single country.

“You can see how everyone comes together for one particular event,” Dhamodaran said. “You will see that at India Night. You will see the differences in languages and in the fashion show. There will be people with different costumes and different attire, but they all come together for this event.”

This is the third India Night Dhamodaran’s attended, and it’s Anujan’s second time. India Night has been a tradition for more than 20 years.

“We’re not doing anything for profit,” Dhamodaran said. “We just want to showcase our culture.”

The event will have a reception, performances, a fashion show, dinner, a raffle and the dance floor will open for dancing at the end of the event.

Although India Night is put on by a UI organization, people come from Pullman, Spokane and even the Tri-Cities to experience the culture, Anujan said.

“We want everyone to have fun for that evening,” Anujan said.

Kelsey Stevenson can be reached at [email protected]

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