Indian students plan celebration of culture

According to Indian Student Association Secretary Chukka Ravikiran, “Sanskriti” means “culture,” and that is exactly what the group’s third annual cultural showcase will offer.

Saturday, May 7, 2005 at 6 p.m. in the main gym of the Peter W. Stott Center doors will open for the event. Tickets are available at the door but are cheaper if bought earlier at the PSU box office.

Ravikiran said the Indian Student Association is expecting anywhere from 700 to 800 people to attend the event and that they will be coming from all over the Northwest.

In addition to PSU, Indian Student Associations from other schools have been cooperating to organize the night.

The event will be a party with a variety of Indian cultures represented as well as food from local restaurants to demonstrate both North and South Indian styles of cooking.

In addition to food and culture, there will also be a variety of Indian music and dancing, as well as demonstrations of rangoli, a form of prayer through pictures. Traditionally, women paint rangoli designs in front of their houses during festivals with colorful powders. As Ravikiran says, the better the design, the greater the blessings from the goddess Lakshmi.

The organizers are planning to have someone creating mehandi (henna) designs on the hands of willing attendees.

Sanskriti 2005 is an event that represents a chance for all PSU students and community members to experience the many cultures of India without traveling too far from home, Ravikiran said. “If you want to see how India looks, come to the event!”