5th Annual Puranava Indian Art & Culture Fest on April 15 in Pearland
PEARLAND, TX – The 5th annual Puranava Indian Art & Culture Fest is planned to be held on Saturday April 15 at Pearland Town Center Pavilion, from 4 pm through 8 pm. Admission to the event is free. Competitions in Chess, Art, Quiz, Indian Classical Dance & Music will begin earlier in the day, from 12:30 pm onwards. Registration for these is at www.puranava-usa.org. Kids/youth/adults of all ages and cultural backgrounds are welcome to participate in the competitions.
Conducted by nonprofit Global Organization for Divinity, the event is supported by a cultural arts grant from the City of Pearland through the Pearland Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Mayors of the cities of Pearland and Manvel, and other dignitaries from the Greater Houston area are also expected to attend the event.
This unique art and culture fest will showcase Indian classical and folk dances and music including rare forms such as Assamese Bihu, Tamil Nadu Poi-kaal Kudhirai folk, Kerala Thiruvadhirai, Folk percussion, apart from more well known forms of Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, Odissi, Mohiniyattam, Garbha, and others. Also showcased will be different forms of visual arts including paintings, framed art, sand art. The Darshana exhibit on Hindu culture will be presented at the event by HSS. There will also be opportunities for attendees of all ages to try out a few different types of artwork; take pictures wearing traditional Indian clothes and henna art; shop for ethnic Indian wear, jewelry, crafts at the bazaar, and of course taste delicious, exotic Indian food. Attendees can also experience a Chariot festival, as celebrated even today in temples in India, where they can pull a divine chariot, join in kirtan, and watch street performances.
“Pura” means ancient and “Nava” means new or modern. True to its name, this event, which is presented in various formats by Global Organization for Divinity in several cities and countries across the world, aims to provide attendees & participants with an experience of India’s vibrant, diverse, age-old culture which is still living and is an integral part of modern India.
These days, outside of the Indian diaspora, Indian culture is sometimes more commonly associated with Bollywood, and an awareness of India’s thriving traditional classical and folk arts (both performing as well as visual arts) at times takes a backseat. Puranava endeavors to do its little part in bringing these exquisite indigenous arts to the forefront and presenting the beauty of these traditions – many of which are still being actively practiced not only in India itself but also by people of Indian origin around the world – to local communities here in the USA.
More information about this year’s event, registration for the competitions, vendor information, etc. can be found at www.puranava-usa.org. Visit our Facebook event at www.facebook.com/events/1848483032198360. For more information about Global Organization for Divinity Houston, please visit houston.godivinity.org.