Performer Pratyusha teaches audience participants a few Indian dance moves at the Fine Arts Concert Hall as part of Saturday’s Diwali celebration hosted by Milaap Indian Students Organization..
The University of Wyoming came alive with the sights, sounds and tastes of India on Saturday. Traditional music and dance filled the Fine Arts Concert Hall, and aromas of Indian cuisine filtered through the Wyoming Union Family Room as Milaap Indian Students Organization hosted Diwali Night 2012.
Diwali is celebrated in India around this time every year. The festival, held on the darkest night of the year, is celebrated with lights and earthenware lamps filled with oil, Karan Manhas, a spokesman for Milaap, said. Called diyas, these lamps illuminate every house to banish the dark and welcome in good luck and fortune.
A diya was lit at the concert hall to begin the Saturday’s Diwali festivities. After the diya lighting, Milaap honored President Buchanan for his efforts in making events like the Diwali festival possible. Following a short speech from the president, about 500 people were treated to traditional Indian style dancing and music.
Brightly colored traditional dress not only graced the stage, but also dotted the audience. Many women wore saris and other Indian fashions. Men wore long tunics or elaborately decorated jackets.
At the concert hall, Diya Deepak, 11, entertained the audience with her expertise in Kathak- and Bollywood-style dancing. Performers Pratyusha and Rashmi transported audience members to India with a plate dance and Bharatnatyam dancing.
Students from UW and Colorado State University provided music for the night.
Rashmi tells a story using a traditional dance style known as Bharatnatyam.
Rik Chakraborti and friends from the College of Business Economics and Finance Department entertained crowds with acoustic renditions of popular music, both old and new. Kaustubh, from CSU, played classical Indian music, and Vikram Singh, a student from UW, showed audiences he could rock Bollywood style. Bollywood singer Parichay closed out the night with his own brand of dance music.
Lines for dinner at the Wyoming Union ran out the door. People waited patiently as the smells wafting through the air awakened their senses. On the menu were chicken curry and tandoori chicken, a dish prepared with yogurt and a blend of Indian spices; deep-fried vegetable dumplings and other traditional foods. Dessert was Gulab jamun, Indian-style doughnuts soaked in sweet syrup.
Milaap has been hosting Diwali for 10 years, Manhas said, and this year marks Milaap’s 15th anniversary as an RSO.
