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A PASSAGE TO INDIA

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A PASSAGE TO INDIA
Davie, Florida (USA) April 14, 2012

Report by Renuka Kaul

The South Florida Hindu Temple of Miami, Florida has always been in the forefront when it comes to promoting Indian culture and traditions amongst the Indians residing in South Florida, as well as creating awareness about the Hindu culture and religion amongst the American society. From time to time, various activities had been organized by the SFHT to strengthen the bonds between the Indians here in South Florida and their Motherland- India. Once again in order to bring the children born and raised here in America closer to their Indian roots and help them retain their heritage, on 14th April 2012, SFHT organized a wonderful event called “Passage to India” featuring an amazing representation of the life, food, music, dance, culture and traditions of the different states of India.

There were 9 states which showcased the diverse cultural identities of each state such as Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal and many more. Among these was a booth representing a place which we all know and love as “Maej kasheer”. It was very touching to see an amazingly warm response and to see that the Kashmiri booth had attracted the most number of people because never before had the Kashmiri culture been represented in such limelight. As the people went around, they were greeted by Kashmiri volunteers dressed in traditional outfits educating the children about the life and culture of the state.

The Booth was decorated with traditional handicrafts and decorations made of walnut wood, “Paper Mache`” items, “Samovar”, “Khosu”, “Hukka”, “Dul”, “Degachi”, and many other authentic arts-and-crafts from the region. The “Crewel work Namdas”, bedcovers, and cushion covers, along with a beautiful display of saris, shawls, and “Pherans” with “Tillawork” as well as multicolored threadwork simply mesmerized the people. The melodious notes of the Kashmiri folk songs filled the air that was already saturated with the aroma of the “Koshur Kehwa” brewing in one corner. As the kids/people learnt about the famous saints, temples, and places to visit in the valley with the help of detailed displays and artwork, they also got to enjoy the taste of the region with ever popular “Roth” and “Kehwa” thus making the Kashmiri booth an instant hit amongst the visitors.

And that was not all; there were food stalls where people could taste mouth-watering specialties from different regions. This brought us to the second part of the event- the wonderful cultural show in which about 130 kids participated in dances from the different states of India. There were folk dances from various states such as Bhangra from Punjab, Bharat Natyam from Tamil Nadu, Garba from Gujarat and of course Rouf from Kashmir. The audience was spellbound as little kids dressed in colorful traditional costumes did Rouf on foot tapping song-“Bumbro-Bumbro”. The cultural show came to a close with a Grand Finale on “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” and then our National Anthem “Jana Gana Man “which really brought back nostalgic memories of our Motherland. In other words this event really helped reinforce our traditions and values in our hearts and the hearts of our kids even more. This was beyond doubt one event that is going to linger in the memories of South Floridians for a long time!

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