Dunbar Students Celebrate Heritage at India Day
The event took place on Aug. 20 at the Moondance Amphitheater.
Since 1987, “India Day” has been hosted by the Bluegrass-Indo American Civic Society in Lexington. This year, it took place from 3-8 p.m. at Moondance Ampitheater in Beaumont Center. The event, which is free and open to all, brings Indian culture and entertainment to the Bluegrass community.
The BIACS youth board president, senior Maya Anjur said, “Our goal is celebrating Indian culture and spreading it throughout the community.”
The event is organized annually during the summer, and Anjur played a large role.
“We had to plan the venue, get tents, sponsors, get performances, figure out the layout of the program, and then it was just a matter of writing scripts and all the little details as it gets closer,” she said.
The details included traditional Indian clothing worn by performers, and also for sale by merchants at the event. Indian cuisine was offered by various vendors, and performances including live music, dancing and a fashion show were ongoing.
Dunbar senior Teja Sudhakar performed as a singer. “I sang a prayer song at the beginning, in the middle I sang a movie song, and then at the very end a patriotic song,” he said.
Sudhakar also explained how the event brings cultures together.
“There’s a lot of cultural education that needs to happen and diversity that needs to be addressed, so I think it’s good to bring a lot of people together,” said Sudhakar.
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A girl performs an eloquent Indian dance.
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Women walk around the stage displaying their colorful saris for the fashion show.
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Food vendors provided samples of food, such as this Chicken Tikka Masala. Allowing patrons of the event to taste authentic Indian Cuisine.
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Mutu sings a popular Indian song.
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People of all ages show up dressed in Indian garments.
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A variety of clothing is worn to the event.
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A dramatic dance explaining the colors of the Indian Flag.
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Indian clothes could be purchased for $10.
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A variety of vendors such as this jeweler sell their products at the event.
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These performers do handstands as part of their energetic routine.
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The spinning sisters twirling during their performance.
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Audience members watch and record the performances.
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The Bluegrass Indo American Civic Society Youth board is brought to the stage for a round of applause celebrating their hard work.
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Bhavana Foods displays a selection of the Indian cuisine they offer.
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Representatives of the Bluegrass Indo-American Civics Society who put the event together gather on the stage to be recognized.
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Children play amidst the festivities.
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A dance representing the cultural union of India and the United States.
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A Bhangra dance, uniting performers of all ages.
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A women energetically performing a Indian dance known as Bhangra.
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A young girl watches the performers dances onstage.
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Kelly Chen and Teja Sudhakar pose together as they sip on a traditional Indian drink.
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Dunbar Senior Rohan Palla announces the upcoming performances.
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Patrons eat food and watch performances put on by the Bluegrass Indo American Civic Society.
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Dunbar Senior Maya Anjur hula hoops during her performance with the spinning sisters.
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Young patrons clap as they watch performances.
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These women performing Bharathanatyam, a traditional Indian dance.
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A dancer fluidly moves with the music.
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Senior Tejaswini Sudhakar and Alumna Nhavani Gudlavaletti performing a patriotic Indian song.
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This is a Punjabi dance known as Bhangra. It began as a form of lively folk music.
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Remy loves photography, coffee, and Ed Sheeran. #livelovelamplighter
