The free, sixth annual Puranava Indian Art & Culture Fest will be held at Pearland Town Center pavilion on Saturday April 20 from noon through 7 p.m.
The colorful event aims to provide an experience of India’s vibrant, diverse, age-old culture which is still a living, integral part of modern India.
Competitions in chess, art, quiz, Indian classical dance, classical Music, and Rangoli (floor sand art) will be held during the day. Advance registration for these can be completed at www.puranava-usa.org/houston. Kids, youth, and adults of all ages and cultural backgrounds are welcome to participate in the competitions.
A highlight of this festival is a Chariot Fest, to be held at 6 p.m., as it is celebrated even today in temples in India. Here everyone can pull a divine chariot, join in kirtan and chants, and watch numerous street cultural performances.
Conducted by nonprofit Global Organization for Divinity in collaboration with Love to Share Foundation America, 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 classical and folk dances and music from India’s diverse regional cultures, through both stage and street presentations.
Planned Indian regional dances include Assamese Bihu, Tamil Nadu Poi-kaal Kudhirai and Karagaattam, Kerala Thiruvadhirai, Bengali Dhunuchi, Gujarati Garbha, Marathi folk, Kurathi gypsy folk, Punjabi Bhangra, Bharatanatyam classical, and others. Three types of folk percussion performances from different regions of India – Kerala Chendai, Tamil Nadu Parai, Marathi Dhol Tasha; and also a youth band performance presenting Indian music using western woodwind instruments. Also showcased will be different forms of visual art including paintings, framed art, sand art, hand-painted crafts, and more. Visitors can also shop for ethnic Indian wear, jewelry, crafts at the bazaar; taste delicious, exotic Indian food and beverages; try henna art; take photos in the photo booth, and more.
Kids and youth can also purchase entry into a special Art and Games Zone where they can get to learn about, create, and take home unique art and crafts, prizes, giveaways, and more.
As part of Love to Share Foundation America’s annual giving program, a drive is being conducted currently to support Sunnyside Street Dogs in Houston. Monetary donations towards dog food are requested and may be sent via Zelle to Love to Share’s Community Drive coordinator at 713-946-3210 with a note that it is for this specific drive. A representative from Sunnyside Street Dogs will receive the supplies during the Puranava 2024 event on April 20.
“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, endeavors to do its part in bringing India’s exquisite indigenous arts to the forefront and presenting to local communities here in the USA 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.
More information about this year’s event, registration for the competitions, vendor registration, etc. can be found at www.puranava-usa.org/houston. For more information about Global Organization for Divinity Houston and its activities, please visit our Facebook page, GOD Namadwaar Houston. Find more information about Love to Share Foundation America and its activitie at lovetosharefoundation.org.
