The fifth annual Puranava Indian Art & Culture Fest will be held on Saturday, April 15 at Pearland Town Center Pavilion, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Admission to the event is free. Youth competitions in chess, art, quiz, Indian classical dance and music will begin at 12:30 p.m. Registration for these is at www.puranava-usa.org and is open to youth of all ages and cultural backgrounds.

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 and Visitors Bureau. The mayors of both Pearland and Manvel are expected to attend the event alongside other dignitaries from the Greater Houston area.

This unique art and culture fest will showcase Indian classical and folk dances and music; different forms of visual arts including paintings, framed art, sand art; provide 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.

True to its name (“Pura” means ancient and “Nava” means new or modern.) 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 and participants with an experience of India’s vibrant, diverse, age-old culture which is still a living and 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 small 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. For more information about Global Organization for Divinity Houston, please visit houston.godivinity.org.