NEW
ETHNIC CELEBRATIONS IN THE HEARTLAND
Kanwal Prakash "KP" Singh
Who could have imagined four decades ago that the
Hoosier Heartland would be witnessing a tremendous
growth of ethnic, cultural, and faith communities
or that the recent immigrant pioneers would embellishing
the festival scene with unimagined colors and fashions,
unfamiliar traditions and festive sounds, music and
songs, folklore and dances, new cultural textures
and raw contagious energy? Who could have forecast
that this convergence of people and transcendences
of unusual and unique cultural textures and intriguing
new rhythms into our festive landscape and societal
mainstream will be a welcome possibility? That the
new pioneers, as they strive to belong to their new
environment and communities, will make a place for
their spirit and innermost stirrings and transplant
their cultural roots in the new land and make a home
which offers them an echo and identity with their
native culture?
That is what we are witnessing with unbounded joy.
The cultural tapestry of United States of America
is transforming into a rich, strong, and promising
festival of spirit and federation of peoples who have
been gathering here for the last five hundred years.
This is a great cause for celebration. We see in U.S.
the world in microcosm and sharing its collective
cultural and spiritual heritage and intellectual wealth
and talents to make a more hopeful Union. We see this
"providential" convergence as offering and
affirming an unmistakable testimony that this rich
diversity has brought in its wake the innovative energy,
creative power, and trail-blazing spirit from the
distant and remote corners of the human habitat and
placed them here and all around us to write another
chapter in the journey of human civilization.
Festivals are great places to connect; to introduce,
explore, and experience; educate and learn; dispel
ignorance and unfounded stereotyping; and to discover
and witness the common threads that link human experience
and heritage across diverse cultural and temporal
landscapes. Most festivals showcase human emotions,
cultural insights, and life rhythms that offer reflections
of our shared humanity; provide opportunities for
fun, friendships, and for working in solidarity to
make a difference to life and community.
PUNJABI LOHRI FESTIVAL
One such festival took place in Indianapolis and
throughout the Punjabi world last Saturday. The Sikh
Educational & Cultural Society of Indianapolis
celebrated the North Indian Winter Festival of LOHRI
at the India Community Center on January 14, 2006.
The celebration presented colorful folk dances: young
ladies' Giddah and young men's Bhangra (choreographed
by Sonya Gill and Malika Chaudhary). In addition,
there were Punjabi Dhol interludes and a number of
solo and group performances of songs and dances by
community artistes and the new Punjabi talents who
have moved to Indianapolis in recent months. The festival
attracted the largest attendance (nearly 500) for
this festival to date. One could witness with pride
the tremendous energy and innovations coming directly
from the soil and culture of the Punjab. Untamed joy
and merriment with an abandon filled the multi-generational,
family-friendly, and festival space that was packed
to capacity.
The highlight, as usual, of the evening was the audience
participation and demonstration of their dancing skills.
The Masti Sound and DJ Manjit Trehan provided an exciting
selection of popular Punjabi folk and disco music.
Hundreds of young and old, men and women in their
colorful best rocked the place for nearly two hours
after the formal program and North Indian buffet dinner
prepared by India Garden Restaurant for the occasion.
There are several legends that surround the North
Indian winter festival of Lohri. It has elements that
offer similarities to the American Holloween. The
most popular legend suggests that Lohri is named after
two sisters Holika and Lohri, one of whom, Holika,
perished in Holy fire. Unlike Holloween, children
and young adults in Punjab go only to designated houses
that have traditional leaf decorations strung across
the doorframes indicating that the family is celebrating
a special event. Much like Holloween, the children
sing folk songs outside the door that speak of the
various legends connected with the Lohri festival,
and ask for generous reward, 'lohri," which is
often roasted peanuts in shells, sesame-covered molasses-candy
known as "riori" or other special gift that
family may choose to share with the revelers. There
are bonfires and community and family gatherings and
dancing in villages.
The eight sponsors of the 2006 Lohri in Indianapolis
were families that had special events and milestones
that highlighted their last year: the birth of a child,
marriage in the family, job promotion or major success
in business, moving to new home, or some other major
landmark event or blessing in their families. Lohri
celebration is a proud community recognition, congratulation,
and thanksgiving for these blessings.
The Celebration Committee had attended to all details
connected with the Lohri tradition including serving
of roasted peanuts in shells (mungphulee), sesame-covered
molasses candy (riori), vegetable pakoras, chicken
strips, and other delicious items. Maninder Walia
and Ravinder Chaudhary served as Masters of Ceremony
and were assisted by Jaswinder Gill, Sonya Gill, Sukhdeep
Singh, Bina Ahluwalia, Narvinder Bhola (Past President
of The Sikh Satsang), and others. Harpreet Sandhu,
President of The Sikh Satsang and Sikh Educational
& Cultural Society of Indianapolis, provided the
overall leadership and guiding hand to a highly successful
event.
Kanwal Prakash "KP" Singh
Indianapolis, Indiana USA
