The International House introduced its series of culture nights with Indian Culture Night, held in the I-House Great Room from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 10.

The Culture Night was a huge success. The events ranged from traditional music and dance to trivia, factual speeches and the chance to receive a Henna tattoo.  More than 100 people attended the event and experienced Indian culture like never before. 

Indian Culture Night began with everyone being served food as they came inside. The meal consisted of traditional Indian dishes, including rice and chicken.  A large screen with a decorated image of India stood at the front of the room and traditional Indian music played in the background during dinner.

Many of the Indian students wore traditional Indian clothing and they helped serve the food, give Henna tattoos and put on the show, which was coordinated by the company Mantha.  

The speaker of the night came to the microphone to introduce the first performance. She said that in India, everything is opened with a prayer.

Two young ladies then came up and sang an opening prayer for the crowd. Afterwards, a young lady sang a beautiful song with her guitarist and many of the Indian students clapped and sang along as it was a popular piece. 

Next, a video played for the audience that gave information about Indian culture and history. One interesting fact shared in the video was that the British brought Western architecture to India, which is why many of the buildings appear the way they do today.

There was also a dance performed that depicted an important part of everyday Indian life. The dancers were dressed in very elaborate garments and performed a beautiful work of art that was pleasing to every eye watching. 

For my wedding, I received a Henna from my hands to my elbows and my feet to my knees; the entire process took five and a half hours. Reshma ShahFollowing the dance was a trivia game which involved audience participation.  If a member got the question right, then they received a prize. One question asked, "Which U.S. state includes the name of India?" and the answer, of course, was "Indiana".

Post-trivia, Vinay Mannam spoke about Bollywood, the highest grossing movie industry in India which has gained recognition and popularity in America.  He said that it has an average annual income of $8.9 billion U.S. dollars. Bollywood produces around 800 movies a year. Mannam said, "A typical Bollywood film contains drama, comedy, action, song and dance." 

To conclude the Indian Culture Night, another traditional dance was performed and the audience was asked to interact. Many people danced and participated.  This ended the event with an atmosphere of fondness and respect for India and its culture.

Before they left, members were directed to the back of the room to receive Henna tattoos.  They chose between a free "UT" Henna or a design for a small fee.

One of the Henna artists was Reshma Shah. When asked how long a very intricate and elaborate Henna design takes, Shah responded, "For my wedding, I received a Henna from my hands to my elbows and my feet to my knees; the entire process took five and a half hours."

Indian Culture Night offered an insightful look into the culture and rich history of India. The International House will offer more culture nights this semester which will enable students to receive great food and entertainment, and to learn fascinating information about many different cultures.