|
|
Ahimsa Youth Organization (AYO) is a non-profit 501(c)(3), charitable and educational organization dedicated to educating and promoting the culture of South Asia to the general public, specifically non-South Asians, and assisting the less fortunate through community service.
|
|
||
|---|---|---|
| June 26, 1999. Color, dance, music, food, and photographs all contributed to the fascinating "Festival of South Asia", which took place on Saturday, June 26, 1999 at the Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Citizens Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. The program was put together by the Ahimsa Youth Organization (AYO), a non-profit organization made up of South Asian youth from the countries of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh in the Washington D.C. area, and was guided by the Founder and Director of the organization, Ashish Dashottar. About 350 people attended the free show and were educated about the culture of South Asia, with approximately 200 people attending who were not of South Asian origin. The cultural festival began with a forward by Francis Vaz, the Minister of Political Affairs from the Embassy of India who gave an excellent speech on culture and non-violence. The program continued with a delightful musical performance by Ashish Dashottar on tabla and Hari Singh on sitar and was followed by an inauguration speech by Maryland Delegate, Kumar Barve. The cultural program started with an ethnically diverse fashion show. Attire worn by people from all over India, Pakistan and Bangladesh were gorgeously portrayed by many talented youth. One by one, the audience got a chance to learn about and revel in the beauty of every outfit from many diverse regions. Following the fashion show were a stream of ethnic dances, lasting nearly two hours. Many classical and regional dance styles from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh were depicted. The audience was given the opportunity to see the intricacy of classical dance, as well as the genuine beauty of regional folk dances. A wide variety of dances were performed. Dances from India included a West Bengali fisherman dance, classical Odissi dance, Manipuri, Kuchipudi, Mohini Attam, Bharata Natyam, a Rajasthani folk dance, Gujarati Dandia Ras, and the all famous Punjabi Bhangra. Additionally, folk and modern performances were given by Pakistani and Bangladeshi youth with great satisfaction from the American community. The audience, which included Mohammed Jauhar, the Second Secretary representing the Embassy of Sri Lanka, also had an opportunity to see a unique Bamboo folk dance from the Indian state of Mizoram. With such a diverse performance, it was hard for the audience to walk away without learning anything. The "Festival of South Asia" left a great impact on each member of the audience as it was an eye-opener for many, and yet still for others it increased their already acquired knowledge on their own heritage and culture. "It left me with a new understanding of South Asia, and this new knowledge is priceless as it has opened my eyes to a land foreign to my own," said one audience member who was learning about South Asia for the first time. "It was a great opportunity for people to learn about India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, and it was good for our children to look further into their heritage," said one of the parents of one of the participants. Reflections such as these were common for many of the South Asia parents who contributed countless hours transporting their children to AYO meetings so they could plan and participate in the event. These warm reflections show that the efforts put forth by the youth were recognized as genuine and were greatly appreciated by the ethnic community as well as the community that AYO was trying to educate. In addition to seeing live dance and music performances, the audience also had an opportunity to taste South Asian cuisine and see a beautiful photographic exhibit. India Grill, a popular restaurant in Rockville, Maryland provided food platters at a nominal price of only $3 which provided a full lunch that consisted of chicken curry, navratan korma, naan and rice pulav. A photographic exhibit |
titled "Journey through South Asia" was also provided by internationally renowned Photo Journalist, Rajan Devadas. The photographs of India were very valuable in educating the day to day culture of South Asia to the audience as only so much could be learned through dance and music. The exhibit included rare pictures that depicted children, art, architecture and village life. "The program was very well put together," said Ravi Krishnan, father of one of the participants. "The pictures told a lot, and brought out the beauty of India."
 604 Farm Pond Lane Rockville, MD. 20852 www.ayo.org |
|