At least 500 people came to the Ahimsa Youth Organization's "Festival of India: A Village Bazaar," held at the Capital Children's Museum September 6 and 7 and September 13 and 14, to learn and experience Indian culture through food, spices, jewelry, and numerous performances by local Indian youth.
The Festival of India was a tribute to India's fiftieth anniversary of Independence, which took place on August 15. While India's current political history has lasted only 50 years, its culture and heritage are more than 4000 years old, making it one of the oldest living civilizations in the world. The Ahimsa Youth Organization (AYO), formed in March to promote the culture of the Indian Subcontinent to the general public, targeted the event to show this heritage.
The Festival of India was set up like a village bazaar, with various "shops" that displayed spices, jewelry, clothes, food, and arts and crafts. In addition, there was a hand painting shop where children learned about mehndi.
Success in the event came largely through the interaction between volunteers and visitors. Members of AYO were present at each shop to answer questions on cooking, fashion, art, and history.
Performers were also integral to the event, representing dances and music from all over India. Bharatanatyam and Kathak dancers taught children steps and the meaning of certain hand gestures.
Children also participated in Rajasthani folk dances and Dandia Raas. Tabla and sitar players even took a few requestsfrom the audience. And one of the most exciting performances came from a Manipuri sword dancer, who amazed the children with his intricate and dangerous sword routine.
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"We choose the Children's Museum as the site for this event because we felt that if children learn about culture at a young age, they can learn to appreciate and respect all cultures and ideas - breaking stereotypes and ethnic barriers later on in life," said Ashish Dashottar, creator of AYO. "This event was a success because we actually reached out to people - especially children - and placed them in an environment they hadn't been in before and taught them something new."
The Ahimsa Youth Organization's use of "Ahimsa" goes beyond the literal definition of non-violence. The organization points to Mahatma Gandhi's use of the philosophy in amassing supporters to show that Ahimsa can also be viewed as a means of binding individuals together. Therefore, AYO has made its primary goal to promote unity through education.
AYO has three primary objectives: to educate non-Indians about the culture and traditions of the Indian Subcontinent, to teach and involve youth in projects promoting this heritage, and to participate in community service activities to help the less fortunate. It plans to achieve these goals by cooperating with schools, multicultural fairs, libraries, and other community-based institutions in the Washington Metropolitan area. Homeless shelters, food kitchens, nursing homes, and area hospitals will also be focal points for AYO-related activities.
AYO is a non-profit, non-religious and non-political organization. All activities have an educational and cultural outlook. "We created the organization because we felt that there was not enough importance placed on education to non-Indian cultures," Dashottar said. "We realize that AYO is still small, and that there are many divisions between different ethnic communities. But we hope that with more events like these, we can work towards a greater understanding between communities and bridge cultural gaps in the long run."
AYO's public officers, who have planned the event since May, are Ashish Dashottar, Jaya Mathur, Parakh Saini, Priti Mathur, and Vineet Agrawal.
AYO is always welcoming new members, from any part of the world, without discrimination to gender, ethnicity, or religion. Membership is free, and donations are welcome. For more information, call Ashish Dashottar at (301) 984-1674.
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