Festival of India Sept. 13th

[Guest guest]

For Immediate Release

Date of Event: Saturday, 9/13/2003

Time: 4 pm

Location: 8628 S. Main St, Spanish Fork, Utah

Contact: Charu Das or Vaibhavi Devi

(801)798-3559/787-1510

carudas (AT) earthlink (DOT) net

www.iskcon.net/utah

 

 

Utah Valley¹s KHQN Radio and Krishna Temple, located on South Main St. in

Spanish Fork, will host the 17th Annual Festival of India on Saturday,

September 13th from 4 pm. The new Krishna Temple provides an expanded

festival site and facilities for the popular event.

After 16 increasingly successful editions of the India Fest, few people

in Utah County are ignorant of the fact that, once a year, you can go to

India without spending a lot of money. You can have India right in the

middle, of all places, ... Spanish Fork!

Over 5,000 people attended last year¹s celebration, and India Fest 2003

could be the biggest one yet, thanks to the enthusiastic increase of

promotional efforts on the part of the organizers, the majestic, overlooking

presence of the Krishna temple at the festival site, and a natural

amphitheater which can accommodate thousands.

Underneath multicolored Indian wedding tents, the eight acre festival site

will feature world class entertainment, cuisine, a gift shop, art,

photography, cultural exhibits on India, a gala pageant of the epic

Ramayana, the burning of a 20¹ high ten-headed demon named Ravana, and

spectacular fireworks

Delicious hot multi- course meals of Indian curry with home made cheese

(paneer), blueberry hallava, spicy Bengali rice, and giant lentil chips

(papadams) will be served throughout the evening. There will be Indian

drinks such as Peach lassi, and Nimbu pani, as well as sweets and pizza for

the less adventurous.

Everyone is invited to enjoy this unique and exotic event, which has been

growing in public attendance year after year.

Admission is $3.00 person/$1.00 children.

 

Schedule of Stage entertainment

 

4:00 pm, Vishal Ailawadhi, brilliant young classical and popular Indian

vocalist from Torrance, Cal. Plays harmonium and tabla accompaniment by

Hemant Ekbote.

 

5:00 pm, Nithya Balasubramaniyam, a young student of Srimate Sudha Vasudevan

from Boise Idaho, will dance two selections, one of which is:

The song Alaypayuthe describes the yearnings of Radha waiting for Krishna¹s

arrival. She is enchanted by Krishna¹s charm and the melody of his music. In

his absence she complains that even the soft moonlight is burning her body.

She is asking him that when she is missing him so much, is it fair on his

part to ignore her and spend time with other Gopikas (devotees).

 

5:15 pm, Northern California¹s Lasya Dance Company, headed by Vidya

Subramaniam, is sending two of their top performers, Chetana Sastry & Priya

Das.

Several of their selections are as follows (Bharata Natyam Dance style):

Mallari: Mallari is a composition emphasizing the intricate interplay of

rhythmic beats and footwork. It draws inspiration from the music played in

Hindu temples while the deity is taken out of the sanctum sanctorum and into

a procession through the city.

Jaya Janaki Ramana: This piece is Song in praise of Lord Rama, husband of

Janaki and one of the avatars (manifestations) of Lord Vishnu. The highlight

of the piece is that it is set to Raga Malika (5 different sets of musical

notes) and Taala Malika (in 5 different rhythms)

Brindavanadolu Aaduvan Yare: "Who plays the flute so melodiously in

Brindavan?" This composition talks about how all the gopis (cow-herdesses)

in the city of Brindavan are entranced by the sounds of a melodious flute.

They cannot complete their chores and come out of their homes to look for

who is playing the flute, to discover that it is Lord Krishna.

 

6:15 pm, Drama, The Transformation of Vamiki, who went from robber to saint,

and is famous as the narrator of the epic Ramayana.

 

6:30 pm, Nandini Mehta and Satya Raju, both grade A performing artists

from Bangalore, India will collaborate with Asha Gopal (Phoenix) and her

student Sutopa Barua, in the following selections and more (dance styles are

both Kathak & Bharat Natyam):

1)Krishna Padam-Raga Jayanthashri and Talamalika

This item describes Lord Krishna playing with the Gopis (devotees).

2)Madhurashtakam-Raag Misra Pilu,Teen Taal

These stanzas have been taken from Shankaracharya's Madhurashtakam verses

which describe the beauty and grandeur of Lord Krishna .

3) Tumri(song)-Hari Main To Hari. This Tumri describes Lord Krishna teasing

Radha the Gopis in Brindavan . Krishna breaks their pots and harasses them

all the time. In the end Radha realizes that it is Lord Krishna himself and

surrenders herself to her Lord.

4) Tillana-This item is performed at the end of the repertoire . It has lot

of fast, intricate foot-work and sculpture like poses.

 

7:30 pm: Main Event, Pageant of the Ramayana, climaxing in the spectacular

burning of 20¹ high effigy of Ravana after dark with flaming arrows and

fireworks.

Cast members for the Ramayana are in order of Appearance:

Keikeyi, Karuna Manna: Manthara, Divya Drsti Frazier: King Dasaratha, Dennis

Morrow: Bharat, Jai Krishna Perry: Rama, Justin Hadlock: Sita, Andrea Nunez:

Laksman, Jon Chavez: Surpanakha, Vishnu Priya Shibonis: Ravana, Randy Seely:

Maricha and Jatayu, Sydartha Manna: Ogresses, Ganga and Yamuna Shibonis:

Hanuman, Jai Krishna Perry, Monkey Soldiers, Josh Dennis, Will Covin, &

Franklin Raines.