Members of the greater Eugene community gathered in the EMU on Saturday night for UTSAV, an annual festival of Indian culture, music, fashion and food presented by the University of Oregon Students of the Indian Subcontinent.
UTSAV, or “festival,” commenced on the upper level of the EMU, where attendees enjoyed a traditional Indian meal including chicken curry, chana masala and gulab jamun.
“Everyone loves Indian food,” said Ravi Parikh, a volunteer and emcee for the event. Parikh, a University sophomore, was born in India but moved to Oregon with his parents as a young child.
“I joined SIS because I wanted to stay in touch with my roots and heritage,” he said.
Though Parikh and other volunteers jumped in to help last week, a small group of students have been preparing for UTSAV since early winter term. For organizer Bhavaya Sachdeva, a University senior and Eugene native, UTSAV has been a long-term commitment.
“I’ve been involved since I was in middle school, so naturally I stayed involved when I came to the University,” said Sachdeva.
After the meal, the festivities moved into the EMU Ballroom, where SIS presented a cornucopia of culture, music and dance from the Indian subcontinent, starting with a slideshow and finishing with a fashion show.
A skit titled “In The Year 3000” humorously flipped around common stereotypes about Indian culture.
“In the year 3000,” said the narrator, “successful Indian companies will outsource low-wage labor to the U.S.”
Seven dance routines primarily showcased two forms of Indian dance: modern Bollywood and traditional Bhangra. One dancer was featured in a medley of Bollywood favorites from the last few decades.
Skit actor and University sophomore Milind Nigam was especially excited by the variety of songs presented in the Bollywood medley.
“The range of songs she knew was really impressive,” said Nigam. “Some of those songs were around before I was born.”
Eugene dance instructor Sat Pavan Kaur brought her children’s Bhangra class to perform two dances at UTSAV. Immediately following intermission, Kaur performed a masterful solo to the delight of her young students, who could hardly contain their excitement during the performance. Kaur, who also teaches Bhangra classes for adults, explained that Bhangra is an ancient tradition rooted in India’s agrarian culture.
“The dance can be traced back to Alexander the Great,” said Kaur. She demonstrated several moves that mimic farm labor, like seed scattering or harvesting.
Though this year’s UTSAV was noticeably smaller than past events, it brought together a wide audience, including more than 300 students and community members of diverse ages and nationalities.
Eugene mother of two Prita Mani explained that the festival is an unusual opportunity for Eugene’s small Indian community to connect and express cultural roots.
“This is a great opportunity to show off our traditional Indian clothing,” said Mani, who wore a traditional salwar kurta dress suit to the event. “And it is also a great place to make new friends.”
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