The India Center Celebrates International Education Week

By ARIANNA LESTRADE

On Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, the UCF India Center and the Burnett Honors College hosted “A Showcase of India’s Art and Culture.”  The event exhibited art and culture of India as part of International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education. The goal of the event was to display the practical and theoretical applications of Indian art and music while engaging attendees in Indian culture. 

India Center Director of Public Affairs Leila Chacko, Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres, Ph.D., dean of the Burnett Honors College, and Martin Dupuis, Ph.D., senior sssociate dean of the Burnett Honors College, opened the event by welcoming guests.  India Center affiliate faculty member Pandit Nandkishor Muley and artist Sanjana Deshmukh led the main event.  Muley showcased traditional Indian music performances, incorporating a guitar and two Indian instruments– tabla and a santoor.  Deshmukh displayed art created by students in the Honors Cultural Traditions of India course. The student artists focused on Warli and Madhubani styles, two types of traditional folk-art painting. Volunteer student henna artists offered henna decorations on attendees’ hands. The UCF India Center provided a variety of traditional Indian sweet and savory snacks for guests to sample.

“We were happy to partner with the Burnett Honors College for this International Education Week event.  It was a wonderful opportunity for students and community members to have a first-hand experience of Indian culture,” Chacko said.