Indian Student Association Promotes Cultural and Diversity Awareness

By Manideep Raja Vanama, edited by Trish Blattenberger 

The Indian Student Association (ISA) at Bradley University was founded more than 32 years ago and is one of the largest and most active student organizations on campus.  The group aims to carry on a strong tradition of spreading awareness of Indian culture and traditions, promoting cultural exchange, and embracing diversity among all individuals and communities.  Over 500 graduate-level and undergraduate students are currently active in the organization.  ISA regularly hosts activities such as social and cultural events which include meet and greets, tours and trips and sports and cultural nights.  They also participate in general body meetings, community service, and interaction with other student organizations.  As part of the Fall 2015 Events, ISA hosted the sports event "Gear Up" and a two-day festival-themed event called Indian Carnival Fall ’15.  

Sports have always been an integral part of the Indian student culture. This semester ISA organized sports week, “Gear Up”, comprised of various sports activities including cricket, volleyball, racquetball, table tennis and badminton.  The event was sponsored by Ideal Rentals and the winners and runners-up were awarded with trophies and medals by Dr. Shane Kim, Dr. Steven Dolins, Dr. Prasad Shastry and Dr. Vladimir Uskov at India Nite 2015. 

The Indian Carnival Fall ‘15 was a two-day event hosted by ISA for the first time in 32 years. It marked an amalgamation of fun, culture and tradition. It was an opportunity for the entire Bradley community to witness and experience the rich tradition and heritage of 'Incredible India' and featured events such as Rangoli, Mehandi art, Janmastami Utti and Dhandiya. 

Rangoli is an ancient Indian practice of creating a pattern on the living room or courtyard floor out of colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals.  The house is enlightened by the design and accompanied by prayers of well-being for the family.  The Bradley event replicated this practice by supplying teams of four with the necessary supplies and allowing them to display their designs on the performance court of the Markin Center.

Mehandi is a tradition introduced by the Mughals during their reign in India. Mehandi is a thick paste made from the Henna plant leaves, which also has medicinal values and properties. Mehandi art is a temporary form of skin decoration, in which women ink their hands with Mehandi designs.  In this modern era, it is a ritual during the marriage ceremony and a fascination among many young women.  

Janmastami commemorates the earthly appearance of Krishna.  In addition to a treasure hunt and tug-of-war, the Bradley Janmastami Utti event involved the tradition of jumping 12 feet and hitting a hanged pot with a stick.

Dhandiya is a traditional folk dance form of Gujarat a state in India. The dance themes are based on scenes of Holi,and Leela of Lord Krishna.  Indian students groups of 12 made an outstanding performance to showcase the dance in their traditional dress. 

The two-day Indian Carnival Fall ‘15 culminated with its biannual semester tradition, ISA Nite. The event was open to all, providing an opportunity for community people to learn about Indian culture through the experience of art, music, dance and cuisine. 

Guest faculty participated in in the Lighting of the Lamp ceremony.  In the Indian culture, light symbolizes knowledge, darkness and ignorance and the lighting ceremony commences many worship, ritual and festival occasions.  Sports awards for the “Gear Up” sports week activities were presented.  Group song, dances, fashion walks, stand-up comedy and interactive events were also part of the evening’s festivities.  

Indian food is one of the most aromatic and spice-filled cuisines.  The evening’s menu consisted of: Vegetable Pakoda, a traditional starter fried snack from south India consisting of gram flour and vegetables;  Chicken Manchuria, an appetizer of fried chicken pieces in spicy bell pepper and chili powder marinade;  the main dish of curry and Biryani, an Indian-spiced Basmati rice;  accompaniments of butter Naan, an oven-baked flat bread of wheat flour, yeast and cooking fat, and rose milk, a rose- flavored sweet milk.  Gulab Jamun, a sweet, spongy, milky cake soaked in rose-scented syrup ended the dinner in Indian signature style. 

ISA Nite also featured formal thanks to all of the members who helped to make Indian Carnival Fall ‘15 a huge success.  The evening ended with a showcase of the video “Making of Indian Carnival” followed by an Indian DJ, providing everyone with a chance to dance to the Indian beats and Bollywood songs.