The culture of India will be showcased at this fourth annual Puranava Indian Culture Festival on August 13 at the Pearland Downtown Pavilion.
Through dance performances, music, art and food, the Puranava celebrates India in an open-air atmosphere across the mall and pavilion.
“We (Global Organization for Divinity) are always looking for opportunities to give back to the community and we want everyone to experience and learn more about India because it has such a rich culture,” said Nisha Giri, one of the Pearland festival organizers and a member of the Houston chapter of the nonprofit Global Organization for Divinity.
A consistent aspect of Indian culture, Giri said, is how its traditional influences remain embedded in modern culture.
Pure means old in ancient Sanskrit, and Nava means new, and the festival is meant to be a colorful display of two cultures as they collide into one.
“We showcase all different sides of India from ancient to modern,” Giri said.
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The festival will feature dancing on stage or performed by street performers of all ages, folk drummers, a bazaar with vendor stalls, handicrafts, Indian henna and rangoli art forms and aromas and flavors Indian foods.
When: August 13
Where: Downtown Pearland, 1200 Broadway Street, Pearland
For more information on sponsorships or to reserve a vendor booth, call 281-402-6585
Website: https://bit.ly/3oldCYd
The Puranava festival will also include youth dance performances, art and chess competitions, paying homage to the deep roots of chess in ancient Indian culture.
The festival also highlights the cultural diversity of Pearland and Houston, including a large and active Indian community that represents various parts of India.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to bring out the diversity of our Pearland region,” said Giri, who was born in India and has long been a Pearland resident. “We have people from different parts of India living in Houston and they will come and perform.”
The Pearland event, which is free and open to the public, started small at Rogers Middle School in 2018, and before the pandemic-related cancellation in 2020, Giri said the move to the more centralized location in the center- Pearland city had brought out over a thousand visitors. With COVID continuing to affect attendance numbers in 2021, organizers hope this year’s event will get the festival back on track.
“We hope it returns to full attendance and glory,” she said.
Dance, chess and art competitions will begin at 1 p.m. and cultural performances at 5 p.m.
The Indian Classical Music Competition will be held online on August 5 and an Indian Heritage Quiz will be held online on August 6. Contest guidelines and entry information are available at www.puranava-usa.org.
