India Fest

Many people here are not aware that you can get a glimpse of India, at least once a year, without spending a lot of money. You can have India right here in the middle of USA at the "India Fest".

Yesterday, my family and I enjoyed a quick trip to India at the "India Fest" in Peoria, Illinois. Peoria is a beautiful small city about 50 miles west of Bloomington (where I live) in Illinois State. India Fest was a mixture of various events that included Indian art, culture, food, music, and religion.

The day-long India Festival was organized by the Indo-American Society of America of Peoria (IASP) - a fledgling organization founded in 2000. IASP celebrates Indian culture and its values such as respect for diversity, importance of public service, and development of a harmonious community.

The India Fest featured the most-loved Indian sport- Cricket. There were two matches - a Celebrity Cricket (30-ball match) and another between the teams of Bloomington and Peoria. In a country where sport means either football or baseball, cricket was a refreshing change. Of course, the better team of Bloomington won.

The festival included informative talks on a variety of popular Indian topics such as Ayurveda, Meditation, and Yoga.

The venue for the India Fest cultural events was the beautiful Peoria's River Front overlooking the majestic Illinois River. The audience was typically what you will find back in India at public gatherings- a delightful mixture of young and old dressed in the most colorful salwar kameezes, sarees, casuals, and pyjama kurtas.

Stage entertainment at the India Fest was a plethora of events featuring Bharatnatyam, Bhajan Songs, Bollywood Songs, Classical and Western Dance Fusion, Folk Dances, Tribal Dances, Instrumental Music and Variety Entertainment. The artists were mostly young boys and girls with lots of enthusiasm and talents.

Kids in the age group of 3 to 10 seemed to enjoy the events much more than the adults. It was a delight to see the kids run around, chase others, and dance off-stage without any inhibition.

Housed underneath camping tents, the festival site included a henna (Mehendi) shop to paint beautiful designs on palms, gift shops that sold Indian dresses and art items, and some cultural exhibits on India.

And who can forget the food? How can there be India without Bhel Puri, Samosas, Spicy Rice, Roti and Garam Chai? All of these delicacies and more were on continuous supply to please the Indian tastebuds.

Next year, if you are planning a visit to India - Save your precious money and time. Visit the India Fest!