Cultural performances galore at the Kennedy Center.
By Deepak Chitnis
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WASHINGTON, DC: The Embassy of India hosted a cultural event at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Swami Vivekananda, on October 16.
The event – entitled “Arise, Awake! In Celebration of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda” – kicked off with a 20-minute speech from India’s Ambassador to the US, Nirupama Rao. The Ambassador’s speech was then followed by a two-hour cultural program, which featured singers and dancers performing routines that were inspired by and dedicated to the memory of Vivekananda.
In attendance at the event were local Indian-American luminaries such as Benoy Thomas – who was recently appointed to head Maryland’s Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities – and Manjula Kumar of the Smithsonian Institute.
The event featured performances by artists, including dancers Riya and Sara Mani Kapoor, conductor Sonya Subbayya Sutton, Bharathanatyam guru Vidhya Subramaniam, writer and poet Sugata Bose, and sitar maestro Alif Laila.
Swami Vivekananda was a native of Calcutta, born there on January 12th, 1863, and a well-learned man who studied the works of social, religious, and political philosophers from all around the world. He is considered a key figure in modern India and Hindu society, and is credited with bringing Hinduism, yoga and Vedanta to the world stage. Vivekananda died on July 4th, 1902 while meditating, the official cause of death speculated as being a ruptured blood vessel in the brain.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com