In a salute to one of the world's oldest cultures, Gators for Asha hosted the fifth annual Praharsha festival on Saturday night.
Performers dressed in Hindi garb and swaying to the music from traditional instruments gave students a taste of Indian customs as they danced across the stage.
The festival was hosted to promote Indian culture and raise awareness of Gators for Asha's mission to raise money to fund education for underprivileged children in India.
More than 700 people came to take part in the cultural showcase that featured three hours of Indian singing and dancing.
"It's the highlight of the year for us,"said Lokendra Bengani, treasurer of Gators for Asha.
Videos and speeches, accompanied by photos and slideshows of children in Indian schools the group helps to fund, were used in an attempt to inspire the members of the audience to volunteer their time with the organization.
The real energy came from the Indian folk dances and customary Hindi songs that showed the diversity and dedication of Gators for Asha.
Beth Lackey, a member of Desi Gators, a dance group that performed in the showcase, said the group had intensive practices for two-and-a-half weeks before its performance.
"This is an experience of a lifetime for me," she said. "It was so amazing. It was so much fun."
Ashwin Ramanthan, who played violin in the opening jugalbandi musical act of the festival, said this was his first time playing in the show and hopes he can do it again.
"I'm excited," he said. "It's my first time performing in front of a Gainesville audience."
Priyamka Chandroshekar, a member of the audience, said she was pleased with the show and its authenticity.
"It was very reminiscent of what we see in India," Chandroshekar said.
Neha Sahwhey, another audience member, said she thought the group achieved its goal of promoting its work with children in India.
"It is one of the best ways of creating awareness," Sahwhey said.
Editor's Note 8/31/10: Monday’s article about the Praharsha festival refers to the garb and songs as Hindi, when they are actually Indian and represented many languages and regions in the country.
