A True Cultural Experience

Last week I was invited to attend a cultural program at the college. I had no idea what to expect. What I experienced was a truly wonderful taste of the Kerala culture, and I would like to share that with you. Here is what I got to be a part of:

Mohiniyattam: This is a traditional dance form of Kerala performed only by women. The soft and sensuous movement of the body, along with the soulful melodies of the songs (which are stories from Indian mythology), makes this an enchanting dance.

Vanchi Paattu Folk Song: Vanchi Paattu is best translated as “The Boatmen’s Song.” Remember the snake boat races on the Pampa River? This is the rhythmic chant that is sung as the men row the boat together in time.

Semi-Classical Group Dance: This dance was choreographed by UCC students. The song they danced to was from a popular regional motion picture, and, in the dance, there were various postures related to lord Shiva (also known as Nataraja: master of dances), Ardhanareeshwara (the half-man, half-woman god), and Kamadahana (destroyer of cupid).

Folk Dance: The folk dances of Kerala generally deal with the life of the lower class of people. The songs, which have a rough diction, tell very interesting stories.

UCC Western Music Band: This band is a pride of UCC. It is comprised of eight students, who performed contemporary, Western-style Christian songs with their guitar, bass, keyboard, percussion, and voices. The performers were dressed in jeans and t-shirts. I loved it.

Following the performance, I was invited to attend an absolutely lovely dinner. I have no idea what I ate, but I know that it was delicious and that I ate way too much of it – but it was so worth it. Hurray for a great night of culture!

I’ll put some pictures up very soon so you can catch a little glimpse of what I got to see.