“After 13 increasingly successful editions of the India Fest, few people in Utah County are ignorant of the fact that, once a year, you can go to India without spending a lot of money. You can have India right in the middle, of all places: Spanish Fork, Utah!”

14th Annual Festival of India at Spanish Fork
By Caru das

Utah Valley1s KHQN Radio and Krishna Temple, located on South Main St. in Spanish Fork, will host the 14th Annual Festival of India on Saturday, September 16th from 4 pm. The presence of a new temple construction site adds mystical flavor to this year's celebration.

After 13 increasingly successful editions of the India Fest, few people in Utah County are ignorant of the fact that, once a year, you can go to India without spending a lot of money. You can have India right in the middle, of all places: Spanish Fork, Utah!

Over 4,000 people attended last year's celebration, and India Fest 2000 could be the biggest one yet, thanks to the enthusiastic increase of promotional efforts on the part of the organizers, and the majestic, overlooking presence of a Krishna temple-to be near the festival site. The gorgeous, North Indian styled temple is set to open around December of 2000, and promises to be a boost for tourism in Spanish Fork.

Every year we have volunteers from all over the Utah & the Western states who help us with the festival, says KHQN's Charu Das,. But, this year, word of the new temple has attracted even more people who think that the area enjoys a particularly strong spiritual vibe... This will be the most exciting India Fest yet.

Stage entertainment for India Fest 2000 will feature: 4:15pm: In praise of Padmanabha, the Lord of the Universe

Devotional songs by : Ganapraveena Sri. Madhusoodan Professor of music at Swathi Thirunal College of Music

4:45pm: Laya Sangamam an exhilarating union of Indian percussion instruments by: Director : Sri. Mavelikara Raju(Mridangam) Vayyankara Madhusoodanan ( Kanjira) Adichanallur Anil Kumar (ghatam) Neyyatinkara Krishnan ( mukhersankh) Experience the intrinsic rhythmic pattern and the rich tradition of spontaneous improvisation that take you to ultimate ecstasy

5:45pm: Aloke Das Gupta,Sitar Shashanka Bakshi, Tablas A concert featuring the greatest of Indian musical instruments, played by a world class virtuoso.

6:30pm: The three leading students of Chitresh Das Kathak Dance Company (San Francisco): Anjali Jhangiani, Jaiwanti Das-Pamnani and Charlotte Moraga

7:30pm: Pageant of the Ramayana

8:30pm: Burning of the Effigy of Ravana and Fireworks

9:00pm: Aloke das Gupta, Sri Madhusudhana, Shashanka Bakshi, and others of stage for chanting and dancing.

All entertainment made possible in part by a grant from the Utah Arts Council & The National Endowment for the Arts

Underneath multicolored Indian wedding tents, the one acre festival site will feature a gift shop, puppet display, and llamas, as well as art, photography, and cultural exhibits on India.

Delicious hot four course meals of Indian curry with home made cheese (paneer), blueberry hallava, spicy Bengali rice, and giant lentil chips (papadams) will be served throughout the evening. There will be Indian drinks such as Peach lassi, and Nimbu pani, as well as sweets and pizza for the less adventurous.

Tara Brown will be on hand, using her henna dyes to paint beautiful designs on ankles, wrists, and faces of festival goers (Mehendi). Sarees and kurtas, the traditional garbs of India, will be on loan for anyone really wanting to get into the spirit (and dress) of the east.

Everyone is invited to enjoy this unique and exotic event, which has been growing in public attendance year after year.

Admission is $2.00 person/$6.00 family.

© CHAKRA 30-August-2000

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