Have you ever muttered a feeble prayer to an unknown god for a green traffic light, a short line at the grocery store, or a front-row parking spot? A brief chat with an Indian may prove that they have just the god for you.
With 330 million deities to choose from, odds are you will discover one in the Hindu pantheon attributable to just about anything. Though the spiritual roots of Hinduism are steeped in centuries of Indus Valley tradition, there is virtually no situation, environment or place that an Indian today does not have a god for.
A visit to the Saugatuck Center for the Arts this month will take you on a journey through the Hindu cosmology and one of the best displays in art and culture West Michigan has to offer. During the month of April SCA hosts the Culture of India Festival, featuring 330 Million Faces: Meeting Hindu’s Deities art exhibition.
300 Million Faces explores the diverse spiritual beliefs, iconography and cosmology of Hindu religions via an intriguing mixture of Indian artwork. Miniature court life paintings, sculptures of major deities and folk art from various Indian villages weave together the rich cultural landscape of one of the most spiritually venerated places on Earth. The exhibition is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and during evening performances, with a public reception Monday, Apr. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
The 25 pieces featured in the exhibit – on loan from Grand Valley State University’s permanent collection – present a broad sampling of Indian culture and Hindu religion in a riot of color, detail and texture. The three integral Hindu deities – Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer – are prominently showcased along with a number of popular favorites. Other deities to note are Krishna, the unmistakable blue deity full of mischief and life, and Ganesh, the elephant-headed god of wisdom.
Culture of India Festival at SCA is the third installment in their World Culture series, and will offer culturally educational performances and workshops for all ages throughout the month of April.
Krista Reuter, program director at SCA, hopes the festival will help connect West Michigan residents with the Indian sub-continent, and enhance their global perspective. “We are becoming such a global society that it is good to know a little about different cultures as we grow up,” she says. “Part of the Art Center’s mission is to educate kids on the arts, so this is a great way to show kids different aspects of art from different cultures.”
During the last week of March the art-lined walls of SCA echoed with joyful shouts as curious kids filed off of school busses and streamed through the front doors. Throughout the week SCA was the pre-spring break field trip destination for many area schoolchildren, where they were treated with India-flavored activities including a cooking demonstration, dance performance and art samplings. Similar workshops for kids will be open to the public throughout Culture of India Festival.
On Apr. 18 SCA will welcome the public to witness some of India’s rich cultural traditions come alive, featuring a gallery talk, Rangoli demonstration and Sari fashion show.
Boyd Wilson, Hope College professor of Religion will use the 300 Million Faces exhibition to guide participants through the complex system of tradition and belief that make up the Hindu religions.
Rangoli, or “sand art” is a traditional Indian folk art form commonly practiced during Hindu festivals. Celebrants create decorative circular floor designs with white flour and colorful spices intended to mark sacred welcoming areas for Hindu deities.
Sari, a Sanskrit word meaning “strip of cloth,” is a traditional style of Indian dress dating back to 2800 BCE and is still popular today. The fashion show, set to traditional Indian music, will feature models enveloped in a whirlwind of color, pattern, texture, and will detail aspects of Indian dress unique to each of India’s 27 states.
Other activities for adults throughout the month include Bollywood dance workshops, Henna tattoo classes, a traditional Indian fashion show (Sari), and an aromatic Indian cuisine workshop.
Culture of India Festival has been well received by members of the Saugatuck area and West Michigan community and Reuter hopes the positive response will continue to grow. For Reuter, Culture of India Festival is a chance for people to gain, “deeper understanding of a culture that we don’t typically relate to. This exhibit gives people the opportunity to educate themselves a little bit about different religions, as well as a different culture,” in an incomparably unique way.
Culture of India Festival at Saugatuck Center for the Arts was made possible with the help of a dedicated team of volunteers, India-Link, and is sponsored by the Brooks Family Fund, Patricia Sax, and the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs.
For more information on SCA Culture of India Festival and workshop registration, visit www.SC4A.org or call (269) 857-2399.
