Celebrating India Day

Classical Indian musician Kuntala Ray.

Celebrate the culture and heritage of India with two special events.

UNC Asheville will present “Passport to India” October 24 in Alumni Hall on the lower level of Highsmith University Union. From 11 a.m. to noon the event will feature informational booths devoted to Indian food, clothes, music, dance, and art.

That evening at 7 p.m. accomplished classical Indian musicians Kuntala Ray and Dibyarka Chatterjee will perform in the Grotto on the lower level of Highsmith.

Ray, who holds a degree in science from Calcutta University, has
studied music since childhood. The most senior student of Pandit Barun
Kumar Pal, Ray is the only female hansa veena player in India. She
performs traditional ragas, which are Indian classical music melodic
modes. Ray has performed throughout India and the southeastern United
States.

Tabla player Chatterjee was recognized as a child prodigy in his
home state of Kolkata. Now an American resident, Chatterjee performs
widely across the country and has played at such venues as Lincoln
Center and the Indian Consulate in New York City and Place des Arts in
Montreal.

A performance by traditional Odissi dancer Pratibha Jena Singh
will wrap up the evening concert. Daughter of the late Guru Surendra
Nath Jena, Singh performs the classical Indian dance from Orissa, which
incorporates hand gestures, rhythmic steps, and facial expressions to
enact stories from Hindu mythology. She has performed and taught
classes throughout India, Russia, and the United States. Both events
are free and open to the public.
For more information, call UNC Asheville’s Cultural & Special Events Office at (828) 251-6991.