South Texas Hindu Society celebrates Indian culture with annual festival, health fair

Ashlee Burns, Corpus Christi Caller Times
·2 min read
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Community members gathered at the Sri Venkateswara Temple on Saturday to celebrate Indian culture with food, music, dance and educational programming.

The annual festival, which began 13 years ago, started as a community health fair to provide free services, such as medical tests and blood pressure checks, according to Chairman Rajan Ahuja. The festival returned this year after being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The South Texas Hindu Society was formed in 2002.

Priti Patil, center, plays a drum and dances with San Antonio-based performance group Garjana Dhol Tasha at the Festival of India at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022.
Priti Patil, center, plays a drum and dances with San Antonio-based performance group Garjana Dhol Tasha at the Festival of India at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022.

“It’s always been about giving back,” Ahuja said. “Our community has been blessed with Corpus Christi and we have a lot of doctors who are Indian who wanted to get together and give back to the community."

The festival kicked off with a group prayer, followed by a performance by Garjana Dhol Tasha, a 16-person band from San Antonio. Some band members carried large double-headed drums, or dhol tasha, tied around their waists with rope, while others held hand cymbals.

The band formed a circle outside the Sri Venkateswara Temple, as women from the crowd performed traditional dances in the middle while children waved bright orange flags.

Staff members from Pavani Express work to serve a bustling food line with dosas, samosas and more at the Festival of India at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022.
Staff members from Pavani Express work to serve a bustling food line with dosas, samosas and more at the Festival of India at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022.

Attendees browsed through booths, trying 12 different varieties of Indian food, getting henna tattooes and buying Indian jewelry and clothing. The event also featured educational programming about India.

Hindu society committee member Sonali Joshi, 42, said the festival is a way to allow Corpus Christi residents to experience Indian traditions, culture and dance.

Members of San Antonio-based performance group Garjana Dhol Tasha play drums and dance at the Festival of India at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022.
Members of San Antonio-based performance group Garjana Dhol Tasha play drums and dance at the Festival of India at the Sri Venkateswara Temple in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022.

“It’s open to anybody and everybody,” Joshi said. “You can come and experience our music, fashion and prayers, and of course our food is so famous and you know everybody wants to try it. If we don’t showcase, how will everybody know what we have to offer?”

For more information or to donate to the South Texas Hindu Society, go to www.southtexashindusociety.org.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: South Texas Hindu Society festival celebrates Indian culture