India Fest

By Chris Howell, NewsOn6.com

If you didn't know you were at the Tulsa County Fairground this weekend you might have thought you had been magically transported to New Delhi.

"India fest is an annual event that we've been organizing over the past four years, and it's just grown a lot, and we really use it as an opportunity to share the culture of India with the general public. The Indian culture has a very long history of very colorful festivals this year we've showcased the festivals of India, a lot of our dances are very engaging and vibrant," said Manju Kaul of India Association of Greater Tulsa.

The children certainly seemed to be captivated by the various dances.

"Indian dance is very diverse because every state has a different culture, different costumes so every state will have its own type of dancing. A lot of what you saw today is classical also. In India whenever anybody dances they use everything from their head to their toes, so everything is accentuated, the jewelry, the colors and everything," Priya Raju with the Kripalaya Dance Academy said.

Colors reflected in the brilliant fashions displayed in the fashion show.

"What I'm wearing here is a Sari, its traditional dress all over India, in all of the different states. It's a six-feet long piece of this thing, it comes in different materials and there's a special way you drape it. We love color, the brighter the prettier, because it helps your mood, makes you feel better," said Shalini Sangal.

If all the color and dancing doesn't make you feel better, try the distinctively spicy cuisine.

"Indian food is one of our favorite dishes, we go all the time, I love it! The different types of spices that they use in their food," said David Owen.

There was a little something for everyone.

"We do henna tattoos, face painting, story-telling for children, we have Indian clothes for sale, children love to wear the clothes," said Manju Kaul.