K-Event Review: Asian Cultural Fest by Saheli Institute & Foundation in Kolkata

Written by: Tirna Sarkar and Aqsa Zea, Kolkata

Edited by: Pooja Vishwanathan, Jhansi

Asia as a whole is a diverse continent filled with different types of cultures and traditions. The Asian cultural festival conducted by the Saheli Institute & Foundation, based in Kolkata, exemplified different countries of Asia and their cultures in a significant way. Saheli Institute & Foundation, founded by Miss Aqdas Amir, aims to bring people sharing the same interest in Asian culture while giving back to society by contributing the profits raised through these festivals to help underprivileged children get themselves a proper basic education so that they can thrive in society.

The festival took place on the 3rd floor, Pantaloons, Kankurgachi, on July 6th from 1 p.m. and went on until 6 p.m. The event started with a brief introduction of the institute and the Asian countries and was followed by different activities according to them. There were several stalls selling various types of merchandise, both official and unofficial. The theme of the event was Cherry Blossom, and a photo corner was created where the participants of the event could take pictures.

ACTIVITIES OF EACH COUNTRY IN THE EVENT

The event commenced with the country of Vietnam, and the making of Vietnamese coffee was demonstrated by the organizers. The procedure to prepare the coffee required 2 to 3 spoons of condensed milk to be poured into a cup and then a coffee filter was placed inside the cup where hot water was being poured. The hot water is gradually filtered through the coffee filter and two separate layers of condensed milk and coffee form. When the mixture was stirred with a spoon, the color of the coffee changed from black to brown and the taste was exquisite. Coffee making in Vietnam is associated with leisure, as the brewing takes some hours, so it is the perfect way to spend some quality time with friends and family. The next activity was the Vietnamese hat-making activity. Papers with circles already drawn were distributed amongst the participants and they were asked to cut the circle from the paper. The circle was later cut from the center only once through the radius and the edges were pasted to make a cylindrical cone, which represented the Vietnamese straw hats or Non-La.

The country to follow next was Thailand. Thailand shares a great interest in art and one of them is handmade jewelry. The art of making handmade clay jewelry was demonstrated by Pramita Deb of The Dream Galaxy, who also had her stall at the event. The clay jewelry signified the cultural value of Thailand. Each participant was provided with the required ingredients—clay, charms, threads, paint, etc.—and was guided throughout the activity. However, in the present era, the art of clay jewelry has adapted to the modern sensibilities of the public. The making of clay jewelry is also an important source of livelihood for several artisans. The clay art was kept aside to dry.

The next country in the category was South Korea. The event presenters, Aqdas and Nupur, were dressed up in the traditional attire of Hanbok. After a brief introduction about the country, the activity that followed consisted of an origami hanbok-making session. Participants were given origami papers and through a video tutorial, they were guided to make hanboks using the origami paper. Every participant displayed immense interest and enthusiasm. The age group of the participants was diverse, and everyone was amazing in their efforts. The next activity that followed was a skincare session demonstrated by the Korean skincare brand Atomy. Joshua Hang was one of the representatives of Atomy who introduced the brand and emphasized the significance of the diverse skincare range of the brand. One of the participants sat down to try on the products of the brand. Atomy has products for every need, from cleansing to skincare.

The last country to follow South Korea was Japan. Cherry blossom or Sakura season is a cherished event for the people of Japan. For many Japanese, the blooming of cherry blossom trees symbolizes human life and nobleness. To honor this celebration, participants were encouraged to paint their versions of cherry blossoms on mini canvases. For this activity, mini canvases were distributed along with earbuds, paint and paintbrushes. Gurleen is an artist whose painting of cherry blossoms was used as a guide for the participants. There was also a brief session on anime and Studio Ghibli where participants were quizzed on their knowledge and were awarded a small token of gifts from the organizers.

After the representation of each country, there was a cheerful performance by the children to the song Smart by Le Sserafim. Towards the end of the event, all the participants were evaluated based on K-fashion and K-beauty and winners were awarded scarves by the upcoming fashion label Monira. All attending participants were awarded souvenirs and certificates to cherish and remember the day.

MERCHANDISE AND GAMES

There were various stalls for different merchandise as well to represent each of the countries: Your Spring Day, Rosalinda Beauty for Skincare, Merch Maniac, Onyorokom and The Dream Galaxy. Apart from this, there were 3 fun games for the participants to engage themselves in, such as Oh My Sushi! where participants had to pick up 2 different-sized pearl beads with the help of a chopstick and place them in a small bowl within a stipulated time of 40 seconds. Another famous game of Vietnam, Chơi Chuyền or bamboo stick game, where the participants had to throw a ball in the air and pick up a bamboo stick at the same time while catching the ball in the same hand, saw some enthusiastic participants who had great fun enjoying the game. This gave the attendees another opportunity to learn more about the cultures of the countries while having fun and taking pretty artwork home.

EXPERIENCE OF PARTICIPANTS

Nilanjana Baidya, a current student at the King Sejong Institute in Barasat, spoke about her experience of attending the event.

She became interested after she got to know that it was an event that would celebrate Asian culture. She filled up the registration form quickly and enjoyed the event thoroughly. She also enjoyed the stalls put up by other K-pop and K-drama lovers.

Aqsa Zea has been a key member of the Saheli Institute and Foundation since Day 1 and feels honoured to be able to share the love for various Asian cultures among different age groups. She was overwhelmed with the response of interested participants, which turned out to be in larger numbers than the previous one.

There were so many candidates who were interested and wished to be a part of the event, but since we had limited seats, we had to close out the registration. It is endearing to see so many enthusiastic people who want to come together and share the experience. Seeing the happy faces of the participants, we hope to be able to cater for a much larger audience in the near future.

Another participant, Rumana Azmi, who came with her daughters, felt like she was attending an event just out of the Bridgerton series and thoroughly enjoyed every activity.

Have you all attended similar festivals or events like this one? Tell us about your experience or what you intend to do if you plan to attend events like this someday in the comment section below.