It’s hard to believe that India – the earth’ second-most populous nation, home of the world’s largest democracy, curried cuisine, the Kama Sutra and Bollywood, the world’s most prolific film industry – might be younger than your granny. In belated honor of the 60th anniversary of India’s independence from British rule (Aug. 15, 1947), cultural organizations throughout the city will host a weeklong celebration with public performances, tastings, demonstrations, panel discussions and cultural events.
With this week’s launch of Indian Vogue, the increasing influence of the country’s music on mainstream American pop – artists like Madonna, Jay-Z and Timbaland have all remixed
and sampled from the subcontinent – and homegrown celebrities like Aishwarya Rai making their marks in the international film industry, India’s more haute than ever.
Discover this firsthand at some of the week’s coolest – and, culinarily speaking, spiciest – events taking place at Bryant Park, the South Street Seaport, and other venues throughout the city (and check indiaat60.in for full schedule of events).
Sunday: The street outside of Port Authority Bus Terminal, the station of ill repute where vagrants roam free, will be transformed this week into a sand sculpture of the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, a 17th-century mausoleum built by the Emperor Shah Jahan as a tribute to his late wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Famed photojournalist Steve McCurry opens the weeklong “Incredible India by Steve McCurry” photo exhibition at the Bryant Park Hotel.
Prefer paintings? Raza, who’s known as the “Picasso of India,” is one of the country’s most acclaimed modernists – his just-opened retrospective showcase is on through October at The Fuller Building (595 Madison Ave., saffronart.com). From noon until 9 p.m., check out the free “India at the Park” display and demonstration of Indian handicrafts and handlooms at Bryant Park behind the New York Public Library. Ritu Kumar, one of the country’s most famous designers, will show her elaborately beaded and embroidered fashion line at 8:30 p.m. at Bryant Park.
Monday: Work near the South Street Seaport? Grab lunch or a snack from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. today at Pier 17, where India’s Ministries of Tourism, Culture and Commerce present a day of culinary demonstrations and food samplings. Goa’s most famous fashion designer, Wendell Rodricks, known for his minimalistic aesthetic in a nation known for its fashion maximalism, shows at Bryant Park at 5:30 p.m. Head back downtown at 8:30 p.m. to
see Mumbai Masala, a dance and music program culled from Indian films on presentation
at South Street Seaport’s
Pier 17.
Prefer popcorn and a movie? “Vanaja,” a film about the
15-year-old daughter of a poor fisherman who aspires to be a great dancer, and which won the 2007 Berlin Film Festival award for “best first film,” opens tonight at the ImaginAsian Theater (239 E. 59th St.; theimaginasian.com).
Tuesday: Celebrate the full moon and the end of the Festival of Ganesh at the Sri Maha Vallabha Ganapati Devasthanam Temple (45-57 Bowne St., Flushing, Queens; nyganeshtemple.org) all day. Expect throngs of worshippers – some of whom even bring their own elephant-god
statue to be blessed – and delicious food.
The in-house canteen serves traditional South Indian specialties like dosas, idlis and sambar, a spicy Indian soup. Coca-Cola India’s annual publication, the Limca Book of Records, launches a special limited-edition – “India Extraordinarie: 60 Years. 60 Luminaries” – at 10:30 a.m. at The Pierre (61st Street and Fifth Avenue).
Swing by the Tamarind Art Gallery (142 E. 39th St.; tamarindart.com) from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. to see the “Incredible Diversity” exhibition – photos by famed photographer, author, cultural consultant and preservationist Benoy K. Behl – that rediscover 2,500 years of subcontinental culture.
At 5 p.m., join film fans for Bollywood Live at Bryant Park, a contemporary dance showcase from the world’s most prolific film genre. Downtowners can head to Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport to hear Remo Fernandes perform – he’s one of India’s top musicians, best-known for his ability to play more than 100 different instruments.
Wednesday: Experts estimate, in terms of purchasing power, India is the world’s fourth-largest economy, so this morning’s panel discussion on “Brand India – Where Next” seems particularly well-located for the Midtown money crowd (8:30 to 10:00 a.m. at The Harvard Club, 27 W. 44th St.; register at indiaat60.in). At 5 p.m., head to Bryant Park to hear the Colonial Cousins, the first Indian pop group to perform
on MTV Unplugged. Their brand of Indian-Western fusion has earned them an MTV Asia Viewers’ Choice Award and a US Billboard Viewers’ Award. At 8 p.m., Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport will host the closing ceremony, “Call to Peace,” where all the week’s dancers, musicians and other performers will gather for one last hurrah.
– Additional reporting by Raakhee Mirchandani