OLLI: 237 INDIA: CULTURE, TRADITIONS AND GANDHI

Join us for an exploration of the rich cultural diversity of India. Each week we will engage in interactive sessions with guest presenters including musicians, dancers, artists and scholars from the Indian sub-continent. Come listen to musicians trained in the classical and folk music traditions of India and see classical Indian dance. Specially invited artists will provide demonstrations to add to your appreciation of these art forms. Other speakers will introduce the lives of Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore, as well as bring an understanding of the origins of Indian languages, which vary from state to state and even village to village. Class members will also be offered tastes of India, with food samples. Each session will add a new layer of culture and tradition.

An Introduction to Gandhi:

Srimati Karuna is the Director of the Gandhi Memorial Center. She received her B.A. in International Studies, M.A. in International Peace and Conflict Resolution and M.A. in Teaching, all from American University. Throughout the year she speaks at universities, schools, governmental and non-governmental organizations, as well as for various professional, social, and religious groups that visit the Gandhi Memorial Center. She was invited by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (part of India’s Ministry of External Affairs) as Distinguished Visitor in 2010 and as part of a global delegation in 2019 to attend the Kumbh Mela. She has collaborated with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute since 2008 to bring OLLI members to the Gandhi Center for classes on Indian culture and traditions.