The Last Minute Saturday Win: Swami Vivekananda's 150th Birthday Anniversary Celebration at RCBC Plaza

- September 14, 2013, Saturday.

- This morning, I attended the Manila International Book Fair at SMX (no photos,) and passed by the Ramakrishna Vedanta Society booth. The lady tending the booth was encouraging people to go to the 150th birthday anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, one of India's reformers, and a popular religious figure who pushed for inter-faith dialogues and tolerance during the late 1800s until his death in 1902. My Hindi teacher invited me earlier this week for this same cultural event, but initially decided not to go because I wanted to have a laid back Saturday, and rest myself; the event was also held at 4-6:30, and at the quite-far-from-my-place RCBC Plaza. I didn't know what came over me, but I somehow decided to attend the event.

- I ate a quick lunch after attending the book fair - which seemed the same as last year and the year before - and rush home to change into a more appropriate attire for the Indian cultural program. I almost flew to RCBC Plaza via LRT/MRT, and arrived with some free time before the main program. I also go to have a photograph with former Philippine president Fidel V. Ramos, who almost crushed my hand while shaking it, and wanted me to do the stomach-in-chest-out posture to not make me look fat. (He's a funny man, and he's the type who jokes around but will keep a poker face while doing it.) His Excellency, Amit Dasgupta, the ambassador of the Republic of India to the Philippines, was also a VIP in the event. I saw my Hindi teacher as well, but I wasn't able to take a photo with her.

- The event started around 4:15, and started with an invocation, a song number, a short film about Swami Vivekananda, and speeches from the VIPs. Swami Bodhasananda, and Swami Medhasananda, both from India, were the ones responsible for the invocation, and were also VIPs alongside the former president and the ambassador.

Swami Vivekanand.

An unlikely photo: a swami from India, a Chinese pretending to be Indian, the former Philippine president, and a representative from the Vedanta Society

Song number.

VIPs.

Hello again Your Excellency. :D:D:D:D

- The main cultural program was shown during the second half of the evening: Natya Mandala's Arpana. The Arpana is a series of dances by the Natya Mandala dance group, and was choreographed by Mrs. Shanti Sreedhar, an award-winning dancer. The Arpana featured Bharatanatyam, one of the earliest and most popular classical dances of India that roots from one of the southernmost states, Tamil Nadu. Mrs. Sreedhar's students from her school, Natya Mandala, are mostly Indians, with some Filipinos, while her students from the UP Filipiniana Dance are mostly Filipinos; Mrs. Sreedhar is affiliated with UP Diliman.

Ganesh Vandana.

Shiva Tandava Strotam.

This number shows Shiva's manifestation as the Ardhanarishvara: half male, half female.

- It was nice to see a Bharatanatyam concert, although my first time to witness a live Bharatanatyam performance was during the Festival of India this February. The Bharatanatyam I saw this evening was "different." since more props and more performers were involved, not to mention more lighting. All the dances were properly introduced and described. The dancers were also great, although I noticed that the members of the UP Filipiniana Dance were too "soft" in executing the Bharatanatyam dance; the Bharatanatyam is labeled as a dance of fire, so some firmness and precision of force is needed. Still, I was in jaw-drop awe with all the colors, sounds, postures, mudras (hand gestures,) and expressions.

Veer Hanuman (a tribute to the monkey-god Hanuman.)

An interesting number, entitled "Messiah."

This number shows the versatility of the Bharanatyam; although it started as a Hindu dance, it could be used to express other faiths as well.

This one's a Christian dance. The one on the spotlight is supposed to be Jesus.

- After the "rangbiranga" (colorful, in all ways possible,) performance, some refreshments were provided. I would call the food "Indian fusion," and I applaud the caterers for not overdoing the fusion, and the Indian taste was still recognizable.

Shivashakti number.

Use of neem leaves.

Whoops!!

Swaranjali dance.

Finale dance: the Gambeera Tamasi.

Final thanks and salutations to the audience and Bhumi, the earth goddess.

With Mrs. Shanti Sreedhar.

- I had a brief visit to Glorietta to buy a tripod before going home. Although it was late, I had no regrets going to the Swami Vivekanand celebration. Not only because I learned more about Swami Vivekanand, and an opportunity to rub elbows with some VIPs (literally,) but more than that, I had an opportunity to witness and get in touch with the Indian culture again -- and of course, all these I did with a kurta and an Indian scarf on me, with my pointy-toed camel-leather juttis.