The cultural versatility of India and the inherent talent of the Diaspora in New Zealand came to the fore in Pukekohe on August 28.
More than 450 men, women and children were present at the Pukekohe Indian Association Community Centre to witness an array of items that ranged from Indian traditional dances to the modern Bollywood music and dance.
The biennial event has become an important feature on the Pukekohe social calendar, with colour, cuisine and costume that vary from state to state in India.
Franklin City Council Mayor Mark Ball, Member of Parliament Paul Hutchison and a number of officials from other Indian association in and around Auckland were present at the concert, which provided a virtual tour of India.
Among the popular items were Zoobie Doobie (from the Hindi film ‘3 Idiots’) Kangna Re (‘Paheli’) Pass Aaja Balam Re (Mr Romeo), Singh is King (Title Song) and Jai Ho (‘Slumdog Millionaire’).
Bharata Natyam from Tamil Nadu, Kuchipudi from Andhra, Bhangra from Punjab and the folk dances of 
Gujarat and Rajasthan were a part of the classical dance section.
These Bollywood and traditional dances were presented in the form of a story of two Indians born and raised in the West, visiting the homeland of their ancestors to understand its culture and heritage.
They return home with a wealth of knowledge of their homeland and narrate their experience to their parents in their native language.
This concert gives the Indian community, particularly children, an opportunity to learn their culture and enables the wider Franklin audience to appreciate the heritage of an ancient civilization.
Bhikhu Bhana is the President of the Pukekohe Indian Association.
Photo : Traditional Bharata Natyam (left) and folk dance (right) were a part of the colourful evening in Pukekohe on August 28.
