The Penn Museum, in collaboration with the South Asian Center at Penn and Three Aksha Dance Company, hosted an event titled "Holi CulturalFest!" to celebrate Holi on March 15.
To bring the festivities to life, the Penn Museum collaborated with Three Aksha, a Philadelphia-based dance company "dedicated to preserving and promoting Indian culture" through Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance form. Together with the South Asia Center at Penn, they curated a lineup of live music, dance performances, storytelling, art-making, and a cultural market at Harrison Auditorium.
Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors, is an ancient Hindu festival that marks the arrival of spring and symbolizes love, renewal, and rebirth. Traditionally, the celebration involves throwing colorful powder and water into the air and on one another accompanied by music and dancing.
This is not the first time the Penn Museum has partnered with Philadelphia’s diverse cultural organizations. CultureFest! has previously featured Lunar New Year and Día de los Muertos celebrations, working closely with community groups to ensure authenticity in each event.
“For the 44th annual CultureFest! Lunar New Year in January, we partnered with the American Center for Asian Students and the Philadelphia Chapter of the National Association for Korean Schools — ensuring the festivities honored traditional customs and practices," Tena Thomason, Associate Director of Public Engagement at the Penn Museum, said in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian. "For Holi, we collaborated with Three Aksha and the South Asia Center at Penn.”
As part of the Holi celebration, the museum worked with Viji Rao, artistic director of Three Aksha, to bring a dance ensemble and live musicians to perform in the Harrison Auditorium. Three Aksha has been collaborating with the Penn Museum for over five years, previously participating in Holi celebrations and Women’s Day events.
“Three Aksha takes pride in sharing our culture and heritage across Pennsylvania through choreography and storytelling,” Rao said in a statement to the DP. “We want to spread knowledge of our art form through festivals and related stories, so everyone enjoys and understands the depth of Indian history and festivities.”
Rao hopes attendees left the event with “a sense of joy from experiencing this vibrant festival of colors and the beauty of the Penn Museum.”
The event also featured a performance by Folk Forms of India, led by Nruthu Aaloka and Meena Venkat, honoring the divine love of Radha and Krishna through dance. Additionally, an interactive talk took place in the Widener Lecture Hall before the festivities concluded in the museum courtyard with the traditional throwing of colorful powder.
CultureFest! events are open to all Penn students, faculty, and staff with a PennCard, offering free admission to the museum. In a statement to the DP, Jill DiSanto, public relations director at the Penn Museum, encouraged students to “attend CultureFest! events and explore opportunities to get involved with the Penn Museum through workshops and internships.”
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