If you meandered in downtown Grand Rapids, MI last Saturday morning, thinking you’d get a quiet cup of coffee someplace, you were in for a big surprise.
Instead you would have encountered a kaleidoscope of color, music, dancing, drumming and happy spirits as the members of a Bruhan Maharashtra Mandal of North America conference took to the streets with a Granth Dindi.
Wow. It made my heart sing.
I love all things India and this Hindu celebration honoring the religious and literary figures from the Indian state of Maharashtra was pretty cool. It’s not only a first for GR, but it may be the first Granth Dindi held in all of the United States.
If it weren’t for the signs indicating The Chop House or a backdrop of the Amway Grand Plaza, I could have thought I was back in Delhi where I kicked off a two week photography tour last March. Instead Monroe Avenue was filled with Hindus from all over the world. You will find several blog posts about that India trip on this site and more to come.
Typically Western Michigan festivals revolve around wooden shoes (Tulip Festival in Holland) or beer since we are frequently named the beer capital of the world. We’re also known for ArtPrize, the multi-week art extravaganza held every September.
This celebration of several thousand people was part of the Granth Dindi, a happy event enjoyed for more than 700 years in India.
Here are some images of what you might have seen if you were downtown in Grand Rapids as the city came to life on Saturday morning.
Drumming
Dancing
People from all over the world
Colorful Decor and Inspiring Messages
The Basket of Books being celebrated
Lots of picture taking with all kinds of cameras including a Drone
Wonderful People Watching Opportunities.
The purpose of the conference was to increase partnerships between Indian-owned businesses and the American market, but it also gave attendees the opportunity to take part in the traditional parade and celebrate other aspects of their culture.
Comments
12 CommentsRB
Jul 10, 2017This is wonderful! Such lovely photos and what a cool thing for GR. We need such positivity right now.
Susan J. Smith
Jul 10, 2017Thank you for your nice comment. I agree that this was really a positive and happy event in Grand Rapids.
Marie Preston
Jul 11, 2017Fantastic! Wished we could have been there!
Susan J. Smith
Jul 12, 2017Marie, I know you would have enjoyed it.
Sunila
Jul 12, 2017Thanks Susan for a wonderful writeup and the wonderful, enthusiastic and ecstatic images. Glad someone captured my emotions and positive vibes through their lens. In gratitude and thank you so much
Susan J. Smith
Jul 12, 2017I’m so glad you enjoyed my blog post and that it captured your feelings. Thank you so much for your nice comment.
Raj
Jul 13, 2017What an awesome coverage! Thank you, Susan! You have meticulously covered each and every aspect of the Dindi. I played the drums in this parade and it was an out of the world experience. Loved every bit of it. Our gratitude to the people of Grand Rapids. They were so loving and friendly. Thank you for having us.
Susan J. Smith
Jul 23, 2017Thank you so much. I really appreciate your nice comment. I loved the drums. Great performance and celebration.
Yogen Deshpande
Jul 14, 2017“Granth” means book. “Dindi” means procession. So this event is a celebration of books. Books enrich our lives in so many ways. This is a beautiful aspect of Indian culture to celebrate books, and in turn the importance of learning and being open to new ideas.
Susan J. Smith
Jul 23, 2017Thank you for clarifying the meaning of the words. Much appreciated.
Pradip
Jul 14, 2017Hello Susan, I’m from Pune, the cultural capital of State of Maharashtra in India from where this culture originates. Very happy to see this literature festival being organised, recognised and celebrated by all in USA. Thanks for capturing this story. The photos are amazing.
Susan J. Smith
Jul 23, 2017Thank you, Pradip,
We loved having the celebration here. Really special to share in your culture. If you do any looking around on my blog you’ll see some posts about India. I was there five years ago on a trip and then in March on a Photography Tour. You have a beautiful country.
I look forward to returning. I hope more people from India will come to Grand Rapids.
Warmly,
Susan