A Heartfelt Journey Through Hindi, Culture, and Community
Duke Hindi students performing a skit in the Hindi language
Every year, we eagerly await our “Annual Hindi Festival”. It is a true celebration of language, culture, and community. On April 11th, all our Hindi students came together for an evening filled with creativity, laughter and applause.
At 5:30 PM sharp, we set the stage alight with our elementary Hindi performers. Elementary students delighted us with nine original short skits penned and directed by Anshul Jain. These skits were based on everyday scenes such as grabbing coffee at a café, cramming for exams, and navigating life as children of immigrant parents. The students brought these scenes to life with confidence, reminding us that language lives in the details of daily life.
Following this, our intermediate group presented a powerful skit on climate change, written by Kusum Knapczyk. Through meaningful scenes, poems, and a Bollywood melody, the students explored the effects of environmental change that people around the world are currently facing. The performance ended with a promise from each student to plant trees and care for the environment. Their passion showed how learning Hindi can lead to action and awareness.
Next, the advanced students guided by Professor Satti Khanna, shared their personal experiences of learning Hindi at the Duke university. They spoke about using the language in real-life situations and how it helped them connect more deeply with culture and identity. Their stories inspired elementary and intermediate students to continue on this rewarding path and showed that learning Hindi is not just an academic choice but a meaningful journey.
No festival is complete without music, dance, and poetry! We were treated to soulful songs, graceful classical dances, and beautiful poetry recitations. Then, everyone enjoyed a delicious Indian meal provided by the AMES department. Over “पकौड़ा” Pakaura and “गाजर का हलवा” gazar ka halwa, students from elementary to advanced mingled, made new friends, and discussed the possibility of adding Hindi as a minor or major. Conversations with community members also made the evening special, as students proudly shared their work and received heartfelt encouragement.
The most meaningful part of the evening was the sense of connection. Students bonded with each other and with the larger community. Watching new friendships grow and seeing new students look up to their seniors reminded us why we do this every year.
As the night came to an end, I was already looking forward to the next Hindi Festival. It will be another chance to come together, celebrate what we have learned, and keep growing as a community.
Annual Hindi festival was supported and funded by Asian and Middle Eastern Studies