Below are four (of many!) ways that you can locally celebrate the Center in Delhi, which builds on a rich history of intellectual and cultural collaboration between UChicago and South Asia. This is a great opportunity to rekindle old relationships and forge new connections with alumni, and to reminisce about your shared days at UChicago. Feel free to contact your local Alumni Club leader for help with planning, implementation, and promotion.
Organize a South Asian-Inspired Book Reading or Discussion
Inform alumni in your area that you will be organizing a discussion of a selected book to inspire attendees to get to know or appreciate southern Asia. Then host a gathering to discuss, argue, review, and/or pontificate with fellow alumni.
Explore recommendations from Shivangi Gangwar, LLM’13, and James Nye, University of Chicago Bibliographer for Southern Asia.
Rent a Bollywood or South Asian Film
Find a venue (someone’s home with a large TV, movie theatre, or banquet room with screen) and rent a Bollywood film. Bollywood is India’s, and South Asia’s, equivalent to Hollywood and offers a look into the vivid, family-focused, and tradition-laden South Asian culture.
Rochona Majumdar, Associate Professor, Departments of Cinema and Media Studies, South Asian Languages and Civilizations, offers a rundown of her favorite films.
Host Dinner at a Local South Asian Restaurant or Cooking Facility
Nothing says South Asia like its food! Contact a local cooking company or facility to inquire about South Asian cooking classes, or better yet, see if there is a UChicago alum who would be willing to share his/her secret family recipes . If you'd like to skip the making and go straight for the eating, simply make reservations at a local restaurant for a delicious outing!
Satish Venkatachaliah, MBA'11, of Something's Cooking shares one of his favorite recipes.
Attend a South Asian Musical or Dance Performance
The beautiful stories and tales originating from South Asia are creatively expressed through a variety of forms and arts. Gather a group and attend concerts featuring classical and/or modern fusion music, or take in a performance featuring some traditional South Asian dances.
Take a peek at UChicago's South Asian Students Association's promo video (above on the right) for a montage of various South Asian-inspired music, dances, and performance arts.