Events


Holi at Kalapriya
Mar
23

Holi at Kalapriya

Kalapriya welcomes you to celebrate the Indian festival of Colors, Love, and Spring on March 23, 2024 at the Chicago Women's Park & Garden


5:00 PM | Doors Open Holi color packets and food ticket sales begin

5:15 PM | Opening Performance Kalapriya Dancers
Food and beverage service commences; Arts and Crafts table opens

5:45 PM | Dance Along! Kalapriya Dancers

6:00 PM | Holi Toss

7:00 PM | Event Ends


Food Vendor: Siri Indian Restaurant
Veg and Non-Veg Food packets are available for sale.
Scroll down in the ticket window to select. It is *strongly encouraged* to pre-order your food & beverage package to ensure availability

View Event →
Pongal/Makar Sankranti
Jan
14

Pongal/Makar Sankranti

Pongal is a harvest festival dedicated to the Sun God Surya celebrated in Tamil Nadu, India, and corresponds with Makar Sankranti or simply Sankranti - marking the transition of the Sun from the zodiac of Sagittarius (Dhanu) to Capricorn (Makara).

Pongal and Makar Sankranti are celebrated either on the 14th or 15th of January.

The celebrations for both festivals are grand, bright, and colourful! The word Pongal means to "overflow" in Tamil, and refers to the dish of boiled milk, jaggery, and rice offered to the Sun God Surya. Please join us on January 14, 2024 to celebrate this auspicious festival with us at Kalapriya!

View Event →
Deepavali
Nov
11

Deepavali

Deepavali (also known as Diwali in the Northern part of India) is the Indian festival of Lights celebrating the victory of Light over Darkness, Good over Evil, and Knowledge over Ignorance. In some parts of India, Deepavali (Sanskrit for "row of lamps") also signals the return of Lord Rama to the city of Ayodhya post his triumph over Ravana, the King of Lanka in Valmiki's Epic - the Ramayana.

Join us at the Chicago Women’s Park & Garden for an evening celebrating joy and community with food, sparklers, and art

View Event →
Navaratri
Oct
15

Navaratri

Navaratri Celebrations

Navaratri literally translates into “Nine Nights” and is a celebration worshipping nine goddesses during nine days/nights. It is observed for different reasons and celebrated differently in various parts of India, most often in the post-monsoon autumn time. In all cases, the common theme is the battle and victory of good over evil based on a regionally famous epic or legend, but always by a female Goddess overpowering the demon or villain!

A community celebration, especially for families with children.

Arts and Crafts, Garba or Kolattam dances, Golu, and special snacks for the occasion.

Please drop in for a few minutes or the full two hours to celebrate with us!

View Event →
Kalapriya Fall Festival Fundraiser
Oct
1

Kalapriya Fall Festival Fundraiser

View Event →
Book Signing & Discussion | The Indians: Histories of a Civilization
Sep
24

Book Signing & Discussion | The Indians: Histories of a Civilization

The Indians: Histories of a Civilization
Edited by G. N. Devy, Tony Joseph, and Ravi Korisettar

How do we map the origins, evolution, and present-day reality of India’s civilization and people during a period of about 12,000 years – from the last Ice Age to the twenty-first century?
The Indians: Histories of a Civilization is arguably the most ambitious literary project undertaken to answer that question.

More than a hundred of South Asia's foremost scholars and academics have contributed succinct essays centered around sociopolitical, historical, and geographical topics. These essays address the non-specialist reader with the goal to equip them to understand and truly make sense of our collective identity on the basis of scientific and scholarly research.

A signed copy of the book will be given to all participants. Post-event food and beverages will be provided.

Dr. Ganesh Devy is a cultural activist whose accomplishments include spearheading the ambitious People’s Linguistic Survey of India (PLSI) project.

In this volume, he has put together what we know – scientifically – over the past 12,000 years: history, culture, languages, society and political movements as well as the archeological and genetic basis of this knowledge base.

A hundred experts from various domains have written a short essay each on a selected aspect of our common identity as Indians. Tony Joseph and Ravi Korisettar to serve as co-editors to provide expertise on the scientific themes.

The team of editors have provided adequate space for histories of various regions, faiths, and languages that constitute the ‘idea of India’ founded in immense diversity.” It is divided into seven parts from the evolution of humans on the subcontinent to today.

The volume will thus serve an ‘intelligent lay reader’ as well as a scholar seeking to familiarize themselves with adjoining branches of knowledge. It will serve as a repository of our knowledge bases about India’s civilization, and also as a guard against politically motivated projects to undermine it.

View Event →
Academy Showcase
Aug
31

Academy Showcase

  • The Sherwood Recital Hall - Columbia College Chicago (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS
View Event →
Night Out in the Parks - Vibrant and Colorful Music and Dances of Bollywood
Aug
17

Night Out in the Parks - Vibrant and Colorful Music and Dances of Bollywood

Audiences will experience and enjoy the Bollywood fashions, colors, and musical influences with dancers and musicians performing Bollywood music and dance.

This event is free to the public and geared towards all ages! Bring a camping chair or blanket as the performance will be outdoors.

Warren Park

6601 N. Western Ave.

Chicago, IL 60645

View Event →
Ahimsa for Freedom
Jun
4

Ahimsa for Freedom

What happens when a ten-year-old child sees the monumental national struggle disrupting her home? Changing her life? Transforming her values?

AHIMSA FOR FREEDOM

“Non violence or AHIMSA needs you to have more strength and more courage ...”

Says Baba , Anjali’s Dad to a frightened and confused Anjali

Performed by Chicagos 10 -14-year-old children
from
 John J Pershing School for the Humanities

4 PM Doors open at 3:30 pm 

View Event →
Night Out in the Parks - Mitra
Jun
2

Night Out in the Parks - Mitra

Mitra - A dance Theater Performance Celebrating Friendship

Shared laughter, comforting touch, strengthening grip, shoulder to cry on... friendship is the language of the heart, a communion of souls.  It is the foundation of all relationships, sustaining every human being through the smiles and tears of life. 

Produced and presented by the Kalapriya Centre for the Performing Arts, Chicago, MITRA, A CELEBRATION OF FRIENDSHIP, showcases the many facets of the theme from carefree childhood to the care-laden years. 

Kalapriya brings together artists from Chicago and India to create this multi-genre production blending theatre, dance, music and poetry.

Although this program is free to the public, Kalapriya is a non-profit that relies on the generous donations of our supporters to provide the high-quality programming you enjoy.

If you can, please support us by purchasing a Donation Ticket.

Thank you!

View Event →
Spring Open House | Class Enrollment
Apr
8

Spring Open House | Class Enrollment

Join us at our new space!
2101 S. Wabash Avenue | Chicago, IL 60616

9:00 AM - 60 Minute Yoga with Emily Johnson

10:00 AM - Bollywood HipHop with Prerna Bajaj

11:00 AM - Bharatanatyam: All levels and all ages with Bhavna Chandramouli and Prerna Bajaj 

1:00 PM - Kathak for all ages and skill levels with Mehek Sethi

2:00 PM - Kuchipudi for all ages & Skills levels with Sahana Natesan

3:00 PM - Parent Tot Dance and Movement with Preetha Narayanan and Mehek Sethi

View Event →
Global Voices Mahabharata
Mar
24

Global Voices Mahabharata

Location: International House 1414 East 59th Street Chicago, IL 60637

Join us for Chai and Samosas as we discuss the margins of the epic world.

One of the most remarkable features of the Mahabharata epic is its ability to question itself and the world of normative values from which it emerged. Beginning at the social and narrative margins of the epic world, this session will move into the heart of the epic story, where the characters find themselves trapped in contradictions, conflicts, and disturbing moral dilemmas, which continue to be relevant to our world today.

Join us for a lecture, food, and fun!

_

Dr. Gowri Ramnarayan will be joined by Whitney Cox, Associale Professor in the Division of the Humanities. Dr. Cox's main interests are in the literary and intellectual history of southern India in the early second millennium CE.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

Attendees should enter the Assembly Hall through the door on South Dorchester Avenue.

We are striving to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. Please be aware that our efforts are ongoing. For questions about accessibility or to request an accommodation, please contact mordion@kalapriya.org or call 312-436-2789. Requests should be made as early as possible prior to the event.

View Event →
Celebrate Holi with Kalapriya!
Mar
18

Celebrate Holi with Kalapriya!

Save the date! Come celebrate Holi with Kalapriya at Women’s Parks & Gardens in the South Loop. Holi is a Hindu festival that celebrates spring, love, and new life. It's a colorful festival, with dancing, singing and throwing of powder paint and colored water. Holi is also known as the Festival of Colors.

We will have music, dancing, arts & crafts, food and more - lots of fun for children and adults alike!

Tickets to the event are free. But if you purchase a donation ticket with a minimum of $10, you will get a free package of Holi colors! Your donations help us continue our mission of presenting India’s artistic and cultural diversity, preserving traditional South Asian art forms, and building bridges between the performing arts and our contemporary lives.

The event is sold out but you can get on a waitlist by clicking on the button at the bottom of the box below!

View Event →
Pongal & Makar Sankranti Festival Celebration
Jan
7

Pongal & Makar Sankranti Festival Celebration

Join Kalapriya and celebrate two Indian festivals! We'll have food, drinks and crafts for the whole family at this free event.

Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated on the winter solstice. It is a celebration to thank the Sun, Mother Nature and the various farm animals that help to contribute to a bountiful harvest.

Makar Sankranti: The Festival of Harvest Every year, this festival observes the winter solstice and the start of longer days. Since time immemorial, this occasion has been celebrated in India and Nepal. Also known as Maghi, this festival day is dedicated to the worship of the sun. Makar Sankranti is also known as the Kite Festival!

Join us for food, music, festival activities, dance and kite making and more!

View Event →