MADISON, Wis. — On a sunny fall day inside a Middleton garage, a group of women sashayed in their saris to native songs.
The dancers have spent months practicing for a South Indian cultural celebration on Sunday. It’s free and open to the public.
“It’s called the Muthamizh Vizha,” said Bhavani Dinakaran, the president of Wisconsin Tamil Sangam, a nonprofit that has been based in the Madison area for 20 years.
“We have various cultural dances, like classical, non-classical, medley,” Dinakaran said.
Other groups from various regions of India will also participate in the three-hour musical performance.
“I’m really thrilled to see all those things happening,” Dinakaran said.
The effort not only showcases the Tamil heritage, but noble philanthropic efforts, as well. In villages across Tamil Nadu, India, the nonprofit has raised money to make sure villagers have access to clean drinking water.
“It wasn’t safe water,” Dinakaran said. “So now with this filtering, they not only have the pipes connected from their village to the water reservoirs, but they also use the filtering system.”
The leaders of Wisconsin Tamil Sangam believe in giving back. It’s the reason the youth members frequently earn AmeriCorps Presidential Volunteer Service Awards, and donations of money and supplies are always being accepted.
“Now, we are in the process of shipping those to the villages that we adopted,” Dinakaran said.
More than 8,000 Tamil-speaking people call Wisconsin home, and representation here matters.
“This is one of the oldest languages in the world,” said Jansirani Prabhakaran, a member of Wisconsin Tamil Sangam, who is also a board member in a national group of Tamil Sangams in North America. “So, we want to take it to our next generation of kids, the beautiful culture, beautiful language and a lot of things that we want to take to the next generation.”
That includes fifth-grader Aadya Milan Kumar, who studies the culture’s various dances. She will perform at Sunday’s event.
“It feels really good to celebrate my culture,” Kumar said.
The Wisconsin Tamil Sangam group doesn’t just focus on music, dance and poetry. It also celebrates traditional Indian cuisine.
Similarly, the group doesn’t just help people in India. It also makes meals for University of Wisconsin students in Madison who are yearning for a home-cooked meal.
“Everyone is welcome,” Dinakaran said.
Every few months, members of the group head to campus and offer a feast. For Sunday’s Muthamizh Vizha, guests can enjoy a whole range of food from across India.
“We have a vegetarian and non-vegetarian menu,” Dinakaran said.
They welcome everyone to share in the culture and celebration. The free festivities take center stage at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Sun Prairie West High School.