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Exhibitions and Events

India in the world

By Deborah Holdship

The garden of india a country and culture revealed through its plantsANN ARBOR—India has emerged in recent years as one of the world’s most vibrant economies, the largest democracy, a key player in geopolitics, home to the world’s largest middle class and a contributor to global trends in art and aesthetics.

“India in the World,” the Winter 2014 Theme Semester in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts at the University of Michigan, will explore India’s role in the daily life of the world through music, art, films, lectures and courses across a range of disciplines.

Students, faculty and the community are invited to explore India’s history, culture, politics, economy, art, religions, architecture, music, philosophy, contributions to mathematics and sciences, and its diaspora. Events scheduled from January through April are free and open to the public.

Highlights include:

  • A weekly media series of film, television, and documentary programs, curated by Aswin Punathambekar, associate professor of communication studies. Screenings are held each Monday at 7 p.m. in North Quad. A complete schedule can be found at: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/india/filmmedia
  • On March 21, the University Musical Society will present the Asif Ali Khan Qawwali Ensemble at 8 p.m. at Rackham Auditorium, 915 E. Washington St. A protégé of the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Asif Ali Khan has established himself as one of the finest exponents of the art of qawwali, mystical lyrics set to music.

“Snake vs. Dinosaur”

Other activities and exhibits include:

  • “The India Map Exhibit,” Jan. 16-April 22, at the Clark Library in the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library, 913 South University Ave.
  • “The Garden of India,” Jan. 25-March 2, at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd.
  • “Snake vs. Dinosaur” opens Feb. 16 at the U-M Museum of Natural History, 1109 Geddes Ave.
  • “Wild India” opens March 14 at the natural history museum.
  • “A Place of One’s Own: Exploring America’s South Asian Diaspora,” March 17-April 21, at the Hatcher Graduate Library.

More information on “India in the World” can be found at http://www.lsa.umich.edu/india

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