Purdue's Diversity- India

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Purdue is one of the most diverse universities in the US and continues to have the second-largest international student population among public schools. As of Fall 2018, there were 933 Indian undergraduates and 1068 graduate students. But Indian international students feel very much at home here due to the various cultural organizations that they can be a part of. Students can take part in these clubs and make friends with others who share the same values and traditions. There are also various events hosted by these clubs which are open to all students throughout the year and they help students feel at home.

1)      American Indian Foundation – It is one of the largest American organizations supporting development work in India. They also host events to spread and promote India’s rich culture and traditions. Popular events include Diwali and Holi, two of the most celebrated festivals in India.

Students celebrating Holi

2)      ASHA (Purdue Chapter) – Purdue ASHA is dedicated to promoting literacy among poor and underprivileged children in India. There are about 30 volunteers involved in identifying, fundraising and planning educational projects in India. They host a 5k Run / Walk and “Tarang”, a multicultural event with student performances, every year.
3)      Project RISHI – This project aims to implement sustainable solutions in rural Indian communities in areas of education and sanitation. They aim to address the problems that our communities face and also educate these communities with the knowledge, tools and resources to solve these problems. One of their most popular events is Masala Night, where they sell Indian food to students to promote culture and also use those funds to create sustainable changes in Indian villages.
4)      Purdue Taal – Purdue Taal is the university’s first Indo-American a cappella team. “Taal” is the Hindi word for rhythm and the group aspires to spread the awareness of music diversity to bring together the multicultural population across Purdue. They have several performances during other famous Indian events on campus and have participated and won in several national competitions. They have also released two albums – Heartbeat and Pitch, Please!
Purdue Taal
5)      Boiler Bhangra – Purdue’s very own competitive Bhangra team is committed to sharing their passion of Bhangra, the traditional dance originating from Punjab, India. They have performed at local events and at national level competitions.
6)  Purdue Tamil Sangam – This organization represents and promotes South Indian culture, particularly Tamilian culture. They celebrate major South Indian festivals like Pongal and Tamil New Year. They showcase South Indian music, dance and drama and participate in charitable events.
A concert organized by Purdue Tamil Sangam

These are just some of the most popular Indian organizations on campus. Any student who wants to keep in tune with Indian culture, or simply learn more about it can join these clubs.
In addition to making new friends and planning fun events, students make a huge difference by participating in the club’s projects to improve economic and social conditions in India.

- Shreya Ilango (Junior in ECE)
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