Penn Live Arts Blog / October 2026

Arts of India Festival Community Day

Dance Free Music

Our Arts of India Festival gets under way this week with a sold-out performance by Carnatic vocalist TM Krishna and an accompanying symposium on sound and music in South India. In the weeks that follow, audiences will enjoy a wide range of music and dance artists who showcase the diversity and innovation of Indian performance traditions. For those looking for a sample-size introduction, or for families in search of an accessible way to participate, we’re presenting a free Community Day with our partner, Sruti, on Nov 1 from 1–4 PM, featuring performance demonstrations and education, arts activities, refreshments and more. 

Arrive early in the afternoon and try mehendi, a type of body art made with henna ink; sample some local Indian treats; and learn more about the bamboo flute used in many Indian musical styles. You can then hear the same flute in a demonstration of bharatanatyam dance with live musical accompaniment in our Prince Theatre, featuring performers from the Nardhana Academy of Dance.   

Penn Sargam, one of many South Asian student performance groups at Penn, will continue the day’s entertainment with a demonstration in the Feintuch Family Lobby, followed by Sruti-affiliated percussionists demonstrating the sounds of the mridangam and the ghatam, instruments with lineages dating back more than 1,500 years.  

Drop in for a few minutes or stay for the whole event to soak in the artistry of the Indian-American community in the Philadelphia area and at Penn. 

» Learn more about the Community Day and the range of Arts of India Festival performances.

related events

• Arts of India Festival Community Day
• Arun Ramamurthy Trio & Rudresh Mahanthappa Hero Trio
• Niladri Kumaar
• Nrityagram Dance Ensemble
• TM Krishna