Celebrating India’s Heritage in Nelson
by Corrina Mae
Reflecting on her life in Hyderabad, India, Surya Sameera Gonella remembers gathering at local temples and city halls for large celebrations involving her entire community. “We celebrate with lots of dance and music. Everyone gets to enjoy!” she says.
Celebrating her heritage continues to be of significant value to Gonella. In January 2024, she and her family travelled back to southern India for Sankranti, a celebration of the sun deity Surya. They flew kites and won second place in a rangoli competition, a traditional Indian art form typically drawn on a floor or tabletop or outside of entrances to welcome gods and good fortune.
As a Nelson resident for almost a decade, Gonella has connected with many Kootenay residents who value the diverse country of India. After she attended A Journey Through Las America, a fundraising event featuring the cultures of Latin America at Nelson’s Capitol Theatre in the fall of 2023, she felt inspired to showcase the “roots, traditions and culture” of her own Indian heritage. Her vision has led to the birth of A Celebration of India, a two-hour journey into the culture of India, which will take place on April 12, 2025, at the Capitol.
Gonella initially reached out to her close friend and organizer of A Journey Through Las America, Taina Gaitan, to share her adoration for Gaitan’s cultural celebration and explain that she would love to organize a similar event. Gaitan, a Capitol Theatre board member, told Gonella to “go ahead, and we will support you.”
As A Celebration of India started to become a reality, Gonella collaborated with the Capitol on the project. While recognizing that it is very difficult to highlight the vastness of India in just two hours, Gonella has focused on capturing the varied traditions and ethnicities that comprise Indian culture. “I know there are so many people in Nelson that I’ve met who have been to India and have lived there for quite a bit. But for the others it [Indian culture] can be superficial, so I think knowing more would be much better,” says Gonella.
Anneke Rosch is the Capitol’s Community Engagement and Outreach manager. She started her position in early September this year, and despite still feeling new, she appreciates the opportunity to connect with community groups and collaborate with event organizers, like Gonella, throughout the logistical process. In her new role Rosch looks forward to “investigating what people in the community are looking for from the Capitol Theatre. The theatre belongs to the whole community and productions are a fun way to showcase our diversity.”
“I am hopeful that everyone in Nelson, both from the Indian community and in every community, gets to appreciate the culture, learn about it and celebrate it.” Rosch continues, “If we wanted to cover everything, I think we would need to have a thirty-two-part show.”
Rosch is a founding member of the Oxygen Orkestar, a Balkan brass group, and is a board member of the Overture Concerts Society, a local organization promoting classical music in the community. Being a musician herself, she is “passionate about participating in the arts and involving people in all aspects of theatre.” While understanding that performing in front of an audience is not for everyone, she explains that the behind-the-scenes work in theatre, such as staging, technical and set design “can be a fun way to get people involved in production and build our community.”
Gonella has become more connected with the city’s Indian youth population since meeting other Indian families in Nelson. She describes many as being exceptionally talented and passionate about integrating their heritage into their lives. One local Selkirk College student who is the daughter of a friend told Gonella that she continues to follow her culture’s calendar and observe Indian celebrations. “Every state in India has its own New Year so there are lots of celebrations throughout the year,” Gonella says. “New Year is in April for me.”
Gonella and Rosch are excited to provide an opportunity to present these talented vocalists, instrumentalists, dancers and performers as part of the celebration. One of Gonella’s major goals for this event has been to connect with people from the community who are from various states in India. Her intention is to create a secularistic event to recognize the diversity of traditions, textiles and cuisines throughout the country. “It’s not about one community, it’s about the whole country,” Gonella says.
The Capitol Theatre released a call-out for video auditions to the community in October. The performers will be “local to the Nelson community and are professionals in their field, representing different regions of India,” Rosch explains.
Throughout the organizing process, Gonella has felt motivated and excited, largely due to the enthusiasm of friends and the overall community. “I met with some of my friends, and I got to know that, yes, we can do this. They were very enthusiastic to perform and involve themselves,” she says.
“It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be interesting and there’s going to be food!” says Rosch.
With this in mind, Gonella connected with Kootenay Tamil Kitchen, a family-owned and operated South Indian restaurant based in Nelson. Founded by chef Ciraj Premanantham and his wife Martina, Kootenay Tamil Kitchen serves authentic and healthy recipes that have been passed down in the couple’s families for generations. They will be serving finger foods throughout the celebration, so that guests have an opportunity to experience a variety of authentic Indian cuisine.
Join Nelson’s vibrant Indian community in celebrating the medley of traditions, tunes and textiles that defines India’s heritage, and indulge in the abundant flavours of the Eastern world.
This article was originally printed in the Articulate January 2025 issue before the event took place. For the event recap, read the Nelson Star story here.
