A Sensory Journey Along the Silk Road: Discovering the Vibrant Sights, Sounds, and Flavors at The Silk Road Unity Festival

In late April, I attended The Silk Road Unity Festival hosted by Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Anaheim, CA. The festival’s name is a reference to the Silk Road.

The beautiful, traditional costumes and vibrant textiles were absolutely mesmerizing. I admired how the festival celebrated a large diversity of cultures, nations, arts, regional cuisines, and faiths along the ancient trade route. However, it was also created to educate people about the various cultures spanning from Turkey to China. 

I also came across several interesting books such as “Muslims Around the World” that tell the diverse stories of Muslims through photographs. “Lost Heritage” by Armadeep Singh (Singapore) is about the lost Sikh heritage and “Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen” by Richa Hingle. As a vegan myself, it’s hard to find vegan Indian cookbooks so I was really happy to find this.

Even though I don’t know that much about Syrian culture, I was moved by an exhibit titled “A Country Called Syria,” which showcased the history and culture of the country and its people through photos, decorative items, fabrics, architectural books, miniatures of traditional instruments and much more.

As the war in Syria continues, more of the country’s cultural artifacts are destroyed, making an exhibit like this invaluable. I commend those who organized this important project for doing what they can to preserve their rich and beautiful heritage. It’s an inspiring goal, and they deserve much praise for what they’re doing.

I also enjoyed the exhibit by the Pakistani Art Center, which displayed gorgeous traditional fabrics, masterfully made dowry bags, and colorful dupattas. A dupatta is an essential part of Southeast Asian women’s clothing. As for the dowry bags, a woman named Henna explained their significance to me.

As soon as a baby girl is born, her mother makes a dowry bag and sets out to fill it with beautiful, handmade clothing, which she later gives to her daughter when she marries. A dowry bag is a mother’s way of showing how much she loves her daughter, who usually moves away with her husband, which is, for many women, the last time they’ll see their mothers again. 

The Silk Road Interfaith Unity Panel was on the top of my list of events that day. Many of the panelists were women of a variety of faiths including Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Zoroastrianism and Christianity. The panelists spoke about the importance of tolerance and diversity in religion, and they were quick to praise each other’s faiths and point out each religion’s unique contribution to the world. It was very inspiring to hear representatives from such different backgrounds show their respect for each other’s beliefs and customs.

Later, Mohammed, a talented Persian calligrapher, wrote my name in Farsi. I also enjoyed some excellent music and dance performances. Some of the dances were the Chinese dragon dance (one of my favorite traditions since childhood), the Punjabi dhol dance and Syrian sword dancing.

A real standout for me was the musical performance by a Persian ensemble, which included a man on the santoor. It was especially fun to see a group of older women singing along and dancing to the group’s music, as it was clear the women reveled in hearing traditional folk music. 

As someone who always delights in exploring different cultures, I’m so glad to have discovered such a unique and inclusive event. The Silk Road Unity Festival was both an entertaining and enlightening experience.

I’m very excited about next year’s festival.

"The next generation finds their roots in tradition and culture." - Dr. Rini Ghosh (President of the Vedana International Cultural Center).

#3rdCulture #EastMeetsWest