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Pakistan night paints heritage
By Jay Corn
Published:
Monday, March 21, 2005
Media Credit: Matthew Kaster
Third-year senior Aisha Sylvester gets a henna tattoo Saturday evening at Pakistan Culture Night in Atwood Ballroom. Once applied to the skin, the henna solution must set for two hours and lasts for up to two weeks.
The members of the Pakistani Students Association (PSA) celebrated their heritage and painted their native country's color of emotions Saturday night in Atwood Ballroom during the 16th Annual Pakistani Night.
Members of PSA spent the better part of three months planning and organizing Saturday's "Henna: The Color of Emotions" event, and it took no fewer than two-dozen people to successfully pull off the endeavor.
Upon entering Atwood's Ballroom, male guests were draped in yellow and green silk scarves while the women were given traditional Pakistani bracelets made of glass. Although the night's festivities began a bit late, the delay provided those in attendance the opportunity to browse the various booths and exhibits set up along the ballroom's perimeter.
"We're running on Pakistani Standard Time, which is an hour behind," PSA secretary and emcee for the night Samit Kahn said to a round of laughter.
The evening's most popular attraction was one that nearly every woman, and even some men, lined up and waited the better part of an hour to participate in. The henna demonstration booth, set up in the ballroom's northwest corner, attracted children, not yet old enough to walk, as well as grandparents who marveled at the skill and expertise of Niveen Khan and her fellow henna artists.
"This (henna demonstration) is really amazing," said Seth Grier, 72, of St. Cloud. "My daughter and grand daughter Katie are visiting from out of state this weekend and I thought this would be a good event to bring them to. Katie is in absolute amazement of all these bright colors and costumes and it's been just a fun night for all three of us."
Deriving from a shrub called Lawsonia Inermis that is typically found in countries such as Iran, India, Pakistan and Egypt, the shrub's leaves and twigs are ground into a fine powder and mixed with water, lime juice and tea to create a fine paste. Henna's origin dates back longer than anyone can precisely document, but its usage may very well be as old as humankind itself. Both the Bible and ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics reference henna and its use during ceremony and ritual, and it is known that many ancient civilizations, including the Babylonians and Israelites, routinely utilized henna.
One of the most common occasions for which henna is used are weddings. Bridal henna is one of the oldest uses of henna, and women of Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Catholic and Christian decent have all used henna during wedding ceremonies. Death, too, can be an appropriate occasion for henna usage. Muslim women often adorn themselves with complicated patterns at the time of a loved one's death to communicate their love and spiritual hopefulness for that person's departed soul.
After ceremonial introductions by PSA faculty advisor Ghulam Sarwar and SCSU's Director for Student Life and Development Nathan Church, a brief Power Point presentation on henna was shown. At the conclusion of the henna presentation, dinner was then served to the nearly 300 hungry guests in attendance.
Saturday's full course, buffet-style meal featured a wide range of eclectic Pakistani dishes including traditional chicken and beef dishes, vegetables, rice, bread and, of course, dessert. Guests, many of whom ate second and third helpings, washed their meals down with a Pakistani summer drink made of rose and water that almost magically rid the eater's mouth of their food's spicy kick. Traditional Pakistani food is known for its spicy taste and robust flavoring, and Saturday night's meal proved no exception. While some in attendance found the food a little too hot for their personal taste, a majority of guests found the firey food refreshingly good.
"The food was kind of hot, but not to the point where it was unbearable," SCSU second-year student Megan Marris said. "I'm not really a fan of spicy food, but everything was so good that I almost forgot how spicy it was."
SCSU students and PSA members Khawar Tahir and Salman Siddiqui spent the better part of two days preparing Saturday's feast, and PSA president Raza Hamid expressed his appreciation for the pair's culinary efforts by saying the night wouldn't have been possible without their dedication and concentration on detail.
"Salman is from Pakistan and one of PSA's oldest members," Hamid said. "He and Khawar really did a great job preparing all of this food, and I really give them both a lot of credit for being able to successfully feed and satisfy all of these people."
In addition to the full-course meal and the hands-on henna experience, guests were also offered the opportunity to have their picture taken as a bride or groom dressed in traditional Pakistani wedding garments. Traditional Pakistani wedding attire was also highlighted during an crowd pleasing, evening-ending fashion show that showcased typical clothing Pakistanis wear during weddings.
The PSA is always looking for new members, and the organization will be participating in an event being organized by the SCSU College of Business later this semester that will focus on the global business environment. While the number of Pakistani students attending SCSU has steadily declined since 9/11, the mission of PSA has changed little since the organization's inception nearly 20 years ago. Focusing on providing Pakistani students with a familiar haven, PSA also takes great pride in educating the community and campus in the various areas of Pakistani tradition, values and culture. Anyone interested in finding out more about PSA or wishing to view their calendar of events can email paksa@stcloudstate.edu.
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