With days left for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's “Howdy, Modi!” in Houston, Texas, the attendees are in for a big surprise. As per a statement, a special cultural program will kickstart the event on September 22 when PM Modi will address NRG Stadium in Houston. A 90-minute cultural program titled, “Woven: The Indian-American Story” is going to performed celebrating the contributions of Indian-Americans to the cultural, intellectual, and social landscape of the United States. The program will start at 10:00 am before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the stadium.

As many as 50,000 people are set to attend the program along with those watching at home. With the cultural program, the attendees are going to experience the vibrant expressions of people empowered by their identity and driven to enrich the communities around them.

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What is 'Woven'?

It is 90-minute music, dance, and multimedia show featuring close to 400 artists and community members from Texas and across the nation. 27 groups will be performing in a seamless live and multimedia experience that will showcase the diversity in the Indian-American community. For the program, two original songs have been written tracing the journey of Indian-American youth learning their roots to understanding how to put that together with the contemporary world. From the classical and folk traditions passed on in basements across America to the creative exchange between Eastern and Western arts and ideas, Woven illuminates the stories of generations of Indian-Americans.

“A challenge that many second and third-generation Indian-Americans go through is navigating the complexity of having a hyphenated identity as an Indian and an American. Woven showcases the multiplicity of Indian-American experience. Our hope is that each person sees themselves in at least one form of expression and recognizes that whatever mix of Indian and American they are, it is just right,” said Heena Patel, CEO of MELA Arts Connect and co-producer of the program.

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The show is set to highlight the unsung heroes in the Indian-American community who have helped in the development of the American community.

"We really look forward to presenting this unique and interesting cultural show at the event, which will tell the story of our community in a way that’s never really been done before. We want all the attendees and those watching from home to connect with a program that shows the Indian-American community and understand what drives our community to be part of the larger American experience,” said Gitesh Desai, spokesperson for the event.

'Howdy Modi!'

Indian Ambassador to the United States Harsh Vardhan Shringla has described Howdy Modi! as the "largest event" of its kind, adding that it would be a bigger and momentous event as compared to all the previous overseas community events of PM Modi. The event has been broadly supported by organizations representing various communities in India as well as leading social service organizations, charities, university alumni groups, professional societies, and religious organizations. It has also attracted great enthusiastic participation from the Indian-American community. Organisers had closed the registration after it crossed 50,000. From Houston, PM Modi will fly to New York to attend the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly.

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(With PTI inputs