Day starts with Sundaram's welcome speech. He emphasises that the festival is in a way a celebration of and a tribute to the children in North America - of Indian origin- who are very smart, savvy and brilliant!

The biggest take, for the children, is their opportunity to perform in front of great vidwans, interact with them. He observed, rightly, that the parents are more tense and advised them to relax and enjoy the events. The children are intense, parents more so and the proverbial 11th hour preparation - vocal, violin, mridangam - is furious all across the many corridors in the University building (Cleveland State University or CSU). There are so many categories and sub-categories; CSU can probably offer a credit based course for figuring this out!!

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What is interesting, at times hilarious, is parents darting from one room to another, running up & down, literally, particularly those who have Entered more than one child!

In as much as each parent is anxious, tense, till their children get their turn, the focus is now on exchanging notes about the reaction of the judges when their child performed! One would think that the children are appearing for a school board exam or for a job Interview with a top company. Its all very amusing, but great fun!

Talking to some of the parents, the uniform view is participation hones their children's skills, motivates them to learn & practice more. Some of the artistes, who were judges felt that parents are rather intimidating; it may be a good idea not to it parents in to the competition hall, they felt.

After a very very long day, the parents & children alike fully exhausted assembled into the auditorium to rest their tired legs and were treated to great Bharatanatyam & Kuchipudi concerts. As usual, I'm told, hot piping south Indian food complete with kootu, porial, smbar, thayirsadam, pickle is available for dinner, much to the delight of all of us!

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