Events – Iniya Writes

London

This year, for Thanksgiving break, I explored London, as well as the smaller towns of Oxford and Cambridge. It was such a beautiful trip, and was such a lovely experience.

Our first day in London was spent exploring. We visited the Shard, the tallest building in London and had dinner at one of the top floors. The views were gorgeous- we could see London bridge and many of the railroad tracks. On the way back to our hotel room, we passed by London Bridge, and though it was dark, it was still nice to explore.

During our time in London, we toured 3 colleges- Imperial, Oxford, and Cambridge. Imperial was in the middle of the city, but the campus was very nice and I learned a lot about how colleges work in the UK. Oxford and Cambridge were both 2 hour train rides away from the main hub of London, but I loved both of these small towns so much. All of the buildings, especially the housing, had so much character and were old in the prettiest way. At Oxford, we got a tour of both the Bodleian library, one of the oldest and largest libraries in Europe. We also got to explore some of the locations where the Harry Potter movies were filmed!

Our last day in London was my personal favorite- we visited a Formula 1 arcade, and explored the city looking for statues of Snoopy, the iconic beagle from Peanuts. Firstly, we started with the F1 arcade, where they had simulators of different F1 tracks. You could “race” alongside 9 other current Formula 1 drivers, and at my very last attempt in the Las Vegas Grand Prix, I managed to get first. The whole experience was so fun and I loved the decorations and atmosphere of the arcade. After this, we wandered around London searching for statues of Snoopy. Multiple artists had come together to paint statues of Snoopy’s doghouse. The result was a scavenger hunt of sorts, where our prizes were gorgeous paintings, each inspired by a different theme!

Kandasashti

This year, I attended the Houston temple’s Kandasashti celebrations. Kandasasthi celebrates Muruga, and tells the story of his victory over the asuras, and his marriage to Devasena.

The Kandasashti starts by granting the vel, Muruga’s divine weapon, to Muruga. Then, we follow the procession to Muruga’s battleground. Different asuras emerge, one with an elephant’s head, one with a lion’s head, and finally one with a demon’s face- Soorapadman. The asuras are lifted on podiums, and surrounded by neem leaves. Muruga, with his vel beheads them all, proving himself brave and victorious. The demon transforms into Murugua’s peacock and a rooster, which becomes his symbol.

After this, Muruga is set to be married. We sat in the main temple, waiting for Muruga and his new wife, Deivanai, to be dressed and wedded. When the curtains finally drew back, revealing Muruga, the crowd’s gasps said it all. The priests bathed Murugu in milk, yogurt, coconut water, rose water, sandalwood, etc. then decorated him for his marriage.

Overall, the process was beautiful to watch, and there was a much larger crowd than I had expected. I learned so much about this festival and enjoyed watching it be reenacted in such splendor, even in the United States.

Selkies and Summer

I wrote this story based off the prompt “Set your story at a party, festival, or local celebration”. I hope you enjoy it!

The party was in full swing. Kids were running around the boardwalk, ice cream cones in hand, dripping over to create sticky fingers. Everywhere you looked were classic carnival games, stocked with balloons and plushies of all shapes and sizes. The sun was shining, bright, and the water was a glistening shade of aquamarine. By all means, it was a perfect day. Ana really did feel content as she strolled through the streets of the idyllic town, clutching a plush of a bunny close to her chest, the other hand holding a camera. The streets were empty, everyone attending the summer festival. Albatross, the city which she had grown up in, faced a major spike in tourism every summer, visitors loving the sunshine-y energy of the town. Ana didn’t mind. Sure, sometimes the tourists were annoying, but it meant more people to photograph, more experiences to capture.
She crouched down at the cove she’d discovered a few yards away from the beach, setting the plush bunny down at the edge of the water cautiously. A few minutes passed, then a seal flopped up onto the shore, nudging the bunny curiously, to which Ana offered an enthusiastic nod. She turned away, and when she’d turned back around, the seal had turned into a human- a human Ana had come to know and care for. Naida’s smile was small, “Hey. Cute plush. You won it?”
Ana nodded, “Mm. Summer festival. Did the hammer bell game-thingy. You like it?”
Naida nodded. She was a selkie, her seal skin now wrapped protectively around her body. Ana studied her, then grinned, slipping a hand inside her bag to grab a big tub of cotton candy.
“Here. You mentioned you wanted to try more sweets last time. I love cotton candy. It just…melts in your mouth.”
Naida furrowed her brow but obediently pulled a small chunk of the pink sweet away from the tub, touching it to the tip of her tongue carefully. Ana’s camera was there to capture the moment her expression lit up, delighted at the rush of sugar. Naida glanced at Ana, eyes sparkling. “It’s…wow.”
Ana grinned, dimples flashing, “Good, right? You can get some year-round, but I think it’s the best during summer. It’s like…infused with joy. Or something.”

A distant shout rang out, in the direction of the cove. Ana glanced out, “Shoot. I should go. Take care. I’ll…I’ll let you know when I can meet again, ok? Take the plush. Think of it as…a replacement me.” Her smile was easy, not betraying the upset roiling underneath. Naida nodded, slipping the seal-skin back on, diving into the waters below. Ana resurfaced, cotton candy back in the bag, a sunny smile on her face, just a girl who was exploring.
But later, around the bonfire, Ana couldn’t help but smile as she admired the photo she’d taken- of Naida, her eyes bright, her cheeks flushed, the cotton candy melting into sugar. She’d see the selkie again soon. It wasn’t goodbye, it never was.

My Bharatanatyam Arangetram

An arangetram is a Tamil word that means to ‘ascend the stage’. And, on May 25, 2025, that’s exactly what I did. After 6 months of grueling practice, I ascended the stage of the Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston (MATCH) to give my arangetram to an audience of around 300 people.

Prior to my arangetram, I’d always been a lover of Bharatanatyam. I started learning the traditional Indian classical dance form when I was 5, under the tutelage of Dr. Sunanda Nair, a respected and famous Bharatanatyam and Mohiniattam artist. Since then, I’ve performed on stages around the United States and have cultivated a deep and sincere love for this ancient art form. As I’ve grown and seen more performances, I found part of myself on that stage. And so, doing my arangetram became my next wish.

Practices started in August of last year and in those 10 months, I’ve gained a lot. My stamina has increased, I’ve become a stronger dancer, and I’ve learned so much about my culture. My dancing has given me a way to display who I truly am, who I have always been, and who I want to be through the rhythmic motions of my hands and the intricate footwork of my feet. By dancing, I feel as if I’m one with my ancestors from ages past, like I’m carrying on the torch first lit so many years ago. And so, getting to do my arangetram meant the world to me.

Through mistakes and confusing choreographies, through 2 hour practices and even longer photoshoots, I never once regretted it. Yes, the process was tiring, and yes, I’d often wake up sore all over, but getting to dance so much was my dream and I was simply fulfilling it. And on May 25, my hard work paid off.

Before the arangetram, I was incredibly nervous. A 2 hour solo performance, more complex than anything I’d done before, was no small feat. But with the expert guidance of my teacher and the music of the live orchestra, everything flowed. I’m so thankful that I was able to complete this milestone and I can’t wait to dance more!

Spring

Since spring is now officially here, I wrote a poem about it. This is a sestina, made up of 6 stanzas, each stanza ending with the same words in different orders. I hope you enjoy!

It’s spring again
The flowers bloom, the birds chirp
Rain patters on the windows
The season of life,
that’s what spring is known for
beauty, not just in the eye of the beholder, but everywhere

The greenest trees, everywhere
Saturated by the rain again
whimsy bleeds through for
just a moment, as the chirp
of new life
echoes outside the windows

The spring breeze, crisp, clean, wafts through the window
And for a second, everywhere
is united, under the life
and love of a new spring again,
where the buzz and chirp
just signify the land we all live for

Spring is cleansing, for
finally there are no cold gusts against the window
just the melodic chirp
that echoes from everywhere
Yes, beginning a new season again
truly brings some kind of life

And everywhere you see, the earth erupts with life
with no concession for
the ones who wish for winter again
The pollen will still coat your window,
maybe it gets everywhere,
but that is just the price to pay for another chirp

Life grows anew when you hear that tiny chirp
proof that spring brings life,
that spring brings joy everywhere
not just for one, but for
all, so open your window
and embrace the magic of spring come again

When you hear the first chirps of the season, winter is done for
Life blooms outside the windows
and everywhere is bathed in the light of spring again

Golu

Recently, I went to view the temple’s Golu for Navaratri. Golu is described as a doll festival, where households arrange religious dolls on an odd number of steps. It’s one of the ways Navaratri, or 9 nights, is celebrated. Navaratri seeks to honor the goddesses- specifically Shailaputri, Bhramacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandamata, Katyayani, Mahagauri, and Siddhidatri.

Throughout the nine nights of Navaratri, many classical performances are held with songs and dances centering around the above goddesses, or any female ones. This year, I performed Amba Shambavi, an item on Devi.

Being in a Production

Recently, I was part of a production of Kannagi, a classic Indian myth. I was part of the ensemble, playing small roles here and there, such as Kannagi’s friends in one section, or personifying bad luck in another. The entire production was around 18 minutes long, therefore being a shortened version of the story.

In the story, Kannagi meets Kovalan, a merchant, and the two fall in love and get married. However, when out on a trip, Kovalan meets the dancer Madhavi and spends all his money on her. Kannagi forgives Kovalan and gives him her anklet to trade and get money for. However, when he tries to get it sold, the jeweler charges him with the theft of the queen’s anklet, which had been missing and looked like Kannagi’s anklet. The king, normally just, orders the execution of Kovalan. When Kannagi hears of this, she is furious, opening up her anklet to prove that, unlike the queen’s, hers has rubies inside. She curses the city of Madurai to burn and becomes a goddess.

In our production, we played the role of Kannagi’s friends, dancing with her when she was joyous and celebrating the wedding, the role of bad luck, chasing Kovalan when he goes to sell the anklet, the role of soldiers, killing Kovalan, and the role of fire, showing the city burning down.

We learned this entire item in a week and I had class most days- Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday- leading up to the performance (Sunday the 8th). We learned the item in the first 4 days, using the last 2 as days to review and clean up the dance. Often, classes were 2 hours long including time to choreograph and practice.

The dance itself was a mix of styles from Southern India as the story originated from there. This included Bharatnatyam (Tamil Nadu), Mohiniyattam (Kerala), and Kathakali influences (Kerala).

During this time, I had the misfortune of injuring both my knee and my ankle. We made sure to order braces as soon as possible, hoping to alleviate the pain. Luckily, the braces did help, providing support for both areas and allowing me to continue to dance while still “resting” my leg. I wasn’t able to properly rest it with all the classes, but over time, as I continued to use the braces, the pain faded, though still there. For the final performance, I did end up wearing the knee brace.

While the performance wasn’t perfect, I was proud of what we’d learned and performed, especially at how emotional and powerful it was. It was an amazing item and I really enjoyed it and hope to learn something like it again.

The Summoning

I wrote this short story based on the prompt “Start your story with people arriving at a special ceremony”. I hope you enjoy!

Suspicious glances were thrown around the circle as everyone lined up in order. For a good reason, really. If anyone had caught word that they were here, that the ten people currently holding hands, cloak hoods drawn securely over their faces were traitors to the king, traitors to the country they stood for, well, there was no doubt. They’d surely be dead in a matter of seconds. No matter that the queen had called them there or that each of them were high advisors of the court. No, no matter their status, their heads would be adorning the wall the next day. A warning more than anything, proof that their king was all-mighty and to be respected.
In unison, the ten gathered around the fire, dropping each other’s hands and pulling out their letters. The queen had hand-written each one on the palace’s finest stationery, the cursive loops elegant, fitting of a queen. A quick glance wouldn’t procure anything out of place, no, everything would seem just as it should be. But reading the letter, even holding it, would be the worst form of treachery- conspiring against the king.
The letter was short, to the point: “Meet tomorrow. 11 pm. Summon whatever you must. Rid this city of my husband.” With practiced ease, as ten hands flung the letter into the fire, watching as the flames greedily gobbled up the parchment, the only remnant, ashes.
A figure stepped forward, the unofficial leader of the night. It was understood, without saying a word, that this was the spellcaster. The one who would be doing the summoning. They withdrew a handful of salt, tossing into the fire, chanting the words written oh-so-carefully on the back of the parchment. They were memorized to a T, their ancient words slipping off their tongue in practiced fashion.
Soon enough, a figure began to rise from the center, its body seemingly forming from nothing, the mist coalescing into a ragged shape of a figure. Its voice roared around the open field, more than one person clasping their hands over their ears.
“Who dares summon me to your pitiful excuse of a realm?” Looking around to see cowering figures, the brute smiled- a terrifying, ghastly smile, but a smile all the time, “Ah. I see. What a bunch of cowards.”
With a sweep of its arm, the pasture was set ablaze, the screams of the cloaked figures just white noise to its ears. It didn’t take long for the fire to spread, to burn throughout the town, to run up the buildings. A proclamation of chaos, a foreshadowing of death.
That was the last sight to many- a city on fire, the smoke choking the sky, the fumes thick and stifling. Within a few hours, it was all gone. The city was burnt to ashes. The ritual hadn’t gone exactly as planned, but, well, it had worked. The king was dead. Long live the queen.

Odissi

Recently, I watched an Odissi performance by Ms. Arushi Mudgal. Her performance was based around a theme of Aikya, unity. I really enjoyed watching her dance, along with her live orchestra. There was someone playing mridangam, the dancer’s sister who sang and did nattuvangam, another singer, and a flutist.
The dancer performed an invocatory item, then a Parvati Lasyam, which was about Shiva noticing Parvati dancing and how she lights up the world.
Next, she performed a story about Radha and Krishna. The dance illustrated the story of Radha dressing up as Krishna and asking Krisha to dress up as her too. She becomes so immersed in her role as Krishna that she goes to the village and call out for Radha, her friend. This item had more abhinaya and I really liked the details.
Her next item was a pallavi, a full nritta item (in Odissi), about the joy of dance. I really enjoyed watching her dance! I noticed that there wasn’t a lot of aramandi used in her dance. She used a step like Lolita (from Mohiniattam) in this item.
Then, she performed a full abhinaya item about a hero leaving a naiyaka. She interpreted it as a soul leaving a body when the body is on the cusp of death. I really enjoyed this interpretation!
Her second to last item was once again about Radha and Krishna, but it was a more fun item where Radha is telling her friends about an encounter she had with Krishna. I really enjoyed the playfulness of this item.
This performance happened at the Match theater!

Misery- Our Winter Play

For the past month or so, my school’s theater program has been working on the winter play- Misery by Stephen King. While I wasn’t involved in the play- either tech or acting wise- I did go see it recently and I really enjoyed it!

Misery is a play about an author named Paul Sheldon, who is famous for his Misery series, and his “number 1 fan”, Annie Wilkes. As Paul is driving back to New York, a storm hits and he is luckily saved by Annie. However, as he recovers, he starts to see the true side of Annie-someone who is prone to dangerous mood swings and wants him to stay with her forever. The play ends with Paul eventually killing Annie to make it back to his life as an author. However, she keeps haunting him, telling him how she’s his “number 1 fan”.

I loved watching the play, especially with how well done the tech was, especially the set and lighting!