Chuseok: From India

Koreans and Indians in their traditional clothing are seen in this poster advertising the Chuseok festival hosted by the Korean Association of Pune. / Courtesy of the Korean Assiciation of Pune

By Lee Ji-hye

A sense of nostalgia fills the streets of India, the land of colorful spices and a rich cultural heritage; especially for overseas Koreans living in the country. Chuseok is just around the corner and they are planning to celebrate the traditional holiday in the Southeast Asian nation they call their second home.

This is no exception for Korean residents in Pune, a city near Mumbai in Maharashtra, western India.

Also known as the Korean “Thanksgiving,” Chuseok is celebrated by Koreans from all over the world. Groups of students, missionaries, entrepreneurs and branch office workers living in Pune gather each year to celebrate the event in the same fashion as at home.

The Korean Association of Pune plans to hold what used to be a Chuseok-themed party among Koreans. Originally known as Hangawi, the historical name of Chuseok meaning the great middle of autumn in Korea, the association now aims to promote the holiday to anyone in the area. The event is now open for all local residents this month, titled “Between Korea and India.”

“We want India to be the guest this time,” said Ku Mi-kyoung, the director of this year’s Chuseok festival. “We wish to give back to the city by sharing a precious piece of our culture through this event.”

The association anticipates a high turnout of about 3,000 Koreans and Indians to celebrate the festival which will include a food potluck, a bazaar, K-pop singing contests and traditional performances.

The festival currently has over 20 teams consisting of Indians alone entering the K-pop contest, including Bollywood trainees, according to the association.

Last year, local Korean guesthouses and restaurants in Pune brought various Korean dishes to the event, despite having limited access to the ingredients in Pune needed to cook traditional Korean meals.

The Pune Korean Community Church is also joining in the festivities, as it will host a Yunnori game event, a Korean traditional board game.

Students in the area have also put their best efforts in promoting Korean culture and its holidays.

“We made Korean rice cakes and performed the Ganggangsullae ― a Korean traditional dance used to bring in bountiful harvests ― in hanboks ― Korean traditional clothing ― at our school,” said Chung Won-ji, a former student president of the International School Aamby in Pune. “We did this because we saw how much our fellow Indian friends value their own culture.”

“It gave us Korean students pride to present Chuseok outside of Korea,” she said,

“It was our turn to show others that this is our culture and we’re proud of it.”

Pune is home to approximately 700 Koreans, as the city houses the regional branches of well-known Korean businesses, such as POSCO, Hyundai and LG.