Indian American students will present their cultural heritage to the University community through music and dance.

The Indian Cultural Exchange program will be hosting a Tate Blowout from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Tate Plaza. The event is meant to help students at the University understand more about Indian culture, according to Mita Patel, president of ICE.

“We are holding the blowout basically as an awareness for the UGA campus,” Patel said.

The event will feature various aspects of Indian culture, including music and an exhibition of Indian clothing.

“It’s not so much a fashion show, but a fashion exhibition,” Patel said. “Members of ICE are going to be wearing Indian clothes … and people can ask questions if they have any.”

Jill Sharma, one of the cultural chairs in charge of the Tate Blowout, said items such as bangles, samosas and kaju katli, or Indian sweets, will be sold. Sharma said henna tattoos will also be offered at the event.

“It’s going to be a really nice cultural event and there’s going to be Indian music along with everything else, so it’ll be fun just to come out and see everything,” Sharma said.

The proceeds from items sold will benefit Nourish International, a group dedicated to providing the nutritional needs of people living in poverty.

Attempts to reach representatives of Nourish International were unsuccessful Tuesday afternoon.

According to Patel, the Tate Blowout is being held not only as an educational and cultural affair, but also to act as a prequel to India Night, ICE’s largest cultural event of the year.

Aarti Duggel, co-chair for India Night, said Indian Night is a cultural event hosted annually by ICE to represent Indian American college students.

“[India Night performance styles] range from classical dance, modern and fusion dance,” Duggel said. “[Indian Night] will include an a capella group fusing Indian songs with western beats. Last year we had a beat boxer, which is not typical of Indian song.”

Duggel says the fusion of styles is meant to emphasize the lifestyles and experiences of Indian Americans attending college, and the performers reflect this in their work.

“Our opening act is a team from Georgia State. One girl plays the tabla, which is an Indian drum, and her partner plays western drums,” Duggel said.

India Night will take place on Feb. 28 at the Classic Center in Atlanta. According to Duggel, tickets are $13 in advance and $15 at the door. The performance begins at 7 p.m., and doors open at 6 p.m.