For several days in July, around 70 students from around northern Ohio and out of state came together at a camp in Richfield to learn about Hindi culture.
From July 7 through July 25, Monday through Friday, the children and teens, ranging from ages 5 to 15, were taught how to read, write and speak Hindi, learned the steps of traditional dances, sang songs in Hindi and learned yoga at Indian Heritage Culture Camp 2025.
The camp participants had the opportunity to show what they learned in a recital on July 24 at Jennings Community Learning Center in Akron. More than 200 people came to the event, where the students sang, danced and highlighted what they had learned this past month.
“When I visited the camp, all the kids were happy, excited and joyous,” said Dr. Shail Jain, president of the International Hindi Association, of her visit to the Richfield camp.
The students at the recital all seemed eager to share what they learned.
Nirvaan Ojha, 11, of Richfield, said this was his first year attending the camp. He said he loved learning Hindi, one of India’s official languages.
“I liked learning yoga,” he added.
Jiya Vaidya, 9, of Twinsburg, said that before coming to the camp, she didn’t know Hindi. Learning the language was one of her favorite aspects of the camp.
“I really enjoyed learning the Hindi alphabet,” Jiya said.
Tara Palamalai, 9, of Strongsville, said she also liked learning Hindi. “I found that writing the Hindi alphabet is harder than it looks,” she added.
All of the students interviewed agreed that they would like to return next year.
Dr. Aparna Roy from Brecksville said that this was the second year her two daughters have come to the camp.
“They need to be proud of their heritage,” she said. “I’m proud of their growth.”
Alka Shenolikar, whose mother Kiran Khaitan serves as the founder and program director of the camp, said she was thrilled that her 5-year-old daughter was finally old enough to attend the camp, and they traveled from Indiana to participate.
“I grew up here,” Shenolikar said. “I’ve been waiting for my daughter to be old enough for the camp.”
Shenolikar said that campers came from many northern Ohio communities, including Akron, Fairlawn, Twinsburg, Westlake, Strongsville and North Royalton to Chinmaya Mission Cleveland in Richfield.
“One of our families lives in Texas,” Shenolikar said.
Khaitan, who lives in Munroe Falls, said the camp, which has run for 10 years now, started in 2013 through a NASA grant which was for language learning. The camp was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic.
After the grant was no longer available, Khaitan relied on camp fees and donations. The cost is $450 for three weeks, which includes a snack, lunch, and the education.
“When I came to the country in 1970, at that time there were not many Indians,” Khaitan said. “My kids could not make many good friends. So I opened a Sunday school in 1981 to give kids Indian culture and language while helping them become American citizens. They all have good memories and good things.”
However, when Khaitan said she found out about NASA’s camp, she realized that their structure was highly effective and more interactive.
“They learned a lot more in three weeks than I could in a whole year,” Khaitan said. She said the camp and its structure gave her ideas for her own outreach.
Khaitan said that registration, which is open to any child between 5 and 15, typically starts at the end of March. She said she is still seeking grants and donations to ensure the camps can continue.
For details on the Hindi Culture Camp, visit hindi-indianculturecamp.com.
Reporter April Helms can be reached at ahelms@thebeaconjournal.com