CULTURE CAPTURED WOODLAND HILLS BOY WINS POSTER CONTEST DEPICTING POPULAR FESTIVAL IN INDIA.Byline: MARK KELLAM Valley News Writer When Vedang Patankar, 8, of Woodland Hills was making a poster to enter in a contest sponsored by the city of Los Angeles
His poster, which depicted the popular Festival of Lights from his native India, brought top honors in the city's Asian Pacific Islander American Pacific Islander Americans are residents of the United States with original ancestry from the Pacific Islands. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population. Heritage Month Poster Contest. This year's theme was ``A History of Traditions.'' Patankar, who was born in Bombay, won first place in the second- and third-grade category. He is a third-grader at Woodlake Elementary in Woodland Hills. The Festival of Lights is celebrated every October or November in India. During the celebration, children light candles, lanterns and sparklers -- each of those activities captured on Patankar's poster. His poster also shows a woman holding a plate of candy. Giving sweets to children is another tradition associated with the Festival of Lights. A unique activity depicted on the poster is a child creating rangoli Rangoli is one of the most popular art forms in India. It is a form of sandpainting decoration that uses finely ground white powder and colours, and is used commonly outside homes in India. Rangoli can be wall art as well as floor art. artwork. Rangoli involves making patterns with colorful sand on the pavement outside houses. Patankar's mother, Manjusha, creates rangoli outside the family's home in Woodland Hills, said his father, Shailesh. For his first-place finish Noun 1. first-place finish - a finish in first place (as in a race) win - a victory (as in a race or other competition); "he was happy to get the win" , Patankar received a $200 scholarship as well as a $1,000 grant from Wells Fargo Wells Fargo armored carriers of bullion. [Am. Hist.: Brewer Dictionary, 1147] See : Protectiveness Wells Fargo company that handled express service to western states; often robbed. [Am. Hist. for his school. Patankar's sister, Vaibhavi, 4, also entered the contest, placing second in the open category. Her poster depicted the Festival of Colors not of the white race; - commonly meaning, esp. in the United States, of negro blood, pure or mixed. See also: Color , another holiday celebrated in India. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Vedang Patankar Mark Kellam/Valley News |
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