A Taste of India Party
Join us for a party honoring the magnificent culture and colors of India.
Besides “A Taste of India Party,” you might title the event:
- Mumbai Mixer (formerly Bombay Bash)
- Colors of India Celebration
- New Delhi Do
- Bollywood Party
- Taj Mahal Tea Party
Advertise your event with a special sign. Type in a title and the specifics. Post your sign in a high-traffic area where everyone will be sure to see it. You might write:
India is known
For its color and flair.
The food is superb,
And there’s music in the air.
So we’re having a party
Full of fun and spice,
And we hope you’ll join us,
’Cause that would be so nice.
Attire/Costumes
As host/hostess, dress in various bright colors. Hostesses might wear a flowing long dress, a saree, or a long skirt with fitted top and sandals. They might also wear jeweled headpieces. The men might wear a long tunic, or a kurta and straight-legged pants with a drawstring waist, and sandals.
Encourage guests to wear colorful clothing. Hostesses and female guests might wear henna temporary tattoos if interested.
As guests arrive, greet them by putting your hands together at chest level, bowing your head, and saying "namaste."
Room Decorations
- Select several intensely bright or jewel-toned colors for your party's color scheme, such as yellow, fuchsia, purple, orange, and gold accents.
- Attach one of these gift tags to the party favor. Use our message ("Hope we spiced up your day."), or delete it and add your own.
- Hang brightly colored fabrics or a few mandala tapestries from all the walls.
- Hang colorful paper lanterns from the ceiling.
- Color or paint some of these mandala designs and hang them around the room.
- Use these paper elephants to make an elephant garland. Cut out the elephant template, punch a hole, and string them on a piece of ribbon. Hang garland vertically from the ceiling.
- Post travel posters and/or a picture of the Taj Mahal around the room.
- Place large colorful pillows around the corners of the room.
Table Settings & Centerpiece
- Make Elephant Ride centerpieces for the tables.
- Use fuchsia or purple tablecloths with yellow and orange flower petals scattered down the middle for the main serving table.
- Purchase these small elephants or make DIY ones to place by each food option with the names of each dish clearly printed on a card.
- Use pink, purple, and orange-colored tablecloths for the guest tables. Add colored flower petals for extra flair.
- Buy small papier mâché elephants (Remember, trunks up for luck!) and paint them in various colors. Use them for added decoration or as a door prize. (Place a marker under one plate at each table to designate who wins the elephant).
- Decorate tables with these Stand-Up Peacocks, the national bird of India. This will be this month’s special coloring project.
Music/Entertainment
Possible music to play during the party:
Food/Menu
For some menu options that exemplify the “bhojan” (Hindi for “cuisine” or “food”) of India, here are some ideas to delight the palate:
- For appetizers, serve Mini Samosas with Tamarind Chutney and Mint-Coriander Chutney, or some Paneer Kababs.
- Entrees could be a chicken dish like Tandoori Chicken or Curried Chicken and Rice or a popular vegetarian dish like Malai, Kofta or Chickpea Masala. For more information on the above dishes, check out this page.
Note: All Indian dishes can range from mild to very spicy, and you will need to request what is appropriate for the group. - Make sure to have plenty of rice, poori, and naan to go with your meal. Here are some other breads to choose from as well.
- For dessert, serve Gulab Jamun or Modak.
Fun and Games
- Play a game of INDIA Bingo.
- Hand out copies of the Mixed-Up Indian Food puzzle, Visiting India crossword, and Indian Movies word search for guests to solve.
- Set up chessboards and Parcheesi for guests to play.
- Rudyard Kipling's novel Kim is set in India. Play a game from the book called Play of the Jewels, also known as Kim's Game.
- See our Games page for other Games Popular in India.
Party Favors and Prizes
Give each guest a Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Bar, which is the most popular candy bar in India.
Attach one of these gift tags to the party favor. Use our message ("Hope we spiced up your day."), or delete it and add your own.
Note that according to some sources, the phrase "thank you" is not used the same way in the Indian culture as it is in North America, and in some cases, it's not good manners to thank guests
for attending a party.
