WASHINGTON (AP).- The Kennedy Center in Washington has been converted into a palace to showcase India’s arts, precious gems and diverse culture over the next three weeks. The $7 million “Maximum India” festival opened Tuesday night and runs through March 20. With nearly 100 performances, films and events, organizers say it is one of the largest U.S. festivals ever devoted to the south Asian country of 1.2 billion people. Exhibits opened Wednesday in the Kennedy Center’s main halls, including a collection of traditional saris, an installation featuring words from a historic speech by Mahatma Gandhi, and colorful crafts from various Indian streets. “I hope it gets the people who have never been to India to have a sense of what it is — to have a feeling of what it is to walk in the streets of a large urban city in India,” said Adrien Gardere, who curated the art exhibits.