Saturday 19 / October / 2024
Muscat: A five-month-long ‘Festival of India in Oman’ was inaugurated by Yousuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs of Oman, in a ceremony organised by the Embassy of India in Muscat on Tuesday at Al-Bustan Palace Amphitheatre.
The first ‘Festival of India in Oman’ is being organised during November 2016- March 2017 by the Embassy of India with the support of Indian government’s Ministry of Culture.
The festival comprises Indian classical and folk dances, Indian instrumental music, an exhibition of Indian calligraphy, an Indian food festival and a fashion Show.
The festival is being organized with a view to present to the people of Oman glimpses of the diverse Indian culture, representing various traditions of Indian cultural heritage.
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The cultural events under the festival are being held in Muscat, Salalah, Sur and Sohar.
Abdulaziz bin Mohammed Al Rowas, Advisor to His Majesty for Cultural Affairs, was also present at the inaugural ceremony.
Over 600 people attended the inaugural function.
An Indian dance troupe Hritaal, enthralled the audience with mesmerizing performance of ‘Hridayabhavna’, a colorful dance collage reflecting the rich cultural heritage of India, directed and choreographed by its Director, Jaydeep Palit.
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The rich and diverse repertoire included dances from West Bengal to Rajastan. Hritaal Troupe will perform today in Sur to be followed by performances in Sohar on November 17 and in Salalah on November 19.
Delivering his welcome address, Indra Mani Pandey, Ambassador of India, thanked the government and people of Oman for the support extended to the embassy in its endeavors to strengthen the strategic partnership between India and Oman, including cultural exchanges.
Ambassador mentioned that since people of Oman are already familiar with various facets of Indian culture, Ministry of Culture of India has decided to present those aspects of Indian culture which are lesser known to them to give a taste of diversity and richness of Indian culture.
