Monday 09 / June / 2025
Muscat: A gala pageant will be organised by the Indian Social Club in association with the Indian Embassy in Oman, to mark 61 years of diplomatic relations between Oman and India.
The pageant will be held at the Oman Auditorium, Ritz Carlton Hotel, on Wednesday, December 28, 2016, from 7.00pm.
A kaleidoscope of myriad colours, in the form of folk dances from rural India, will be showcased by Living Arts, a renowned troupe from New Delhi.
Living Arts was established to promote India’s rich cultural heritage, and its artists have performed in many countries during festivals of India, organised by the government of India, and on other occasions in Oman (Muscat), Dubai, Abu Dhabi, US, Spain, Portugal, France, China, Hungary, Belgium, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand, Bhutan, and other countries.
Lavani, Dhol Cholom, Kalbelia, and Chari are among the line-up of dances planned for the evening. Though these dances are indigenous to their states of origin, they have garnered recognition and are renowned, not only across India but also internationally.
This tapestry of movement, colour, and artistry has, over the decades, depicted India’s rich culture.
According to a spokesperson for the Indian Social Club and a member of the organising committee, the show will start at 7pm and all invitees are requested to be in their seats by 6.45pm.
Children below 12 years will not be permitted, and attendance is by invitation only, the spokesperson added. The five-month Festival of India is already underway
in Oman.
The festival, which began in November 2016, will continue until March 2017 in Muscat, Sur, Sohar, and Salalah, according to Indian Embassy officials.
Indian artistes
During the festival, the Embassy of India in Muscat, supported by India’s Culture Ministry, will schedule Indian artistes to showcase their talents to citizens and expatriates in Oman.
The festival will include Indian ballet and folk dances, Indian instrumental music, an exhibition of Indian calligraphy, along with a food festival and fashion show.
The inaugural event of the Festival of India in Oman was organised at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel on November 15, 2016.
