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PRESS RELEASE
The “Festival of India in Kuwait” is being organized from November 8-14,
2009, under the ambit of the India-Kuwait Cultural Exchange Programme
2009-2011 that was signed in April 2009 during the visit to Kuwait by
Hon’ble M. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India. The Festival is being
co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the
National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL), State of Kuwait.
The Festival would provide glimpses of performing arts and visual arts
from various parts of India and give a taste of India’s rich and diverse
cultural heritage. Several world famous Indian musicians and dancers
would be participating in the Festival, which would also include
displays brought from India of contemporary art, folk art, textiles,
photographs, calligraphy, dolls, as well as puppet shows, besides henna
art application and Kathakali greeters.
The Festival will be held across multiple venues in Kuwait, such as the
Kaifan Auditorium, the Grand Mosque, Al-Sadu House, Al-Fanoon Hall, Al-Edwani
Hall, Discovery Centre, and the Avenues Mall.
The performing arts events include a flute recital by Pandit Hari Prasad
Chaurasia, santoor recitals by Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, flute recitals
by Dr. Rajendra Prasanna, tabla recitals by Rimpa Siva, Odissi dances by
Ranjana Gauhar and her troupe, besides performances by exponents of a
wide variety of other Indian classical and folk dance styles. Seven
dance troupes would be coming to Kuwait and the dance styles on display
would include, Manipuri Raas and Phung Cholam from Manipur, Oppanna
bridal dance from Kerala, festive warrior dances from Nagaland, Dandia
Raas and Garba from Gujarat, Chhau from Bengal, Gidda and Bhangra from
Punjab, as well as Odissi from Orissa.
Visual arts on display include an Exhibition of Arabic Calligraphy and
an Exhibition of Indian Muslim Religious Posters and Calendar Art
brought from the famous Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad, an Exhibition of
Indian Woven Textiles including Benaras and Kanjeevaram silk saris and
traditional shawls from Kutch, an Exhibition of Traditional Indian
Dolls, an Exhibition of Photographs of Mumbai through the Ages, and an
Exhibition of Contemporary Indian Art. In addition, Traditional and
Shadow Puppet shows would be held, besides demonstration of the weaving
of Indian textiles, of Madhubani Folk Art, and of the Traditional Art of
Henna Application. Kathakali greeters from Kerala would welcome visitors
at many events.
H.E. Mr. Ajai Malhotra, Ambassador of India to Kuwait, stated that “Such
a Festival of India is being arranged for the very first time in Kuwait.
About 130 artistes and artisans would be coming to Kuwait from different
parts of India to participate in the Festival. Many of them are the
foremost exponents in the world of their particular art form. Moreover,
several of the dance styles that would be on display have never before
been seen in Kuwait.”
He conveyed that “The inaugural function of the Festival would be held
on the evening of November 8 at the Kaifan Auditorium, Kaifan, under the
patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah,
Minister of Oil and Minister of Information, State of Kuwait.”
Ambassador Malhotra also expressed his deep gratitude to H.E. Sheikh
Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Minister of Oil and Minister of
Information, as well as to H.E. Mr. Bader Sayed Abdulwahab Al-Rifai,
NCCAL Secretary General and his staff for “their full support and
cooperation in the organization of the Festival”.
Ambassador Malhotra noted that all the exhibitions will be open to the
public and have free entrance. Moreover, the folk dance troupes would
also perform for the public at the Avenues Mall, where entrance is free.
However, functions at the Kaifan Auditorium – the inaugural on November
8, its repeat on November 9, as well as the music and dance evenings on
November 11 and 12 and a special event on November 14 - would be by
invitation.
Ambassador Ajai Malhotra added: “It is hoped that our Kuwaiti friends
and others will enjoy the events that have been planned and that the
Festival would further enrich and boost the close partnership and the
strong traditional bonds of friendship that so happily unite our two
countries and peoples.”
Kuwait
November 2, 2009
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