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Festival of India kicks off with colorful dance and music
Festival of India: A group of Indian classical dancers perform during the launching of the Festival of India as well as the celebration of Diwali (the festival of lights) at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jakarta, on Friday
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span class="caption" style="width: 398px;">Festival of India: A group of Indian classical dancers perform during the launching of the Festival of India as well as the celebration of Diwali (the festival of lights) at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jakarta, on Friday. The event was sponsored by the HSBC Indonesia. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
The much-awaited Festival of India in Indonesia finally kicked off on Friday evening with colorful performances of Indian classical dances and music at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jakarta.
While opening the event, Indian Ambassador to Indonesia Biren Nanda said, "From October 2009 to July 2010, the Festival of India, which has been envisaged around the theme of *Friendship through Culture', will carry you through a cultural journey."
Around 500 guests, mostly prominent members of both Indian and Indonesian communities, several ambassadors, artists, senior journalists and friends of India flocked to the Four Seasons' ballroom.
It was also the celebration of Diwali (festival of lights), one of the biggest Hindu festivals. Most of the guests were heard greeting each other with " Happy Diwali."
Representing Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo was Deputy Governor for Culture and Tourism, Aurora Tampunan, who went through the hundreds of years old cultural and economic ties between Indonesia and India.
"We are confident that the Festival of India" will contribute to closer links between India and Indonesia in trade, tourism, and people-to-people contact," she said.
The event was jointly organized by the Indian Embassy in Jakarta and HSBC Indonesia.
The Festival of India will showcases classical and folk music, theater, dance and visual art and will take place in more than six major cities in Indonesia, while culinary festivals and fashion shows will allow local and expatriate communities to explore and appreciate traditions from all parts of the vast subcontinent.
"We look forward to an enthusiastic response from both our Indonesian and Indian friends in Indonesia, and are eager to share the joy and festivity of this cultural extravaganza," said Director of the JNICC and Festival Director, M.K. Singh, in an email to The Jakarta Post.
Among the high-profile artists set to mesmerize Indonesian audiences will be vocalist Pandit Jasraj, veena and guitar player Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, tabla player Tanmoy Bose, dancer Anand Shankar Jayant, film and theater director Rajat Kapoor, fashion designers Tarun Tahliani and Malini Ramani and celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor.
Moreover, collabrations between Indonesian and Indian artists have been encouraged by the Indian Embassy, resulting in a dance-drama based on an episode from the Mahabaratha by Didik Nini Thowok, the Karinding Collaborative Project's blend of Javanese and Hindustani music, and Indian and Indonesian fashion designers' take on each other's fabrics and prints.
