REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indian Embassy is set to hold the "Festival of India" in Indonesia with the slogan "Sahabat India" (friends of India) from January to May 2015 in Jakarta and several regions in the country.
Supported by the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tourism, and the Ministry of Textiles of the Indian government, as well as the Indian Council of Cultural Relations, the festival will bring to Indonesia several folk dances, dance dramas, puppet shows, musicals, movie screenings and the like, which will be held in several locations.
"This is a small tribute to the relations and friendship established between India and Indonesia," Indian Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste Hurjit Singh said at a press conference here on Wednesday (14/1).
The festival will also showcase several other aspects of India, such as its literature, comedy, cuisine, yoga, fashion and business.
"Festival of India" will begin on January 26 with a performance by Grammy Award winner Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, who is a mohan veena maestro.
It will also be held in several other cities in Indonesia, including Bali, Yogyakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Surakarta, Semarang, Bogor, Serang, Purwakarta, Makassar, Medan, Padang, Banda Aceh, Samarinda, Balikpapan and Palembang.
The fair will be organized in some universities and several public places, as well, such as malls, mosques, viharas and temples.
Ambassador Singh stated that India and Indonesia have a lot of similarities, ranging from their youthful population to their pluralistic society and democratic paths.
The two nations are both youthful countries, he remarked, adding, "We need to connect our youth to help understand each other."
"The event would not have been possible without the support of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Tourism and Culture, and the government of Jakarta," Singh noted.
On the same occasion, Director General for Information and Public Diplomacy of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Esti Andayani pointed out that the "Festival of India" with its "Sahabat India" slogan aptly reflected the long-established relationship and friendship between the two countries.
It will also strengthen bilateral relations between the two nations, she affirmed.
"The festival will be widely welcomed by the people of Indonesia," Andayani assured.
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