Festival of India in Nepal begins

KATHMANDU, Feb 20: Festival of India in Nepal has begun in Kathmandu and other major cities of the country on Wednesday.

The festival is being organized by the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Center, Embassy of India, Kathmandu with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India to rejoice the existing age-old multifaceted relations between India and Nepal, according to Embassy of India in Nepal. The Festival will run till March 22.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri jointly inaugurated the event at a function in Kathmandu.

The festival began with the dance drama of Lord Buddha.

In his brief remarks following the inauguration, Indian Ambassador Puri said that Buddhism has been established as a major religion in the country as a result of Gautam Buddha, who was born in Nepal and attained enlightenment in India.

The festival will feature contemporary dance performance by Sumit Roy group. (the group will also perform at Birgunj and Janakpur on 20 February and 22 February, respectively), Mridangam instrumental performance by Pandit Yella Venkateshwara, Punjabi folk dance by Harinder Pal and group, theatre art by Su-Samannaya group, Kathakali dance by Dr Haripriya and group, Maithali sons and dances by Prangan group, exhibition on Gandhiji, speech competition on Gandhiji, and seminar on Sanskrit.

The month-long festival will aim to consolidate and strengthen the existing age-old relations between Nepal and India, reinforcing sensibilities, affinities and shared cultural bonds between the people of the two countries. The Festival will further contribute towards sustaining and enhancing mutual understanding between the two neighbors, according to the Indian Embassy.