An evening of grace and tradition

The High Commission of India in Colombo organized a dance ensemble, ‘Sringar – Tapestry of Classical Indian Dance Forms’ to commemorate the 75th Republic Day of India This event was graced by the Minister of Transport and Highways and Minister of Mass Media Bandula Gunawardana, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Vidura Wickramanayaka, Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries Mahinda Amaraweera, Members of Parliament, members of the diplomatic corps, Indian diaspora, and other dignitaries.

These dance ensemble f showcased all eight Indian classical dance forms. Four of these performances were led by a visiting Indian troupe nominated by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), including Odissi led by Namrata Mehta and her team Siddhi Waikar, Namaha Mazoomdar, Anuradha Sanghvi, Dhruvi Jaiin, Kathakali by Renjish Nair, Manipuri by Purbita Mukherjee, and Sattriya by Satabdi Borah. The Sri Lankan dance exponents, included Bharatanatyam by Dhanuka Dhakshith Samaraweera, Mohiniyattam by Nishali Silva, Kathak by Veronica Dassanayaka, and Kuchipudi by Thakshayini Kamalanathan. A colourful dance recital by young students of Hindu Ladies’ College, Colombo was the highlight of the evening.This joint India-Sri Lanka performance embodied the richness of the cultural affinities between the two countries.

The Indian dance troupe will travel around the country focussing stage performancesin Kandy, Galle, Batticaloa and Jaffna.

High Commission of India, Colombo celebrated India’s 75th Republic Day in Colombo recently  On the occasion, High Commissioner Santosh Jha unfurled India’s national flag at India House – residence of High Commissioner of India – and inspected the Guard of Honour. He also read out excerpts of President of India’s Republic Day address.

 The event featured songs by the Sri Lanka Navy band and a cultural programme organized by High Commission’s cultural arm, Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre. India’s rich diversity was showcased at the cultural event with performances of several folk dances. These included Garba of Gujarat which is India’s most recent inscription on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Humanity. Members of the Indian community attended the ceremony in several hundreds.Earlier in the day, High Commissioner also paid tributes to the fallen heroes of Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) at the IPKF memorial.

In the evening a ceremonial reception was organized in the evening at India House. Several dignitaries from all walks of life in Sri Lanka attended this event.The  Consulate Generals of India in Hambantota and Jaffna and the Assistant High Commissioner in Kandy also observed the 75th Republic Day of India by organizing special events..