The annual celebration, the India Day festival, will be held in the Dream Island landscape park in Moscow from 15 to 18 August. The colourful four-day festival will be filled with music, dance and unusual traditions of the South Asian country.

Every year it is held in the last month of summer in honour of India’s Independence Day. This year it is timed to coincide with the 78th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the country and Russia.

The central theme of this year’s festival is family. This year is called the Year of the Family in Russia, so many of the festival’s activities will be dedicated to family values. More than 20 thematic zones are waiting for guests, including “Holi”, “Dance”, “Yoga”, “Bollywood films”, “Mehndi”, “Astrology”, “Live Wedding in India” and others, as well as an educational programme with lectures and master classes. A family fashion show will also take place this year. TV BRICS is the media partner of the event.

“We Indians believe that the whole world is one big family and we are happy to invite you to be a part of our grand celebration. This time we plan to expand the festival programme, introducing Muscovites and guests of the capital to the rich history of India, which will be a special contribution to the development of cultural exchange between our countries. The event has a social orientation, so all programmes are completely free of charge and suitable for people of any age,” said Sammy Kotwani, the founder of the “India Day” festival and the President of the Indian National Cultural Centre (SITA).

The dance programme of the event will be presented by two hundred Indian and Russian artists. Over 120 shops and restaurants of authentic Indian cuisine will introduce visitors to exquisite Indian products and dishes. In addition, the festival will feature interactive areas and themed photo zones.

One of the central places will be the themed zone “Wedding in India”: a mesmerising show dedicated to traditional Indian weddings. Another centre of attraction for guests will be the Chalo India photo exhibition, which will showcase the beauty of India and its culture. More than 70 yoga schools from all over Russia, as well as masters from Russia and other countries will take part in the festival.

The 9th India Day festival is organised by the Sita Indian Cultural and National Centre. The event is supported by the Moscow Government, the Ministry of Culture of Moscow, the Department for External Economic and International Relations of Moscow and others.

Photo: The Indian National Cultural Center (SITA)