INDIA, a country of complex diversities, with a population of 1.4 billion people speaking different languages, continues to flourish as a stable and vibrant polity primarily because of the strength of its inherent value system and rich cultural heritage.
Multitudes of musical and dance forms have evolved over millennia in different regions, that too linked to the history, beliefs, geography and climate of the Indian sub-continent are the cornerstones of Indian culture.
An earnest attempt to showcase the glorious soft power of India to the multicultural society in Bahrain was conceptualised and successfully executed in May 2022 by the Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam (BKS), the premier expatriate organisation in association with the Indian Embassy, Soorya and the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca).
The Indo-Bahrain Dance and Music Festival 2022 witnessed some of the Indian cultural idols like Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Anoop Jalota, Umayalpuram Sivaraman, Ganesh-Kumaresh, Rajhesh Vaidya, Mysore brothers, Abhishek Reghuram, Nityasree Mahadevan, M Jayachandran, Asha Sarath, Patri Satheesh and many others.
The appreciation and response that poured in for the first-of-its-kind Indian Festival in Bahrain was so overwhelming and inspiring that BKS ventured into its second edition which started on May 5, 2023 and culminated on May 12.
World-renowned artistes like Pandit Rashid Khan, Pankaj Udhas, Aruna Sairam, Sudha Regunathan, Shobna, Hareesh Sivaramakrishnan and child prodigy Sooryagayathri gifted the art enthusiasts of Bahrain eight nights of Indian classical dance and music. Bahrani band Ravens added a local flavour to the festival.
The BKS Indo-Bahrain Festival turned out to be a milestone event underscoring the deep-rooted friendship and cultural bond that exist between India and Bahrain. The 100-plus Indian artistes of international repute who participated in the two editions of the festival spoke volumes of the hospitality, freedom and friendship they enjoyed in Bahrain right from the airport.
The organisers made it a point that the artistes who arrived in Bahrain visited places of historical and cultural importance, suqs and shopping places so that they experience and propagate the message of universal brotherhood that exists in Bahrain.
I am sure these international artistes who flew in from India went back with fond memories about the people and benevolent rulers of this great nation.
It is worth mentioning the role played by Baca in conducting the festival. The fact that Baca president Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa himself was present as the guest of honour in the inaugural ceremony indicates how keen the authority is in strengthening the cultural links between India and Bahrain.
We are deeply indebted to Indian Ambassador Piyush Srivastava and his mission for the leadership role it took in making the festival a grand success. Our boundless appreciation and gratitude to Indian Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan who flew in to inaugurate the festival in addition to his official engagements in Bahrain.
The festival has been curated by the legendary art organiser Soorya Krishnamoorthy, the founder of the largest fine arts society in the globe.
We are thankful to all the sponsors, media and the art-lovers in the country who whole-heartedly supported the event.
The GDN played a vital role in promoting the festival.
The organisers are in a jubilant mood as the artistes who participated in the festival unequivocally opined that the BKS Indo-Bahrain festival has been on an equal footing with major similar festivals in other parts of the world.
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