An Evening of Grace and Tradition to commemorate India’s 75th Republic Day
Celebrating the 75th Republic Day of India, which falls today (January 26th), the High Commission of India in Colombo organized a dance ensemble on Wednesday the 24th titled: “Sringar” – Tapestry of Classical Indian Dance Forms.
Graced by Minister of Transport and Highways and Minister of Mass Media Bandula Gunawardana, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, Vidura Wickramanayaka, and Minister of Agriculture and Plantation Industries, Mahinda Amaraweera, the event was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, Indian diaspora, and other dignitaries.
Sringar showcased all eight Indian classical dance forms. Four of these performances were led by a visiting Indian troupe nominated by the 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 other four were performed by Sri Lankan dance exponents, including Bharatanatyam by Dhanuka Dhakshith Samaraweera, Mohiniyattam by Nishali Silva, Kathak by Veronica Dassanayaka, and Kuchipudi by Thakshayini Kamalanathan.
The dance recital was further adorned by young students of Hindu Ladies’ College, Colombo. This joint India-Sri Lanka performance embodied the richness of the cultural affinities between the two countries.
The Indian dance troupe will be travelling around the country, and will be performing at Kandy, Galle, Batticaloa and Jaffna.
