India festival attracts hundreds in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: Residents had a good opportunity to enjoy the cultural diversity of India, its folklore and cuisine at India Festival, a three-day event.

Indian Social and Cultural Centre (ISC), the largest socio-cultural organisation in the capital, organised the event at the centre's premises in the Al Mina area for the second consecutive year. About 20,000 people attended the first edition of the festival last year.

The centre boasts more than 2,000 members and a Dh35 million five-storey building with several facilities — considered one of the biggest Indian social clubs in the Middle East.

M.K. Lokesh, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, officially inaugurated the festival on Thursday evening.

The highlight of this year's event was the ISC's partnership with the Government of India which has sent three world-renowned cultural troupes to perform over three days, Ramesh Panicker, Honorary President of the centre, told Gulf News.

The Cultural Wing of the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi is presenting the cultural show by the three troupes through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in New Delhi.

Huge demand

"More than 15,000 people visited the festival on the first two days and we expect a total of 25,000 people by late on Saturday [yesterday]," said M.A. Salam, Honourary Secretary of the centre.

Cultural troupes from other countries such as Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Philippines performed their traditional folklores at the festival yesterday.

There was huge demand for space for stalls selling various items including books, Panicker said.

A portion of the proceeds of the festival will go to charity, he added.

There is an exhibition-cum-sale of paintings made by the staff and their families of the New Medical Centre group.

"Its proceeds will also go to charity," the president said.