ShareBy Sajeev K Peter
KUWAIT: The curtain went up on ‘Namaste Kuwait’, a weeklong cultural festival at the Indian Embassy on Sunday on the occasion of Kuwait’s National and Liberation Days. Marking a long cultural history and cherished Kuwait-India partnership, the festival celebrates the vibrant culture-connect between the countries during the festive month of February.
At a glittering function, Indian Ambassador Sibi George and his spouse Joice Sibi jointly lighted the traditional lamp to officially inaugurate the celebration. Organized by the Indian Embassy in association with the Indian Cultural Network (ICN), the festival is a tribute to the rich cultural heritage and diversity of both Kuwait and India.
“Today’s event is a celebration of the vibrant and dynamic partnership between our two friendly countries, India and Kuwait. Our ties are time-tested. They have been built over strong foundations by our peoples over centuries based on mutual trust and respect. Over time, nurtured by a vibrant people-to-people connect and civilizational affinities, the partnership has blossomed into a forward-looking dynamic partnership,” the ambassador said in his inaugural address.
The celebration commenced with some dazzling dance performances, delineating the special bond shared by India and Kuwait, followed by a segment of musical performances by well-known artists in Kuwait. Several Indian artists and students joined hands in presenting this cultural extravaganza.
On this special occasion, the ambassador released a musical album named “Ya Kuwaithee Marhaba” in three languages: Arabic, Hindi and Malayalam. A captivating visual treat, the album is conceptualized and created by more than a hundred artists. It seeks to depict Kuwait’s rich legacy and history and highlight India and Kuwait’s deep-rooted relations.
The ambassador conveyed greetings to Kuwait’s leadership, the government and the people of Kuwait on the occasion of the National Day and Liberation Day. “In recent years, we are seeing an increased engagement between our two peoples. This festival is another effort by the embassy to further broaden the rich canvas of cultural engagement and further strengthen our already close civilizational affinities and linkages,” George said.
“I am confident that this relationship will continue to prosper and evolve into a new age, a new India-new Kuwait partnership connecting the visions of the leadership of our two countries for mutual development and progress of the peoples of our two countries,” he said. This weeklong festival also marks the 75th anniversary of India’s independence and 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between Kuwait and India. The festival will continue till Feb 28, 2022 with an impressive array of cultural programs including music, dance and screening of Indian films.
