DOHA: The two-day Indian Cultural Festival featuring cultural performances, handicrafts and cuisine from various Indian states opened yesterday at Katara.
Katara General Manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti and Indian Ambassador Sanjiv Arora launched the event in the presence of ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions as well as hundreds of Indian expatriates.
Called “A Passage to India,” the festival has been organised by Indian Cultural Centre in collaboration with Katara.
“We embark on a new journey to a new culture and country known throughout history for the diversity of cultures and the long history of civilization reflected in the different activities in the festival. It is our pleasure to make Katara a destination of cultural interaction of many nations, that’s why we are hosting different cultural events from various parts in the world,” said Dr Al Sulaiti.
“India is a country with which we have strong friendly relations and trade exchange,” he added.
Ambassador Arora expressed appreciation of Katara hosting events for different communities in Qatar.
The festival, he said, offered a good opportunity to learn about the diverse cultures of the 29 states of India and people would enjoy Indian cuisine, folklore and handcrafts.
A highlight of the festival is a replica of the historical India Gate located in Delhi and built in memory of 90,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives during World War I.
Forty tents located along Katara Beach offer visitors Indian food, handicraft and clothes.
THE PENINSULA
