DOHA: The Indian Cultural Festival concluded yesterday with a huge turnout of visitors who enjoyed shows and activities. The two-day event, ‘A Passage to India’, was organised by the Indian embassy in collaboration with Katara.
Opposite Katara Amphitheatre were 40 stalls that exhibited handicrafts, clothes, food and services to hundreds of visitors from various communities.
A henna tattoo stall drew a large number of young girls as henna is considered a sign of joy, celebration and style in India. One stall represented the southern state of Karnataka, where sari designs and stunning photographs of India were displayed.
The Ponjaya stall exhibited portraits and paintings on glass and silk depicting the journeys of silk and spices to India.
There were traditional clothes from sari and Punjabi in bright colours and portraits of yoga, which is not only a sport but also a means of achieving mental clarity and relaxation, and good health.
Folk shows and dances depicted specific stories, happy occasions and official celebrations.
Some members of the Indian community came to the festival in traditional clothes, adding colour and festive atmosphere to the event.
A replica of India Gate, a national edifice and a massive war monument in the heart of New Delhi, was erected at the venue.
Built between 1921 and 1931, the arch shaped gate commemorates about 90,000 Indian soldiers in the British-Indian army, who sacrificed their lives in World War I and the Afghan War for the Indian Empire.
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