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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Indian folk music and dance performance delights

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A folk dance and music troupe from the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir gave a scintillating performance at Al Bustan Palace — A Ritz Carlton Hotel on Sunday. The troupe, which has also performed in Suhar and Sur, is due to perform in Salalah today, February 14, 2017.

The troupe presented a rich bouquet of folk dance and music from different regions of Jammu & Kashmir, including Sufiana music, Rouff dance, Hafiznagma dance, Bachha nagma dance, Dogri dance, Bhoomra Dance and so on. The performance was attended by over 600 persons, including diplomats and prominent Omanis and Indians.


It was graced by the presence of Mohammed Yousuf al Zarafi, Under-Secretary for Administration and Finance Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador Shaikh Hilal Marhoon al Maamari, Chief of West Asia Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sultanate of Oman.


The performance was organised as a part of the first-ever ‘Festival of India in Oman’ which is being hosted by the Embassy of India in Muscat in cooperation with Ministry of Culture of India, from November 2016 to March 2017 in Muscat, Suhar, Sur and Salalah. As part of the Festival of India, a number of cultural events have been organised, not only in Muscat but also in other cities of Oman like Salalah, Suhar and Sur.


“Since the people of Oman are familiar with many facets of Indian culture, it has been the Embassy’s endeavour to present some lesser known facets of Indian culture with a view to highlight the diversity of Indian culture as manifested in its numerous art, music, dance, culinary and costume traditions,” the Embassy said in a statement.


The Festival of India was inaugurated by Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdallah, Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs, on November 15, 2016, with a performance by an Indian ballet dance, presented by the Hritaal Dance Troupe. The Embassy had also presented, as a part of this Festival, an Indian calligraphy exhibition in Muscat which was inaugurated on November 21, 2016 in Oman Avenues Mall. It showcased India’s rich Islamic calligraphy traditions and its contribution to development of composite and diverse culture of India.


Further, last month a classical music group, led by Dr Soma Ghosh, presented a bouquet of classical, semi-classical, Sufi, folk and Bollywood songs, based on musical traditions of Benares Gharana, reflecting the historical durbar concerts, which used to be held in courts of Emperors, Sultans and Nawabs during the medieval period in India, They also performed in Salalah, Sur and Suhar and at the Republic Day Reception at the Embassy.


Jammu & Kashmir is endowed with immense natural and scenic beauty, full of snow-capped mountains, waterfalls, lakes, rivers and valleys of flowers. In 17th century, Mughal Emperor Jahangir described Kashmir as a paradise on earth.


Jammu & Kashmir is also a well-known tourist destination in India. It has a very rich and diverse cultural heritage. The three regions of the state — Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir — have their own distinct, diverse and rich cultural traditions. The state also has a seven hundred years old, popular and respected Sufi tradition, which has left a deep imprint on music and dance traditions of the state.


As the last event of the Festival of India, the Embassy has planned to hold an Indian Food Festival in March 2017, which will run during March 15-19, 2017. It will delight people of Muscat with some lesser-known culinary traditions of India.


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