India Day celebrated at Floriade with pomp and pageantry

By: Pranita A Deshpande

@advpranita_a

Almere, The Netherlands: The India Day celebrations took place at Floriade amidst pomp and pageantry. On this day, the rich cultural heritage of India was in the spotlight with traditional dance performances. Special attention was also paid to the special year that India is celebrating this year.

This year India celebrates ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, the 75th anniversary of the Country’s Independence. This festive year commemorates the history, culture and special achievements of the people of India. In addition, this year is also very special for India and the Netherlands, as the two countries celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations.

Ambassador Reenat Sandhu addressed the Indo Dutch community with the hosting of the Indian flag.

In her address, ambassador Reenat Sandhu emphasized strong India and the Netherlands relations, especially synergies and tremendous opportunities to work together in the agriculture sector.

Ambassador also visited the India Pavilion at Floriade focussing on the theme of energizing the cities depicted through concepts based on Indian philosophy of yoga and ayurveda.

During the India Day celebrations, visitors were mesmerized by the sterling performances with three different types of Indian dances. This ranged from a classical dance that originated in Hindu temples to two types of folk dances from Rajasthan and Punjab.

At the Pavilion of India, called ‘ India Spiritual Garden ‘, visitors got a chance to get pampered by an ornate henna tattoo or buy a nice souvenir.

In The Green House , India proudly showcased its southernmost state of Tamil Nadu’s colourful blankets and carpets and products such as bananas, fresh and exotic vegetables, spices and medicinal products, a wide range of coconut-based products, floral arrangements and much more. Special attraction was the miniature of the Dutch Peace Palace crafted diligently with Indian spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, fennel and cumin. Furthermore, visitors had an opportunity to learn about the Indian philosophy of yoga here with daily meditation sessions.