The Festival of India in Korea was held last week across the country, celebrating India’s dance, music, food, film and yoga, and weaving Indians and Koreans in a tapestry of friendship.

Under the catchphrase “Sarang,” the venue also showcased traditional percussion, puppetry and lectures in Seoul, Busan and Namiseom Island from Nov. 9-15.

The weeklong event started this year, organized by the Indian embassy, Teamwork Arts and Indian Culture Centers in Seoul and Busan. It aims to be an annual festivity from next year by engaging public-private partnerships on both sides. 

“We have chosen the word ‘Sarang,’ which means ‘love’ in Korean and ‘colorful’ in Indian, to celebrate our friendship across ancient and modern times,” Indian Ambassador Vikram Doraiswami told guests at an opening reception at Millennium Seoul Hilton on Nov. 9.

“After all, our relationship was established 2,000 years ago when Indian Queen Suriratna married Korean King Gim Suro, the founder of Geumgwan Gaya Dynasty (A.D. 43-532) in southeastern Korea.”

“Sarang” also depicts “the vibrant tapestry of colors” that represents the Indian culture, the envoy noted, adding that the two countries are working to identify common grounds for future collaboration.

At the inaugural ceremony, the Drums of India, an ensemble of percussion instruments from across the South Asian country, staged an energetic live performance, with performer Gilles Chuen dancing in the center.

“In today’s frenetic modern age, we find a greater need to connect ourselves through traditions that bind us civilizationally,” Doraiswami told The Korea Herald.

“This festival is an appetizer for the larger repast that is India’s diverse and unique culture,” he added. “We want to energize two-way flows of ideas, commerce and people, and recapture the spirit of enterprise and creativity that bound our ancestors together.”

The ambassador thanked and awarded the event’s main sponsor Hyundai Motors, and associate sponsors Mahindra Ssangyong, Tata Daewoo and Aditya Birla Novelis. 

Teamwork Arts managing director Sanjoy Roy said: “India lives in many centuries at the same time. We have great wealth and poverty. But unlike many other nations, both sides live together in harmony through democracy.”

Every 100 meters in India, everything changes, from the way people think and speak to how they dress and eat, the artistic director said.

“The festival is an attempt to reach out to the Korean people and capture their minds, so that we can become long-term partners in our journey toward progress and prosperity,” he said.

While expressing appreciation to Hyundai Motors, which has operated in India for over 20 years, Roy highlighted that India’s growth aided Korea’s own progress in myriad ways.

He also stressed the importance of understanding other cultures, histories, philosophies and traditions in becoming an effective partner in a global economy.

Teamwork Arts has been introducing India’s culture to the world since it was established by Roy in 1989. The versatile cultural production agency covers various performing and visual arts, literature, film, television and charity, and has organized over 25 festivals in more than 40 cities around the world.

By Joel Lee (joel@heraldcorp.com)