Holi Mela-2012 and Indian Dances Contest to usher in spring to Moscow
MOSCOW, Russia — The Organizing Committee and the Indian Diaspora in Russia are inviting friends and acquaintances to the celebrations of this year’s Holi Mela, the Indian traditional spring festival, on March 9. The occasion will be the sixth consecutive year of hosting the event at the Gubkin’s Palace of Culture, the venue, which will also be used on the same day for hosting the finals of the All-Russia Indian National Dances Contest. The event will kickoff at 13:00, while the Indian Dances Contest will begin at 16:30.
Since immemorial times, the Holi Mela festival has been considered to be one of the holiest, most joyful and colorful traditional events in India. Usually, it is celebrated by entire towns, where residents take to the streets, handing out sweets to neighbors, adorn themselves with garlands of flowers, and smearing colored powders on themselves and friends and dancing till dawn. In Russia, the festival will be honored by famous Russian artists and representatives of show business.
According to ancient Hindu tradition, smearing one another with all the colors of the rainbow symbolizes joy and unity with nature; it is a symbol of happiness, luck and prosperity. The main organizers of this year’s event are the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Indian Business Alliance (IBA), Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Center (JNCC), the Indian Cultural and Trade House (Indian.ru), the Nritya Shabha Foundation and other representatives of Indian business and diaspora organizations in Russia.
Commenting on this year's Holi Mela and the All-Russia Indian National Dances Contest, Sammy Kotwani, the CEO of Imperial Tailoring Co., who also doubles as the president of the IBA and chairman of the festival's Organizing Committee, noted that the goal of hosting these events in Moscow is to bring together both Russians and members of the Indian community, establishing good relationships and give everyone the opportunity to relax in a warm and friendly atmosphere. “The celebrations of the Holi Mela festival will be accompanied by the Indian Dances Contest, which will involve the best dance groups from several Russian cities and other CIS countries. Every year, we receive more and more visitors. Therefore, we hope that the Russians visiting us this year will also love this festival as much as our countrymen and women."
The extracurricular programs accompanying the event will include an Indian goods fair, showcasing Indian cuisine, oriental sweets and spices, live music and dancing as well as special entertainment programs for kids, etc. “We hope the events will indelible pleasant footprints in our visitors’ memories,” Kotwani said on behalf of the Organizing Committee.
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