Concerts and sari parade at "Namaste India" festival this weekend at University Halls

 The "Namaste India" Festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday at the University Halls in Bucharest, with concerts, dances, a parade of saris and a craft fair, according to a press release of the organizers sent on Thursday.Those interested will be able to attend Bhajan, Kirtan and Qawwali concerts, discover Bharatanatyam and Bollywood dance styles, listen to travel stories, learn about Indian rituals and the work of great thinkers, such as Jiddu Krishnamurti, Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadata Maharaj, to take part in traditional yoga and meditation sessions, but also to taste some of the culinary specialties of India. There will also be a sari parade.On the other hand, this year's edition will focus on the close connection between Indian and Romanian culture, highlighted by the influence that Amita Bhose - an important specialist in Mihai Eminescu's work and also a writer and translator from Bengali and Romanian - had on the Romanian culture. By translating Mihail Sebastian's "The Nameless Star" into Bengali, Amita Bhose has built a cultural bridge between the two countries, and the interested public will have the opportunity to participate in the launch of the bilingual edition of this work at the festival. This is the first translation in India, directly from the Romanian language, of a Romanian literary work.Visitors will also be able to enjoy henna painting or an interactive workshop on traditional Rangoli art. The programme also includes presentations on ayurveda, astrology and Vedic philosophy. In addition, for those who are passionate about foreign languages, the organizers have prepared a workshop on some of the main languages of the Indian subcontinent: Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali or Tamil.Visitors will be able to buy clothing, accessories and souvenirs, books, as well as ingredients specific to Indian and Asian cuisine at the craft fair.The access to the activities within the festival is based on the entrance ticket, with the price of 10 lei for adults, 5 lei for pensioners, pupils and students. For children, admission is free. The complete programme of the festival is available on the website www.namasteindia.ro.In its 13th edition, the festival is organized by the "Rabindranath Tagore" Cultural Centre, under the patronage of the Indian Embassy in Romania.