Indian art, culture, spirit and colours in Cluj-Napoca, at Namaste India Festival

A glimpse into the beauty of Indian art and culture will be brought to Cluj-Napoca, where the Namaste India Festival will take place 5-6 July 2025.'For two days, on 5 and 6 July 2025, Indian art and traditions will come to life at Iulius Park through dance, music, sacred sounds, the aroma of spices, traditional costumes and ancestral practices. Organised by the Rabindranath Tagore Cultural Centre with the support of the Embassy of India in Bucharest, the Namaste India Festival invites the Cluj public to discover the many facets of Indian culture through a rich and captivating programme,' reads a press release from the organisers, issued on Tuesday.According to the same source, Saturday's events will feature book launches, including 'Beyond the Known World' by Carmen Musat-Coman, and presentations such as 'The Reflection of Women in Tagore's Work' and 'Stories from the Ashram and the Himalayas'. In the afternoon, the public will have the opportunity to admire Rajkumari fashion creations, inspired by Indian textile arts and crafts. The evening will conclude with a vibrant series of musical and dance performances: a tabla recital, classical Indian dances such as Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Odissi, as well as energetic Bhajan and Kirtan concerts.On Sunday, the programme continues with yoga sessions, a Bengali language workshop, a presentation of 'India's Delicious Book', and hands-on workshops on Ayurvedic nutrition and Vedic astrology. The afternoon will be dedicated to dance and cultural demonstrations, including a Garba Dance Workshop, a Sari Draping Art session and a lively Bollywood Flashmob. The festival's highlights include a Kathak dance performance by Shreyashee Nag, founder of the Nupura International Centre for Performing Arts in Barcelona, and the 'RAGA meets HORA' concert - an innovative fusion between Indian classical music and Romanian folklore, featuring artists Bhaskar Das (bansuri), Amit Mishra (tabla) and Narcisa Baleanu (panpipe). The evening will conclude with a Mantra Immersion & Kirtan concert, offering a profound sound experience.'In the festival's exhibition area, visitors will find vendors selling handcrafted goods, jewellery, traditional clothing, authentic Indian ingredients and culinary specialities that bring the unmistakable flavours of Indian spices to the plates of Cluj residents. Namaste India Festival is an open invitation to explore the harmony between body and spirit, to savour the flavours of India, to be carried away by ancient rhythms, and to discover the wisdom of a millennia-old culture,' the organisers add.Launched in 2010, the Namaste India Festival is the largest event in Romania dedicated to Indian culture. The event aims to promote cultural dialogue and offer the Romanian public an authentic window into India's rich traditions, from spiritual practices and knowledge systems to performing arts.