Ms Rejoice Mabudafhasi, MP, the Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture will officiate the Limpopo leg of the India Festival at the Library Gardens, in Polokwane, Limpopo.

South Africa enjoys a long-standing cordial relationship with the government and people of India that has been solidified by the Agreement on Cooperation in the fields of Education, Arts, Culture and Sport in 1996.

The South African Department of Arts and Culture and the Indian Ministry of Culture signed the Executive Programme for Cultural Cooperation (POC) in 2003. The two countries have already had numerous cultural exchanges under the auspices of the Programme of Cooperation.

The Limpopo leg of the India Festival in South Africa forms part of the implementation of what was agreed that both countries would hold reciprocal cultural festivals in each other’s country to implement the Programme of Cooperation to promote social cohesion and cultural diversity in both countries.

The Limpopo leg will entail performances from the Indian group Nrityarupa, a mosaic of Indian dance, which encapsulates for a new audience the experience of Indian dance as it has evolved in various parts of the country. In so doing, it offers a glimpse of the great mosaic of cultures that constitutes the Indian nation, and demonstrates in a creative, kinetic, form their dynamics in relation to each other.

Deepening our cultural interactions and relations, a local group will perform a drama called a good story to tell, alongside the Indian performances.

The India festival in South Africa forms part of the 20 years celebration of freedom and democracy in South Africa, the 100 years since the return of the great Mahatma Gandhi, renowned icon of Indian nationalism and independence from South Africa on 18 July 1914 and coincides with the celebration of life and values of our liberation struggle icon, former President Nelson Mandela.

His Excellency the High Commissioner of India to South Africa, Virendra Gupta, will also attend the festival.

Media is invited to attend the festival follows:
Date: Monday, 28 July 2014
Time: 17h00
Venue: Polokwane Library Gardens

RSVP:
Madimetja Moleba
Cell: 072 842 6594
Tel: 012 441 3737
E-mail: Madimetjam@dac.gov.za

Media enquiries:
Peter Mbelengwa
Cell: 082 611 8197
Cell: petermb@dac.gov.za