Nami Island holds the 2022 Sarang : The Festival of India·Nami Island

      The 2022 Sarang : The Festival of India·Nami Island, held by the Embassy of India and ICCR, will take place on Nami Island, known as the island of life. The relationship between the island and the Embassy dated back to 2010, when the 2010 Nami Island International Children’s Book Festival took place. The year 2022 marks the 7th anniversary of the Sarang festival, which started first in 2015 on the island.   “Sarang” in Hindi means “diversity” and “beauty”—and in Korean, “love.” With the themes of sarang, the festival will feature traditional Indian dance and music performances, exhibitions, and a variety of programs in a bid to introduce the lives of Indian people, cultures, and the genuine—and probably new—charm of the country. At the opening ceremony, starting at 2 p.m. on the 8th of October, Amit Kumar, the new ambassador of India in Korea, Sonu Trivedi, director of the Indian Cultural Center, Embassy of India, and other special guests will be in attendance to celebrate the festival.   Kunjalata Mishra’s traditional dance performance and Sunanda Sharma’s traditional music concert, which will be on stage on both 8th and 9th, are engrossing enough to grab audience’s attention. Having been awarded several times, Mishra is an outstanding Odissi dancer, whose performance was highly appreciated by Indian Council for Cultural Relations and a government-run broadcaster Doordarshan. The guru and five Odissi dancers will present a unique dance performance, a combination of traditional Odissi dance and a new modern interpretation of it.   An incredibly talented vocalist Sunanda Sharma who masters a wide range of Indian classical music genres, from kyayal, thumri, dadra, chaiti, Punjabi music, to folk songs from Himachal Pradesh province, will touch audiences’ hearts by playing the exotic and new instruments such as harmonium, sarangi, tabla, and tanpura, and their sophisticated and delicate sound. In addition, Harmonize, a Korean show choir group will sing Indian songs, while Saraswati, an Indian dance team for Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, will spice up the festival with a popular and energetic Bollywood dance performance.   At O Stage, two photo exhibitions, India, A Land of Unity in Diversity and The Indian Chapter Korean War will take place.   Various programs will enrich the festival. Not only will various kinds of Indian cultural booths be installed, such as henna booth, rangoli booth, traditional Indian clothing, handicrafts, Indian desserts and drinks, Indian game zone (pachisi, snake ladder, and carrom), but the festival also will introduce the local cultures and attractive tourist places.   All visitors can freely enjoy the festival. During the festival, Indians and students who major in Indian in universities can enter Nami Island for free.   The 2022 Sarang : The Festival of India·Nami Island Date and time : October 8-9 (Sat-Sun), 2022 | 11 A.M. – 5 P.M. Opening Ceremony : October 8 (Sat), 2022 | 2 P.M. | O stage Location : O Stage and nearby areas, Nami Island      이동희 기자 (lee.donghee.ja@gmail.com)island festival island international island known indian people