Four vibrant days of summer: India Day Festival announces programme of events

Moscow's biggest ethnic festival, "India Day", has opened registration for its guests. For the first time, the friendship festival will take place at the Dream Island landscape park from 11 to 14 August. Two million Muscovites and visitors to the capital are expected to attend the grand four-day event.

As in the previous 6 years of the event, admission to India Day is free for all visitors. Moreover, for those who pre-register on the festival website, the organisers have prepared some pleasant surprises.

Also, on the festival website a map and programme for the massive four-day event is announced, which includes the most spectacular events that mysterious India is known for.

The programme includes classical Indian dancing and henna (mehendi) body painting, a market with authentic products, Hindi classes, medical and sports practices, Indian film screenings, a grand chariot procession and much more.

The entire territory of the Dream Island landscape park will be divided into a number of thematic areas during the festival, so that everyone can find the most interesting and useful activity for themselves.

Veda Weekend

A beautifully decorated Vedic playground at the entrance to the park, combining spiritual communion with a rich cultural outdoor experience. The programme includes live interaction with sages and yogis, daily stage concerts, lectures and workshops on vegetarian cuisine and crafts. Daily activities include astrological consultations, 15 unique photo-zones, 10 yoga workshops and 10 yoga-hammock workshops; mehendi and sari transformation; flash mobs with Indian dancing and tea ceremonies.

Moreover, as part of the Veda Weekend, everyone can watch unique feature films on India's spiritual and cultural heritage in an ultra-modern 360° format in a spherical cinema.

Dance competition area

Indian dance is one of India's great assets. This art originated 5,000 years ago. Indians consider god Shiva to be its patron. The festival will feature Indian dance classes, prize drawings and a gala awards ceremony.

Main music stage

More than 500 artists will perform non-stop in a grand four-day concert. This year, the organisers have prepared musical and dance surprises.

Parachute Wedding Zone: Indian wedding

At the festival, couples can go through all the stages of an Indian marriage ceremony. Others can watch this colourful process from the sidelines and see how an Indian wedding actually goes. A grand event in its own right, an incredible combination of opulence and brilliance of celebration.

Himalaya Relax Zone: Yoga and meditation

Five meadows with large tents in the quietest and greenest part of the park will offer yoga and meditation workshops and useful lectures. There is also an area where younger festival-goers can do arts and crafts and children's yoga.

Chess tournament

Traditionally, all four days there will be a children's and an adult's tournament for chess enthusiasts. The winners of the chess festival programme will receive the champion's cup. Pre-registration for the tournament is open on the festival website.

RATHA-YATRA chariot procession

Ratha-yatra (or "chariot procession") is one of the most important festivals of Hinduism associated with the deity Jagannatha (a form of Krishna incarnation). Ratha-yatra comes from two Sanskrit words: Ratha, which means chariot or carriage, and Yatra, which means journey or pilgrimage. This holiday is held every year all over the world. The chariot will begin its procession on 13 August at the Dream Island landscape park. The procession is accompanied by songs and dances of devotees dressed in festive national clothes. More than 5 tonnes of fruit will be distributed from the Divine chariot.

A full programme of events can be found on the website.

Photo: IStock