A FOLK-dance and music group from Uttar Pradesh, India visited Guyana from October 16 to 21 to celebrate Diwali across the country.
According to a press release, the group concluded its tour with nine performances, at the Radha Krishna Mandir, Reliance, Essequibo; the Anna Regina Car Park; the Saraswati Vidya Niketan, West Coast Demerara; State House, Georgetown; the Indian Monument Gardens, Camp and Church Streets; University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus; LBI Community Center Ground, East Coast Demerara; ISKCON, UG Road, Railway Embankment; and the D’Edward Vighneshwar Mandir, West Coast Berbice.
The Vraj Sanskritik Group,which was part of this cultural delegation, showcased the beautiful folk culture of Brijbhumi.
A highlight of the tour was a prime performance at a special Deepawali celebration hosted by His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana, and First Lady H.E. Mrs. Arya Ali, where they presented their unique Diya Dance and Mayur Nritya. The Honourable Prime Minister of Guyana, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, and the Honourble Vice-President of Guyana, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, also joined the celebrations, along with members of the Cabinet, the diplomatic corps, and other prominent Guyanese dignitaries.
The release said that the troupe’s visit was facilitated under the Cultural Exchange Programme signed during the historic visit of the Honourable Prime Minister of India to Guyana.
It was sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi, and hosted across Guyana in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the High Commission of India, the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, and several Guyanese organisations. These included the Radha Krishna Mandir, Reliance Essequibo, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Saraswati Vidya Niketan, the Indian Commemoration Trust (ICT) Guyana, the University of Guyana, ISKCON Georgetown, and the D’Edward Vighneshwar Mandir in Berbice. The group also received local sponsorship from the Bank of Baroda, KALPA-TARU, ENGINEERS INDIA LIMITED, RITES, and Ashoka Buildcon Ltd.
