Millions take part in Moscow festival celebrating India’s culture

India Day festivities in Moscow last week recorded 2.7 million visitors, according to the organizers. The four-day celebration in the Russian capital mixed yoga sessions, dance performance and Holi traditions with official ceremonies and awards.

The festival was attended by India’s Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar, Moscow Government Minister Sergey Cheremin, and officials from dozens of countries, according to festival founder and President of the Indian Cultural and National Center Sita Sammy Kotwani.

This year’s program included the launch of the India Day awards, the jury for which featured Anton Kobyakov, an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova and Mosfilm director Karen Shakhnazarov. Awards were presented in ten categories such as yoga, Ayurveda, literature, business and humanitarian initiatives.

The festival coincided with India’s 79th Independence Day, marked on 15 August. The date commemorates India’s liberation from British rule in 1947 and its emergence as a sovereign state. Independence Day is among the country’s key national holidays and is observed annually with flag-raising ceremonies, cultural events and tributes to leaders of the independence movement.

The event also coincided with an official visit to Russia by Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, who is scheduled to hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday. As part of the celebrations and to highlight close ties between the two countries, landmark buildings along Moscow’s Novy Arbat Avenue were lit in the colors of the Indian flag, the Indian Embassy said in a post on X.