Top: Dancers from the Sri Bharatakala Dance Academy.
BANGKOK — See Indian dances, Indian art and shop for Ayurvedic products at a festival celebrating 70 years of independence on the subcontinent with events through the rest of the year.
The Embassy of India is hosting Festival of India in Thailand, with traditional dance performances, art exhibitions and other cultural events also marking 70 years of Indian-Thai diplomatic relations.
A “Sri Krishna” dance performance will be held at 7:30pm on Saturday at the Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theater. At the same venue, a dance workshop will be held at 11am on Sunday. Tickets are available online for 700 baht to 1,500 baht.
Sri Krishna will feature dances about the Hindu God Krishna and his prankster antics and will be performed by 13 dancers from the Sri Bharatakala Dance Academy from Tiruchirappalli and Chennai.
A free performance of Sri Krishna will be held 7:30pm Monday 4 Sept. at the 6 Cycle Hall in Kanchanaburi city.
For those wanting a real taste of India, there will be an Uttar Pradesh Food Festival held at 11am to 2:30pm with a set menu and a buffet dinner from 6pm to 11:30pm on Sept. 11 at the Rembrandt Hotel in Bangkok. Prices are 590 baht and 1,170 baht per person respectively. Reservations are required. Live Uttar Pradeshi music will be played. The food festival runs through Sept. 16.
For those in Krabi, catch the same festival Sept. 18 to 24 at the Holiday Inn Resort on Ao Nang Beach.
A Punjabi Food Festival will be held at 5pm to 11:30pm from Oct. 9 to 15 at Maya Restaurant at the Holiday Inn on Sukhumvit 22. Feast on dishes such as tandoori chicken and dhal makhni cooked by Indian chefs.
See contemporary Indian art at the Bangkok Art and Culture Center from Sept. 15 to Oct. 1. Works by Anjolie Ela Menon, Arpana Caur, Rameshwar Broota and more will focus on themes of India’s 70th anniversary of independence.
In December, see rare Buddhas at the National Museum. Buddhist Imagery from Bharata to Suvarnabhumi will feature more than 70 Buddha images loaned by New Delhi’s National Musuem. Dates to be announced.
Those interested in Ayurveda can shop for Ayurvedic oils, powders and drinks at the Queen Sirikit Convention Center from Sept. 23 to 24, where a seminar and exhibition will be held.
The Indian Air Force’s Sarang helicopter team will perform an aerobatic show in November and December in Pattaya, although the exact dates and venues have yet to be announced.
A series of yoga and Bollywood dance workshops will be held in Bangkok’s Benchasiri Park November through January, with dates TBA.
Finally, renowned Indian violinist L. Subramaniam will perform Nov. 4 at the Thailand Cultural Center, but tickets are not on sale yet. Subramaniam is famed for his mastering both the Western and Indian violin traditions.
For more information about the Festival of India in Thailand, contact the Indian Embassy in Thailand’s Facebook page.
