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Expo 2020 Dubai: Indian pavilion to host week-long Navratri celebrations

Dubai - Indian pavilion is hosting a series of vibrant and colourful performances by artists from across the country.

The Indian pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will host week-long Navratri and Durga Puja celebrations, leading up to the festival of Dusshera, officials announced on Sunday.

Navratri, a Hindu festival that spans nine nights and is celebrated every year in the autumn, is a joyous celebration of the victory of good over evil. Thousands of Indian expatriates religiously celebrate Navratri, Dusssehra and Durga Puja in the UAE every year. However, celebrations were largely muted due to the pandemic last year.

This year, the Indian pavilion is hosting a series of vibrant and colourful performances by artists from across the country. Celebrations began on Saturday, October 9 with a Carnatic music and traditional dance performances. Welcome pillars have been erected outside the pavilion and will remain until the festival of Diwali.

Traditional percussionists from Bengal, Dhaakis, play the Indian percussion instrument called Dhaak that is usually played during festivals in India, said an official release from the Indian pavilion.

Visitors can also look forward to performances by Baul singers — a group of mystic minstrels of mixed elements of Tantra, Sufism, Vaishnavism and Buddhism, from the Bengal region, comprising Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam’s Barak Valley. They will perform from October 13-15.

Eminent storytellers in the UAE will bring together stories of nature, mythology, folklore, health, and history during this time. Children’s author Ebtisam Al Beiti and Dr Lamya Al Tawfiki will read out stories for children on October 11 and 12.

Yakshagana dancers from the south Indian state of Karnataka will perform on October 14, and performances by Raman Iyer and the Bards will be held on October 11 and 12.