With Delhi being accorded the status of partner State at this year’s India International Trade Fair at Pragati Maidan here, the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation, which manages the Delhi Pavilion on behalf of the State Government, has planned a series of cultural events that will showcase the country’s cultural diversity.
The fortnight-long annual event that opens on November 14 will see a variety of cultural programmes that will include Rajasthani folk dance, Manipuri dance, “Dandia”, “Mayur Nritya” from Uttar Pradesh and “Gidda” from Punjab, according to DSIIDC Managing Director Chetan Sanghi.
The Prince Dance Group from Orissa, which recently won a competition organised by Sony TV, will take part in two programmes on different days. Prominent Punjabi singer Ashok Masti and noted Qawalls, Aslam Sabri and Ehsan Bharti, will also be part of the festivities.
Mr. Sanghi said the Delhi Government would also organise three seminars on the occasion. One will be on the Commonwealth Games that Delhi will host in 2010, another on Delhi as the Knowledge Capital of India, and a third on Environment and Forests.
For a city famous for its food, Delhi will also host a separate food court “Dilli ka Khana” where delicacies like the hugely popular chaat and parathas as well as a variety of sweets will be on offer.
The themes of this year’s Delhi Pavilion, among the most sought after pavilions at IITF, will include the Commonwealth Games and the services sector for which the city is well known, Mr. Sanghi said.
Delhi Pavilion attracts hundreds of thousands of people during every IITF.