The 13th edition of the Namaste India Cultural Festival takes place in Bucharest this weekend. The festival, which is organized by the Rabindranath Tagore Cultural Centre, under the patronage of the Indian Embassy,  aims to bring a taste of the vast culture of India to people in Romania.

The festival will be open to the public from 9 am to 8 pm on Saturday, June 25, and Sunday, June 26 at the University House of Bucharest (Casa Universitarilor) on 46 Dionisie Lupu Street.

The Namaste India Festival invites the public to attend Bhajan, Kirtan, and Qawwali concerts, learn how to dance in Bharatanatyam and Bollywood dance styles in the dedicated workshops, learn about Indian rituals, Ayurveda, and Vedic philosophy, enjoy having henna painted on their bodies, take part in traditional yoga and meditation sessions, and taste some of India's culinary specialties.

There will also be a language workshop where curious visitors can learn a little bit of Sanskrit, Hindi, Tamil, and Bengali.

Handicrafts stands will be set up, where visitors can buy traditional clothing such as saris, as well as accessories, souvenirs, books, and ingredients specific to the Indian Cuisine.

The festival’s organizers have announced that this year's edition will focus on the close link between Indian and Romanian culture, through a meeting with  Amita Bhose – a writer and translator who has translated Mihail Sebastian's The Star with no Name into Bengali, making the first translation of a Romanian literary work directly into Indian. The bilingual edition of the book will be launched at the event.

The Festival’s full schedule is as follows:

Saturday, June 25

09:00 - 10:00 Balance in Hatha Yoga practice / Cerasela Sindile

10:00 - 11:00 Good Morning Yoga Therapy / Monica Filip

11:00 - 12:00 You with You and I with You - Hatha Yoga / Victoria Gall

10:00 - 12:00 The Art of Rangoli - interactive workshop / Dhaven Shah

12:00 - 13:00 Meditation and the Nervous System / Marius Vornicescu

12:00 - 13:00 Benefits of Ayurvedic Massage / Dr. Stella Gârbea

13:00 - 14:30 Yoga for children and parents / Lavinia Marin

13:00 - 14:00 Meeting with friends of Rabten Publishing - Hidden treasures in the pages of a book

14:00 - 15:00 Vedic astrology - astrology for the soul / Irina Pleșcan

14:30 - 16:00 Henna painting workshop / Cristina Iacob

15:30 - 16:30 Jiddu Krishnamurti, Ramana Maharshi, Nisargadatta Maharaj / Herald Publishing House

16:00 - 17:00 Bharatanatyam dance workshop / Hema Divakaran

16:00 - 17:00 Sound Healing Journey / Hitesh Bhatt, Irina Ioanitescu, Ehsan Shokrollahi

17:00 - 18:00 Barosflow - modern reinterpretation of traditional Indian training / George Crețu

16:30 - 17:30 Bhajane concert with Aaradhakananda, Sharanagati band, and other guests

17:30 - 18:30 Yoga beyond postures / Avisek Majumdar

18:30 - 20:00 Vedas - the original source of yoga practice (presentation and kirtan) / Iskon Vedic Studies Centre Bucharest 

Sunday, June 26

09:00 - 10:00 Breathing and Pranayama / Livia Constantin

10:00 - 11:00 Traditional yoga class | Abheda with Leo Radutz (for beginners and advanced)

11:00 - 12:00 Contemplative Yoga / Hitesh Bhatt

11:00 - 12:00 Health education with Ayurveda / Irina Plescan

12:00 - 13:00 Yoga & Chakra Sound Therapy / Monica Filip

12:00 - 13:00 Indian languages workshop: Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali and Tamil / Ciprian Baciu, Hilda Varga, Carmen Musat Coman, Hema Divakaran

13:00 - 14:30 Bollywood dance workshop / Indra Dance Academy

13:00 - 14:00 Indian journey into the world of ritual and letters / Hilda Varga

14:00 - 14:30 Book launch Mihail Sebastian, The Star without a Name, bilingual edition, Romanian-Bengali, Bengali translation by Amita Bhose / Cununi de Stele Publishing House

14:30 - 15:30 Sari - Beauty and Mystery / Carmen Coțovanu Pesantez, a specialist in Indian culture

15:30 - 16:00 Bollywood Dance Demonstration / Indra Dance Academy

16:00 - 17:00 Story of a Sacred Journey to India - Interactive workshop / Monica Filip

16:00 - 17:00 Satyananda Yoga / Avisek Majumdar

17:00 - 18:00 Kirtan-Song of the Soul / Dana Nedelcu (voice, harmonium), Cristian Drimba, (percussion)

18:00 - 19:00 Concert of Bhajan, Qawwali, and devotional music / Malina Vasile (voice), Mihai Lupoaie (harmonium), and Sorin Bunda 

Admission to the festival costs RON 10 for adults, and RON 5 for senior citizens and students. Children have free entry.

maia@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Namaste India Festival Facebook page)