On sidelines of G20 Sherpa meet, India awes delegates with safas, music and more
Several unique cultural experiences are an integral part of the arrangements made for the foreign diplomats and officials who are attending the first official G20 meeting in Udaipur after India took over the presidency of the grouping of the world’s 20 largest economies.
Away from all the hard-nosed discussions on global economic challenges, India is using a key meeting of top G20 officials in Udaipur to sell the softer side of the country to delegates from all over world.
The G20 Sherpas or representatives of heads of state and government and officials of multilateral institutions are being treated to colourful snapshots of life in Rajasthan, which is hosting the first official meeting after India took over the presidency of the grouping of the world’s 20 largest economies.
From being greeted at the Udaipur airport by musicians in dazzling traditional attire to an opportunity to try on “safas” or the colourful Rajasthani turbans and jackets with delicate hand-embroidered patterns, several unique cultural experiences are an integral part of the arrangements made for the foreign diplomats and officials.
Following the two inaugural sessions of discussions on Monday, the foreign delegates had a chance to meet the world’s longest turban binder, Pawan Vyas, who tied 478.5 metres or nearly half a kilometre of cloth in 30 minutes without using a single hairpin in 2020. Most of the delegates were charmed as Vyas bundled one safa after another on the head of an associate and posed for selfies with the turbaned man.
A cultural show on Monday night during a dinner for the delegates at Jag Mandir Palace, a 17th-century structure on an island in Lake Pichola, featured performances on three separate stages, ranging from tribal music to a choreographed dance set to a mix of Meera bhajans and Sufiana kalams.
The dinner also featured a special station serving millets in keeping with the observance of the international year of millets in 2023.
An even grander show awaits the delegates on Tuesday following the conclusion of the meeting of the G20 Sherpas.
The delegates will gather at the 17th century Manek Chowk, the largest courtyard within Udaipur’s City Palace and also the largest man-made terrace in Rajasthan, for a cultural programme that will include “Sarvesham Bharatah”, an amalgamation of classical dance forms such as Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Odissi and Manipuri, and folk dance performances such as Ghoomar and Garba. The dance of the Kalbelia or snake-charming community will also be part of the performance.
