Festival of India launch night at York St John

The start of York Festival of India was celebrated with a special launch event held on Wednesday 2 October at York St John University.

Over one hundred guests packed a special film screening of ‘Tagore 150 Years on!’ followed by a question and answer session with Dr Nikhil Kaushik, facilitated by Dr Sarah Lawson Welsh, Reader in English and Postcolonial Literatures at York St John. Following this a short lecture on the heritage of India was delivered by Professor Indra Nath Choudhury, of Edinburgh Napier University.

The festival runs from 2 October to 2 November and is hosted and sponsored by York St John University on behalf of the York Indian Cultural Association. Leading figures in Indian history, culture and art will join members of the different faith communities at York St John University to facilitate an array of events during the festival, including Bollywood film, Indian astronomy and Indian entrepreneurialism. There will be a final Diwali celebration on Saturday 2 November in the University’s Temple Hall from 4.00pm.

Mahendra Verma, Hindu Faith advisor at York St John University and one of the lead organisers of the festival said:
"We are delighted to be hosting such an exciting programme of events for this year’s festival. In 1982 we held the first York Festival of India, which was a wonderful celebration of Indian culture. Since then York has grown to become a multicultural, multilingual and multi-faith city.

He added:
“The UK and the new resurgent India have increasing partnership in all fields and York Indians are contributing to the education, health, industry and culture of the city in greater numbers. We are looking forward to another successful series of events which we are sure York and Yorkshire citizens will benefit from."

For further information about the Festival of India please contact Mahendra Verma, T: 07588 242419 or 01904 413138.