India and Sri Lanka celebrate shared cultural heritage at ‘Maitri Utsav’ in Colombo

COLOMBO — A four-day ‘Bharat Sri Lanka Maitri Utsav’ is being held at Colombo’s iconic Independence Square to deepen cultural ties and celebrate the rich heritage shared by the two civilisational twins as part of the ‘Bharat-Sri Lanka Maitri Week’ as part of the week-long celebrations commemorating the 78th Independence Day of India.

The ‘carnival of India-Lanka friendship’ was jointly inaugurated by High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Vidura Wickramanayaka late Thursday evening as the High Commission of India and its cultural arm Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre commemorated the Independence Day of India.

The ‘Maitri Utsav’ will feature a traditional handicrafts exhibition showcasing works by artisans from India and Sri Lanka, cultural performances featuring diverse troupes from both countries, and an open mic evening providing a platform for university and school students to showcase their talents.

“Additionally, a food festival is also being organised which offers a delightful array of Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine and other culinary delights, complemented by book stalls and various engaging activities and exhibitions,” stated the High Commission of India in Colombo on Friday.

At the handicraft fair, Indian artisans from Uttar Pradesh are showcasing the rich heritage of stone craft, durrie and gulabi meenakari while artisans from Andhra Pradesh are displaying the Narsapur crochet lace and pen kalamkari.

On Friday, students representing different schools of Colombo participated in a quiz competition on shared cultural heritage and India-Sri Lanka relations at the Independence Square.

Art and singing competitions will also be held at the same venue over the weekend.

Earlier, highlighting the vibrant cultural, literary and artistic exchanges between India and Sri Lanka, a repository of Indic-knowledge ‘Bharat Kosh’ was inaugurated by the Indian High Commissioner at the historic Colombo Public Library.

It showcases a curated selection of books on India and written by the Indian authors, comprising artifacts, and cultural treasures that celebrate India’s diverse heritage and reflects the deep historical and cultural ties between India and Sri Lanka.