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World Culture Festival 2023 spotlights belongingness and brotherhood

The event brought together over 17,000 artists in over 60 performances.

World Culture Festival 2023 / (Image: Art of Living)

The three-day World Culture Festival 2023 concluded on October 1, 2023, attracting over a million individuals from 180 countries gathered at the National Mall in Washington DC. The gathering of humanity aimed to send out a message of belongingness and brotherhood and to celebrate human diversity through dance, music, meditation and culture. The event was led by Gurudev Ravi Shankar, a global humanitarian, and founder of The Art of Living.

Bringing together over 17,000 artists in over 60 performances at the event, it featured a Shiv tandav dance, Chenda Melam - Kerala percussion ensemble, nadhaswaram symphony from South India, renditions from Israel, Middle East, and others. A crew presented the Shanti mantra in Sanskrit.

On day 2, the festival also encompassed a performance by Ukrainian artists, which followed Gurudev-led global prayer for peace in Ukraine.  

The festival featured 'Panchabhootam' which represents five classical dance forms of India- Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipudi, and Mohiniattam, and also a symphony of 250 instrumentalists playing sitar, veena, tabla, mridangam, flute, violin and gatam.

In addition, Navrang Dance Academy led a spectacular Garba performance at the World Cultural Festival 2023, with participation from around 4,000 individuals.

Participants from Navrang Dance Academy, Image: supplied

“There is goodness inherent in us, and that needs to come up, and that comes when we realize we are one world family,” said global humanitarian and spiritual master, Gurudev Ravi Shankar during his address.” 

The spiritual leader Gurudev also led a meditation at the end of the festival saying that the festival also began with a meditation. "So let us close our eyes, the celebrations will help us to go inward and ponder and be in the inner space of peace and tranquillity," he said. He directed the meditation stating that we are grateful for our life, and planet, and for the diversity showcased at the venue.

"May all be happy, may all be prosperous and may all be healthy. Let there be peace in us, in society, and the world. With a big smile on your face, let us take a breath in and breathe out with a smile," Gurudev concluded the meditation.

 

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