g January 2020 THE GANDHI CENTRE THE HAGUE Parkstraat 99 (First floor), 2514 JH, DEN HAAG The Gandhi Centre was set up on 2nd October, 2011 with primary objective of establishing, reviving and strengthening the cultural relations between India and Netherlands. The ICCR has set up such 36 Indian cultural centers in different parts of the world. The objective of the Gandhi Centre is to promote awareness of India's composite cultural heritage in The Netherlands. The activities of the cultural centre include showcasing various art forms of India such as dance, drama, music, films, talks and Seminars on subjects related to India. The centre also teaches Yoga, Music and Hindi.It has a rich library with books on History, Art, Culture, Political Affairs and Fiction.The Gandhi Centre functions under the Embassy of India and is established by the ICCR. 1 Programme Schedule You are cordially invited for the following: 2 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2020 – Live Telecast Pravasi Bharatiya Divas also called Non-Resident Indian Day, marks contribution of overseas Indian community towards India’s development. The day commemorates return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Ahmedabad on 9 January 1915. It aims to promote unity of overseas people with government of India. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is the flagship event of the government and provides an important platform to engage and connect with the overseas diaspora. Established in the year 2000, the event is organised by the Ministry of External Affairs in collaboration with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the Confederation of Indian Industries and Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region. The occasion is marked by special programs to recognise the contributions of NRI/PIO individuals of exceptional merit, felicitate NRI/PIO individuals who have made exceptional contributions in their chosen field/profession and provide a forum to discuss issues and concerns of people of the diaspora. Date : Thursday, 9th January 2020 Time : 13.30hrs Venue: Auditorium 3 Vishwa Hindi Diwas 2020 Vishwa Hindi Diwas (World Hindi Day) is a very special day celebrated to spread the glory and importance of the Hindi language. Every year 10th January is celebrated as World Hindi Day across the World to present Hindi as an International Language. It is celebrated on January 10 every year, marking the anniversary of first World Hindi Conference which was held in 1975 in Nagpur.The Gandhi Cente has arranged a programme of Talks on Hindi, Songs and poetry. Date : Friday, 10th January 2020 Time : 17 00 – 18 30 hrs Venue: Auditorium 4 Makra Sankranthi Festival Makara Sankranti or Maghi, is a festival day in the Hindu calendar, dedicated to the deity Surya (sun). It is observed each year in January. It marks the first day of the Sun's transit into Makara (Capricorn), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days. Makar Sankranti is a festival which is celebrated by various communities throughout India, although with different names. Hindus and Sikhs belonging to the state of Punjab and adjacent areas celebrate it as “Lohri”; In Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka it is known as “Pedda Pandaga”; in Tamil Nadu the festival is celebrated as “Pongal” and in Assam it is called “Magh Bihu”. Being celebrated by so many different communities, with vast linguistic and cultural differences; Makar Sankranti manifests India’s cultural and religious unity. For most parts of India, Sankranthi is also a harvest festival. It is a time to rejoice. Fairs are organised in various parts of India and in many cities, children and adults enjoy kite flying competitions to celebrate this occasion. Special dishes are a part of this celebration! Date : Saturday, 11th January 2020 Time : 17 00 – 18 30 hrs Venue: Auditorium 5 Dhrupad Vocal Concert Marianne Svašek is a Dhrupad singer born in the Netherlands. Marianne studied Indian classical music, dhrupad vocal, at the Rotterdam Conservatory from Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar and Uday Bhawalkar. Since 1994, she was a student of Ustad Zia Fariduddin Dagar in India. Later she continued learning Dhrupad from Pt. Nirmalya Dey after the demise of her Guru. She has been awarded with a gold medal at the Dhrupad Mela in Varanasi in 2014. Marianne Svasek will be accompanied by her student Marloes Milius in singing Dhrupad and Nathanaël van Zuilen will play Pakhawaj. Date : Saturday, 18th January 2020 Time : 17 00 – 18 00hrs Venue: Auditorium 6 An overview of events held in December 2019 7 Margazhi Utsavam 7th & 8th December 2019 The Gandhi Centre organized Margazhi Utsavam, a Netherlands Carnatic Music Festival by Madras Chorus. This is the second edition of their event, the first being in 2018 at the Gandhi Centre. The event showcased the talents of renowned artists and beginners in the Netherlands who have been trained under able Gurus in the field of music. Children and adults performed at the event. A music album “Spirit of life” created by the Madras Chorus artists was released by Shri Vinod Sehdev, an entrepreneur in the Netherlands. The audience turned out in large numbers on both the days and were enthralled and delighted to the south Indian music and dance. Shri Rabin Baldew Singh Former Mayor of the Hague, Shri Manohar Gangesh, Counsellor Embassy of India, The Hague and Dr. Prof. Nirmala Sharma, Director of The Gandhi Centre inaugurated the event. Shri Pranay Sinha, HOC, Embassy of India distributed the certificates to the artists. 8 International Conference 28th December 2019 The Gandhi Centre organized an International Conference on ‘Ayurveda – A Holistic Way of Life’ in collaboration with Brahmarishi Ashram Netherlands. Dr.Shiva Triedevi gave a lecture on “Samkhya Theory of Life according to Maharishi Kapil”. This was followed by a guided Meditation by Dr. Dinesh ji Maharaj. Dr. Natasja Ramnath addressed the gathering on “Current Health Challenges in society”. Ms. Savithri Sattoe lectured on “Art of Life according to Maharishi Patanjali”. Ms. Sandhya Sanchit spoke on “Healthy Living according to Ayurveda” and Drs. Rasa Vilasini Dasi conducted an interactive session on food from Vedic perspective. Dr. Dinesh Ji Maharaj gave a fabulous lecture on “Stress Management for Happy Living”. An Odissi dance was performed by Nritya Vikash group. Ayurveda enthusiasts gathered in large numbers for the conference. Prof. Dr. Nirmala Sharma, Director, The Gandhi Centre felicitated the speakers and the artists. 9 Regular Classes 10 The Gandhi Centre organizes regular classes in: • Yoga • Hindi Language • Tabla (Indian percussion instrument) These classes are open to each and every one at no cost. The classes are designed to cater to all age groups as well as from beginners to advanced. Yoga Classes Yoga is a science and art of healthy living with origins in ancient India. It is a stress management therapy and its practice increase immunity and contributes to overall physical and mental being. Yoga Class at The Gandhi Centre Hindi Language Classes Hindi language has its origins in the ancient Indian language Sanskrit. It is widely used in both India and Suriname. Large number of Students study this language at the Gandhi Centre. Hindi Students writing Level 3 exam at The Gandhi Centre 11 Tabla Classes Internationally acclaimed Tabla teacher Mr. Heiko Dijker of Dutch origin has been trained under Ustad Faiyaz Khan, the famous Tabla player of India. Along with his public performances, he also teaches in Universities. He teaches Tabla at the Gandhi Centre. The students love him because of his personal attention to every student. Tabla Class at the Gandhi Centre For more details of the classes, kindly visit: http://indianembassy.nl/eoi.php?id=Gandhi 12 Library 13 The Gandhi Centre library has a rich collection of books on Foreign affairs, Politics, Philosophy, History, Religion, Art, Culture, Dance, Monuments, Autobiographies, Personalities, Yoga, Hindi, Fiction and others. There is a reading room and book issue facilities. E-Mail: [email protected] 14 .