ICCR receives request to open cultural centre in Saudi Arabia

The Director-General of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Dinesh Patnaik has announced that Saudi Arabia has requested the establishment of a cultural centre in their nation. Patnaik said that the ICCR is concentrating on opening cultural centres in neighbouring countries and during that moment they have received the request from the middle east country. 

In an interview with ANI, Patnaik stated,  "Our focus is on countries, neighbouring countries to open cultural centres there. We had been thinking about opening a cultural centre in Saudi Arabia. But now, we have received a request from Saudi Arabia's side to set up a cultural centre there."

Director-General ICCR talks about the establishment of cultural centres in other countries

Speaking on the topic of what can be done with the establishment of cultural centres in other countries, Patnaik stated that India can promote its culture and heritage through such centres. These cultural centres might also feature art, culture, and exhibitions from India. It will even provide an additional facility for teaching yoga and Indian music. These centres can even become a medium to teach the languages like Hindi and Sanskrit to other nations. 

Patnaik also mentioned how yoga is gaining popularity in Saudi Arabia. He went on to say that they have given a Padma Shri award to a woman named Nouf Marwaai, who used to teach Yoga there. "India has developed a closer relationship with Saudi Arabia in the last 5-6 years after this government took over," he added. 

Furthermore, the president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations Vinay Sahasrabuddhe informed the media on Tuesday about the numerous new projects of ICCR during the Foreign Correspondents' Club. He went on to say that ICCR will be welcoming aspiring politicians from 75 democratic nations as part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' and help to develop a next-generation Democratic Network, which will be unveiled in the month of November. 

India’s first Education Minister Maulana Abul Kalam Azad had created the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in the year 1950. The primary goal of ICCR is to play an active role in the development and implementation of policies and initiatives relating to India's external cultural relations. 

Cultural relation between India and Saudi Arabia

The friendly and amicable relations between India and Saudi Arabia represent decades of economic and cultural connections. Several high-level meetings from both countries prompted the establishment of diplomatic ties in the year 1947. As a part of their cultural relation, from February 7 to 28 of the year 2018, India attended as a 'Guest of Honour' at the 32nd edition of the famous Saudi National Festival of Heritage and Culture, known as Janadriyah. Sushma Swaraj, who is the former External Affairs Minister, and His Majesty King Salman jointly opened the India Pavilion. Furthermore, since November 2017, yoga was designated as a "sports activity" in Saudi.  The Embassy has been hosting International Yoga Day (IDY) festivities in an open space of Riyadh. 

(Image: ANI/ iccr.gov.in)