Tuesday 16 / April / 2024
Muscat: India’s 75th Independence Day was celebrated in Oman with great enthusiasm and patriotic fervour among members of the Indian community.
India is celebrating this momentous occasion as “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”. The Amrit Mahotsav was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2021 and it will continue till 15 August 2023.
The embassy building was lit up in tricolour on the eve of Independence Day. A flag hoisting ceremony was organised in the Embassy in the morning of 15 August in hybrid format, owing to COVID-19 restrictions. Embassy officials and staff attended the event physically and it was telecast live, enabling the Indian community to join the celebration virtually.
Before the start of the main event, videos on Amrit Mahotsav, a global painting competition launched by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), and an Odissi dance performance and patriotic songs were played.
The event started with the unfurling of the Indian flag by Munu Mahawar, the Ambassador of India to the Sultanate of Oman, followed by singing of the National Anthem. The ambassador delivered a speech and read out excerpts from the address of the President of India.
He greeted the Indian community in Oman and thanked them for their contribution towards supporting India’s fight against COVID-19. He encouraged everyone to be a part of India’s growth story and the journey towards self-reliance and propagate India’s message of peace and development.
Videos of patriotic songs and dance by students of Indian School Muscat (ISM) and Indian Social Club (ISC) were played after the speech by the ambassador, adding to the sense of pride and enthusiasm in the celebration.
A video of a message by Dr S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India, and glimpses of the gala celebration organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on Amrit Mahotsav was played at the end of the event.
A patriotic poetry video blogging competition was organised by the embassy in the run-up to Independence Day, which saw overwhelming response from the Indian diaspora. The Indian community in Oman enthusiastically participated in the Rashtragaan initiative to celebrate Amrit Mahotsav.
The embassy, in association with various community organisations, has organised several events since March 2021 to celebrate Amrit Mahotsav including quiz competitions, cultural events, art exhibitions, and panel discussions. The Malayalam wing of the ISC also organised a quiz competition on the theme of India@75, which was held on 13 August.
A virtual art exhibition highlighting Indian culture was organized by the ISC Rangrez art group on 14 August.
The Board of Directors - Indian Schools in Oman, in association with the embassy, organized a grand virtual celebration on 12 August to launch Amrit Mahotsav across all Indian Schools in Oman. The tag line ‘My India, My Pride’ and e-book containing 75 shades of Indian art depicting the rich cultural diversity of India was also launched during the event. A logo making competition, quiz competition, collage making competition on 75 iconic buildings in India, and a painting competition were organised by Indian School Muscat as part of launch of Amrit Mahotsav in Indian Schools.
Indian Social Club in association with the Embassy will organise a virtual mega cultural event in the evening of 16th August to celebrate Amrit Mahotsav. His Excellency Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali bin Isa Al Harthy – Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Diplomatic Affairs has kindly consented to be the Chief Guest for the event.
H.E. Sheikh Khalifa conveyed his best wishes on the historical occasion, stating: “The Sultanate of Oman and Republic of India have enjoyed close relations, and are linked by geography and history”. He added, “Our two countries have undergone a huge transformation, but our strong and distinguished friendship has remained constant”.
A special India week is planned in January 2022 to celebrate Amrit Mahotsav. In addition, the embassy in association with Indian diaspora and friends of India, plans to organise several events in future to celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav in a grand way in Oman.
