A number of cultural events organized as part of a two-weeklong India Festival 2013 at the auditorium of International Indian School (IISJ) boys’ section enthralled the Indian community in the Kingdom. The festival was organized by the Consulate General of India in Jeddah with an aim to provide assistance to the needy Indian expatriates. All the states of India were invited to participate in the festival to present their cultural and social heritage.
The festival drew enormous crowd and was significantly successful. However, organizers of the Andhra Pradesh Day were apparently not well prepared. The program started with a presentation of a documentary film on Hyderabad but the commentator’s English was very weak and in a bad taste. His outrageous English accent invited laughter from the audience. It would have been better if he had used his mother tongue instead of English.
As an accolade to the founder of Hyderabad, King Quli Qutub Shah, one of his very heartfelt supplications was recited but the voice failed to replicate the founder’s feelings and tenderness. Similarly all the singers who had a chance to perform turned the program into a disaster. None of them could be called a singer.
The compering was unprofessional and pathetic.
The plight continued late until a delightful skit on current unprecedented marriage expenses was presented and that brought a sigh of relief and smiles on the faces of the audience. I extend my hearty congratulations to all the kids, their director and to those involved in this good play.
Cultural festival
