Weave heritage and craftsmanship into a rich cultural tapestry and what emerges in vivid colors is bound to inspire awe no matter how discerning the beholders are.
And awe was evident in abundance among royal connoisseurs of art and culture as well as a select multi-ethnic gathering whose common denominator was their love of the finest in costumes.
The occasion was a recent exhibition of Indian costumes held at the National Museum in Riyadh. What was billed as a cultural expose rather than a commercial venture, the show — Libaas — achieved a two-fold objective: It revived interest in Indian culture and stimulated tourist traffic to India. To say that Libaas was a runaway success is an understatement.
The event drew plaudits from members of the royal family, high-ranking officials, Saudi women looking for an insight into a culture that has few parallels and members of the expatriate community.
Typical of their interest were some of the comments gleaned from the visitor’s handbook. Minister of Education Dr. Muhammad A. Al-Rasheed wrote: "I am glad to visit this exhibition... organized by the Embassy of India, Riyadh, with the collaboration of Directorate General of National Museum. It was my pleasure to see rare exhibits and its curtained canopies, as also the response it received from Saudi nationals and expatriates.
"Thanks for organizing the exhibition. Hope, there would be further cooperation in the field of culture and civilization to strengthen the spirit of cooperation between the peoples of Saudi Arabia and India."
Pointing out that Indian civilization "is one of the most deep-rooted and oldest civilizations of the world," Prince Faisal ibn Abdul Aziz ibn Muhammad said in part: "Its influence on other civilizations has played an important role in giving a new meaning to other civilizations. No doubt, our Islamic and Arab civilization has influenced Indian culture considerably. Islam has played a big role in influencing their culture, giving them a humanitarian concept."
In a joint interview with Arab News recently, India’s Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad and his wife, Mrs. Sunita Mainee Ahmad, said a direct outcome of the exhibition was that several package tours to India were organized in the first week of this month. Those who joined these tours were the visitors to the show, including diplomats, their wives, and high-profile Saudis.
Ahmad said the event served to bridge the cultural hiatus that had existed in Indo-Saudi relations during the last 35 years. During this period economic and commercial relations were the dominant feature of bilateral ties. It took Mrs. Ahmad 18 months of preparations to mount a cultural expo with the support and patronage of Princess Adilah bint Abdullah ibn Abdul Aziz.
The ambassador said a well-orchestrated effort served to trigger public interest in Indian culture. They were the high-profile delegation led by Indian Minister of State for Small-Scale Industries Mrs. Vasundhara Raje, and Bollywood bonanza featuring Indian films.
The idea, according to the ambassador, was to trace the ancient links between Saudi Arabia and India through the fabric of their bilateral relations. The costumes exhibition was intended to be an evidence of the "fusion of civilizations."
Mrs. Ahmad said India’s engineering skills came in for special attention from the National Museum authorities who were impressed by their eye for detail in creating special lighting effects. The permanent grid for the lighting that now exists at the museum is the direct outcome of the costumes exhibition, she observed.
Both the ambassador and Mrs. Ahmad feel that training in organizing museum exhibits as well as museum administration could be another potential area for cooperation between the two countries.
Looking ahead into the future, the ambassador said: "I am planning to hold a seminar early next year on India’s relations with this region, Indian textiles, and Indian jewelry. These seminars will be conducted under the umbrella of the deputy ministry of antiquities and museums," he added.
— 14 November 2002
