Dussehra celebrated in Egypt in its myriad traditions

The vibrant Indian community in Egypt celebrated Dassehra on October 16. Over 600 persons attended the event, including several who travelled to Cairo from other cities like Alexandria, Port Said and Ismailia to join the celebrations.

The event was organized by the Indian Community Association of Egypt at the grounds of Maadi British International School in Cairo.

Indian Ambassador Sanjay Bhattacharyya conveyed Durga Puja, Navratri and Dussehra greetings to the Indian community. He congratulated them for having retained their strong traditions and for inculcating them in the children, who were present in large numbers and attired in colourful traditional costumes. He also welcomed the many Egyptians who were present to celebrate the beginning of the festive season in India and share the joyous mood.

The function commenced with the traditional lighting of the lamps by Ambassador Bhattacharyya and Mrs. Ranu Bhattacharyya followed by a beautiful 'aarti' (invocation) of Goddess Durga.

Indian families as also Egyptians, who attended the function, came in colourful saris, ghagra-choli, kurtas and churidars and participated in the dandia and garba competition. Everyone was in a festive mood and the deejay kept the audience on their toes with traditional songs from different parts of the country. The Egyptian artistes from the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC), Cairo danced to the music of folk and traditional Hindi songs, adding a fresh dimension to the shared bonds between Egyptians and Indians.

As the night wore on and the dancing continued, families headed towards Indian food stalls with everyone there getting a full experience of the tastes of India.