Singapore, Jan 25 (PTI) The culture, traditions and artwork of Uttar Pradesh were showcased at the Indian High Commission in Singapore to celebrate the ‘Uttar Pradesh Diwas’ led by leading members of the Indian diaspora community.
At the event on Saturday evening, High Commissioner Dr Shilpak Ambule noted the strong links the community from Uttar Pradesh (UP) here has maintained with their roots and ancestors in the northern state.
He urged them to build further on their relations by taking their friends from Singapore to visit and get a deeper understanding about the cultural and economic vibrancy of the state.
“Get your fellow Singaporean friends back to UP to show them the vibrancy of UP and promote tourism,” the envoy told 150 guests at the chancery complex where cultural performances and exhibition of artifacts, including glassware and brassware, were showcased. Students also performed traditional dance at the event.
“For the first time in Singapore, Uttar Pradesh Diwas transcends borders – bringing the spirit of the state to a global crossroads of cultures,” said Sandhya Singh, Senior Lecturer and Convenor for the Hindi and Tamil Language Programme at the National University of Singapore.
The early UP community’s contribution to the development of Singapore and the ongoing economic progress was recalled by Rajesh Rai, head of the South Asian Studies Programme at the National University of Singapore.
Indians, including those from UP, built the Presidential Palace (Istana), iconic St. Andrews Cathedral and Hindu temples, some of which are national monuments today, Rai said.
“This is a platform for us to come together and celebrate our festivals and undertake more cultural activities,” said K K Pandey, president of the 105-year-old Singapore North Indian Hindi Association.
Though the UP community, as part of the larger Indian diaspora living in Singapore, has been active participants in the multi-cultural events, “this platform will add another main ‘mela’ (festival) to come together for celebrations and strengthen our bonds with Uttar Pradesh”, said Pandey. PTI GS GSP GSP
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