Though it was raining cats and dogs, more than a hundred families from different states of India walked into an auditorium of Indian School of Excellence Kuwait on November 11, 2020 to join the Bharathiya Pravasi Parishad, Salmiya area family meet, the ‘Maithri’.

The evening was not only filled with fun and frolic, but also showcased cultural integration. There were classical, semi-classical, folk dances and music shows displayed by the members and famous dance schools of Kuwait.

The Bollywood group dance and the semi classical solo presented by Dancing divas, the semi classical dances by the children and the Kathak performed by the women of Nritayanjali dance studio, the Kashmiri folk dance of children and the Garba dance by the women of Beatbusters enthralled the audience. The dances by the Sahasra school of dances, Upasana dance studio and Taal dance studio were also remarkable.

As the Billava Sangha danced a Tiger dance, a popular folk dance form of Dakshina Kannada to the tune of the drum beats, the mood of audience brightened up. While the Mohiniyattam by Rea Sabu pillai and Ananya Jayadevan mesmerized, the solo dances by the little girls- Arya Nair, Dheva Rajeesh, Yashitha Loya, Aaardhya Subheesh, Meenakshi Jayakrishnan fascinated the spectators. The duo presentation of dances by the siblings, Aashna Ram and Ashrith Ram and Nandika Nishanth Menon and Anamika Sandeep Pillai were also noteworthy.

The singers of the evening, Vinod Pandhir, Ritu Nath, Upasana Sinha, Dr Neha Loya, Tishya Dhar, Shaila Pawar, Swathi Rao, Aryan Kaimal Menecheril and Nathan Kaimal Menacheril navigated through different genres of music. The Sanskrit song of the five-year-old Srishti Rao left the audience spell bound.

Shri Binoy Sebastion, President, BPP inaugurated the programme. Shri Ramesh Chandran, president, BPP Salmiya area presided over the function. Smt Athira Sukesh, general secretary welcomed the gathering and smt Reshmi Naveen Gopal, Sthreesakthi convener proposed the vote of thanks.