Doha: The Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) will launch the second Fath Al Khair voyage to India on November 20.
General Manager Dr Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti yesterday met India Ambassador Sanjeev Arora and discussed the embassy’s cooperation to facilitate the journey.
He said: “After the success of the first voyage of Fath Al Khair dhow that toured the Arabian Gulf, we have decided to launch the trip this time to India as part of Katara’s strategy to revive and mark our ancestors’ maritime heritage and traditions.”
He praised Katara’s role in hosting Indian festival in Doha in March, describing it as an opportunity to introduce the ancient and Indian culture.
The foundation will organise an Indian classical dance recital at Drama Theatre, Building No. 16 today.
The Kathak recital in collaboration with the embassy will celebrate India’s 69th Independence Day which falls on August 15. It starts at 7pm.
Katara hosts such events to enrich Qatar’s cultural and artistic scene by showcasing international artistes, troupes, bands and dancers. Kathak, derived from the word ‘katha’ (story) is one of eight forms of Indian classical dance. It traces its origins to nomadic bards of ancient northern India, known as ‘kathakars’ (storytellers) who narrate stories based on episodes from epics, myths and legends. Later, mime and gestures were added to make recitation more effective.
From the 16th century onwards, the dance amalgamated some features of Persian and Muslim traditions and Central Asian dance, that found its way into the royal courts during the Mughal era. A transition from the temple courtyard to the palace ‘durbar’ or court necessitated changes in presentation. In Hindu and Muslim courts, Kathak evolved into a stylised and graceful form of dance.QNA
