NEW DELHI, INDIA, October 13, 2018 (Financial Express): For the first time ever, India participated as Guest of Honour at the 46th Cervantino International Festival in 2018 in Mexico City from October 10- 28. Talking to FE Online, Muktesh Pardeshi, ambassador of India to Mexico said that, “Almost 125 artists will travel from Tijuana to Yucatan, making the largest ever participation from an Asian country in the Latin American Region. This is an honor which no country has ever received before and this will help us in building our soft power footprint in the region.” At the inauguration (with an 8.000 plus audience) “A passage to Bollywood” by Ashley Lobo was performed to promote Bollywood in the region. India is participating in 110 cultural events, covering almost 33 cities in Mexico.
According to Pardeshi, there is unity and diversity as the groups participating are from the south, east, west and north of India. Sponsored by ICCR, ten groups from India including dance, music, theatre and puppets, focussing on classic, folkloric and contemporary styles are participating. The general director of Promotion and Cultural Festivals and the International Cervantino Festival, Marcela Diez Martinez, said that working with India has been “a huge discovery, to find a country that has many things in common with ours, with a strong tradition and a deep rooted in their thinking and in their original peoples.” In the commercial complex located in Plaza del Baratillo, in the middle of the city House of India will be set up where visitors can buy food, clothing, handicrafts and furniture.