New Delhi: In a novel move to sensitise youths from across the world about Indian culture and heritage, cultural organisation “IGen Plus” has designed a music and culture immersion programme for foreign/NRI teenagers, who are interested in knowing about India.
The programme, named “Inside India: A Musical Trail” is an educational expedition for teenagers from all over the world, consciously put together to paint a detailed picture of Indian culture and values.
This “immersive journey”, to be held between 9-23 December, will follow a specially designed path covering the culturally vibrant Indian history, folk music, ancient art, ancient temples, exotic food, rooted lifestyle, rich values and regional people. The participants will be given tips on meditation on Yoga during their stay in India.
Speaking to this newspaper, co-founder and CEO IGen Plus Soumya Aggarwal said the teenagers will be taken on a grand tour of southern parts of India in order to make them feel the beauty and abundance of diverse Indian culture. Places which will be covered during the programme include Bengaluru, Kochi, Coimbatore, Thanjavur, Auroville, Puducherry and Chennai.
“As many as 35 participants will participate in the programme, coming mostly from United States, United Kingdom, Singapore, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Sri Lanka. We are reaching out to the Union Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Diaspora for their support,” Soumya Aggarwal, co-founder and CEO of IGen Plus, said.
She said the organisation has received confirmation from Rama Kausalya (Bharatnatyam), Rukmini Vijaykumar (musicologist), Prince Rama Varma (Carnatic vocalist), while efforts are underway to arrange interaction of Sadguru (Isha Foundation) and music composer A. R. Rehman. The programme is being designed with support from Indic Academy, an institution seeking to build a renaissance based on Indic Civilisational thought.
Aggarwal said this is the first such initiative aimed at making youths aware about Indian culture and heritage. The organisation successfully organised Indic Teen Festival last year and also some time back this year in India.