Washington: The three-day World Culture Festival 2023 concluded on a high note, with a very special Odissi performance winning the admiration of over 1 million attendees present at the World Culture Festival.
Over the last three days, over a million people from 180 countries descended at the iconic National Mall in Washington DC in a historic gathering of humanity with an aim to send out a single message of belongingness and brotherhood; to celebrate human diversity through dance, music, meditation and culture.
WCF in numbers
- 180- number of participating countries
- 1 million- number of attendees for WCF at the National Mall in Washington DC
- 51- total number of cultural performances from across the globe
- 47-number of dignitaries who spoke at the event
- 1000-yoga enthusiasts who gathered for yoga, breath and meditation session with Gurudev at Lincoln Memorial
- 10,000- number of Garba dancers who performed Garba for Unity
- 17,000- number of artists who performed at WCF 2023
A glimpse of India’s cultural canvas, the festival featured ‘Panchabhootam’ represented through 5 Indian classical dance forms led by Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi, Kuchipudi, and Mohiniattam, and symphony of 250 instrumentalists playing Sitar, Veena, Tabla, Mridangam, flute, Ghatam and Violin; a spirited 10,000-strong Garba performance, high-energy Bhangra with 200 artists, Kashmiri folk dance, and 200 Chenda drummers. Global performances included mesmerizing dances from Africa, China, Japan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Middle East, the Caribbean Islands, Argentina, Nepal, the Slavic countries, and Mongolia. “This is overwhelming and so beautiful. We grew with this experience,” shared Beena Mohan, choreographer of the Mohiniyattam performance.
The third day at WCF was interspersed with vibrant performances from South Asia, Latin America and Caribbean islands, also as several interfaith leaders took to the stage to pray, in their unique ways, for global peace, making a call for rising above hate and bigotry.
The event was replete with shared moments of human connection, solidarity and upliftment of human spirit. Among the festival’s most memorable moments were a poignant minute of prayer for the people of Ukraine, led by Gurudev, after a heart-felt recital from Ukrainian contingent. Yet another one was a thousand people enjoying a yoga flow and yogic wisdom at the Lincoln Memorial with Gurudev. People swayed; waved flags as Skip Marley (Bob Marley’s celebrated grandson) performed the iconic One Love; a lively performance from Go-go band had everyone, from the dignitaries to the festival goers grooving to the lively beats in joy and celebration. In another historic moment, heartfelt prayers from diverse faith leaders for peace in the world touched a chord with everyone present.
Juan Carlos-Teres, the MP of Colombia, drew a roaring applause from the attendees when he shared, “Gurudev, there is one country in the world that has to be in total gratitude with you – mine. Because you decided to come to Bogota, meet with our president, and then go to Havana. You convinced the rebels of the FARC to walk the path of nonviolence.”
This event also brought together 17,000 artists; more than 60 performances representing diverse cultures and traditions from across the world; and global leaders from the world of business, politics and religion who shared their vision for a more co-operative and interdependent global community.
“There is goodness inherent in us, and that needs to come up, and that comes when we realize we are one world family,” said global humanitarian and spiritual master, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar during his address.”
“Gurudev, you have created a microcosm of the global family,” said Shri Ramnath Kovind, Former President of India, talking about the diverse representation of geographies and people at the WCF.
Among the notable attendees were former President of India Sri Ramnath Kovind, Dr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India, H.E. Ban Ki-moon, the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations, Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, former speaker of Lok Sabha, Hon. Dr. Vivek Murthy, US Surgeon General; D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, Mr. Hakubun Shimomura, MP, Japan, Eric Solheim, former UN Deputy Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNEP, and other statesmen(extended list of dignitaries is given in the link above.)
Dr. S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India, asserted, “This gathering represents a powerful affirmation that humanity is above all divisions. We must work together to build a world where peace and harmony prevail.”
Interfaith leaders from diverse backgrounds came together at the festival to share a common message of unity, compassion, and collective responsibility for global peace efforts. Faith leaders included Bhai Sahib Satpal Singh Khalsa, Ambassador of Sikh Dharma- USA & Chief Religious and Spiritual Authority of Sikh Religion- Western Hemisphere, Rabbi Sharon Anisfeld, President of Hebrew College, and Ms. Sousan Abadian, Zoroastrian Faith Leader, among others.
Comments are closed.