Colombo, August 15 (newsin.asia): Colorful celebrations marked India’s 71 st. Independence Day here on Tuesday.
A large gathering of Indians and Sri Lankans congregated at India House in the morning to hear High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu speak, and thereafter fraternize over delicious South Indian snacks and coffee.
To the delight of the guests, a group of Sri Lankan Tamil children performed vigorous Indian folk dances including the Punjabi Bhangra.
In the evening, a packed house at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) heard a thrilling performance of fusion music by maestro Bikram Ghosh and his troupe.
Gracing the occasion were the President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena; Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe; parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya; and former President, Chandrika Kumaratunga.
And for the first time in the history of Indian Independence Day celebrations in Colombo, the façade of the BMICH was brilliantly lit up in the lndian tri-color, giving Colombo’s historic landmark an exceptional radiance.
(The image at the top is that of the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall lit up in the Indian tri-color)
