India Day is celebrated annualy,here in Kuwait, and it usually has a troupe to perform, flown in from India, which is the highlight of the day. This time around, it was on Friday, Oct 1st, and the performers were Bhoomi Trivedi and Sreeram Chandra, the popular Indian Idol winners. So after much thought, we did make it to the celebrations, at Doha Entertainment City, which was teeming with a highly excited and pumped up, (predominantly) Indian crowd.
The whole place was lit up and agog with music and dance, and ofcourse people queuing
up near their favourite rid
es. We had a leisurely ride on the Safari Boat and the Railway Line, Train Ride. It was really amusing to see such a mad rush for the 'train', and was reminded of the countless platforms in India, and its stark contrast to the mock one here. Children were commenting that it made the right chugging and clanking noise as expected of trains! The other topsy-turvy, screaming-screeching rides were attempted by few, but we opted to be the happy-being-watchers. I
t was a very sultry humid night, and the electric fans around the park, with fine mist being sprayed, offered a brief, but much needed respite, from the almost sweltering heat.And the singers must have really felt the heat too, amidst the bright lights and beams being flashed on stage. They put up a great entertaining show, giving their a
ll, interacting with the crowd all the while. It was a short programme, but nevetheless gave the people what they wanted, as we could see the youngsters near the stage swaying and moving to the beats, thoroughly drenched in the downpour of music. Even as the programme came to a close, the crowd seeme
d to be reluctant to leave the premises, and was seen moving around trying to hold on to the mood, for a little longer, even before they set out on their long drive back home on the long winding, 'deserted' 7th ring road. It was a strange and wonderful feeling to be amongst our country fellowmen, surrounded by our music, in a land far away from our homeland.
