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Celebrating the auspicious festival of Diwali, the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) in Paris brought the timeless Ramayana to life through a captivating performance combining storytelling with paper bag puppets, the Embassy of India in France said on Saturday.
The captivating presentation, staged by acclaimed storyteller and artist Usha Venkataraman, blended expressive oral narration with creative visual puppetry to retell the revered Indian epic to an international audience. Taking to social media platform X, the Indian Embassy in France stated, "To mark Diwali, the SVCC in Paris brought the timeless Ramayana to life through a captivating performance combining storytelling with paper bag puppets, presented by Usha Venkataraman." "Blending expressive narration with songs in Tamil, Hindi, Marathi, English and Telugu, her performance celebrated Indias linguistic diversity and storytelling traditions, echoing Diwalis message: the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil" The Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Paris operates under the aegis of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to promote Indian art, heritage, and intercultural dialogue globally. Meanwhile, the French Embassy in India has also shared a light-hearted video of its annual Diwali celebration, featuring embassy staff and Ambassador Dr Thierry Mathou, as it highlighted the cultural ties between France and India ahead of the festival. Posted on X on November 6, the 93-second video captures embassy employees playfully whispering rumours, checking emails and approaching colleagues for confirmation before revealing the occasion they are preparing for. The clip then transitions to footage of the Diwali festivities, including the lighting of a traditional brass diya decorated with marigold flowers. French Ambassador to India Dr Thierry Mathou is seen lighting the ceremonial lamp and extending festive wishes to people on the occasion. Sharing his message, he said, "Diwali is a beautiful celebration of life, hope and new beginnings. May this festival bring joy to every home and continue to strengthen the bonds of friendship between France and India." The embassy's celebration comes ahead of Diwali, which will be observed on Sunday, November 8. The festival falls on Amavasya, or the new moon night, in the Hindu lunar month of Kartik. The five-day Diwali celebrations begin with Dhanteras on November 6, followed by Choti Diwali on November 7. The main festival and Lakshmi Puja will take place on November 8, followed by Govardhan Puja on November 9 and Bhai Dooj on November 10. (ANI)
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