World Cultural Festival organised by Art of Living to conclude today

The Art of Living's World Cultural Festival organised by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will conclude on 13 March. The event has drawn people from across the world, including over 80 people from Pakistan, who sought to “spread peace and love”. Taking part in the three-day World Culture Festival being organised here, the foreigners said the cultural extravaganza can prove a “linkage” to peace and harmony.

Dignitaries from different countries participating in the event including former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin, Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa, Vice-President of Suriname Ashwin Adhin and Karu Jayasuriya, Speaker of Sri Lankan Parliament.

“This event is a bond between us (India and Pakistan). If there are a few steps which take us back, then there are a few steps like this (the event) which take us forward,” Zafar Ullah Khan, a Peshawar resident, said.

Khan said 80 more people have joined him at the event from Pakistan.

Bulgaria’s Konstantine Dragov said he found it “amazing” that “so many” people have come together to show respect to each other’s culture.

“This is for the first time that I am attending such a big event with so many people around,” said Dragov who has come for the event along with a troop of 200 artists who performed Bulgarian traditional folk dance.

Taiwan national Julie Tseng said she was here to enjoy “journey of love and joy”.

Xu Chin, who was a part of the Chinese delegation said she had come here for her belief in Guru ji (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar).

Several foreigners came to attend the meditation session which was to be presided by Shankar himself.