Russian Artists Practice Dandiya to Welcome PM Modi in Moscow

A group of Russian artists were seen practicing a ‘dandiya’ a gujrati dance style to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Moscow on Monday. A video shared by news agency PTI showed the artists, rehearsing dandiya steps under the guidance of a dance instructor in the Russian capital.

These artists will greet PM Modi when he arrives in Moscow. A Women who is also participating is bhangra said that, “Our main aim is to strengthen cultural  between India and Russia by promoting Indian culture and festivals. Sometimes we travel to India to exchange culture between our countries. We are happy that Prime Minister Modi is coming; our relations will become stronger. It is a great occasion that makes us happy,” said Milana, one of the dance performers. An another dance performer named Nataila said that “It is a very big event that Prime Minister Modi is coming here. We have been preparing for this event for many days, and we will be really happy to see him. I have learned a little bit of Hindi, so I can say that I will be happy to meet PM Modi.”

Dandiya is a traditional folk dance from the Indian state of Gujarat, usually performed during the Navratri festival that is a nine-night celebration dedicated to the goddess Durga. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been welcomed by other world leaders with the performances of Garba, another traditional dance from Gujarat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi went on on a high-profile visit to Russia on Monday to hold summit talks with President Vladimir Putin amid the conflict in Ukraine. This is Modi’s first trip to Russia since 2019 and the first since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.