Bollywood explodes with excitement at Indian Ocean event

With an explosion of color and excitement, and with a Seychelles International Conference Centre full to capacity for the official opening evening of the first Seychelles-India Day Celebrations, the Seychelles-India Day’s official opening performance featured a star-studded line up, including Tanmoy Bose the known percussionist; table player Sivamani, India’s best drummer and percussionist; and Navreen, best known flautist, mirroring the most-recognized performers in India today.

The evening was hosted by the beautiful Ushoni Sen, the former Miss India Universe. The official opening of Seychelles-India Day started with the lighting of the lamp by Seychelles Minister Idith Alexander and Mrs. Sarah Rene, wife of former President France Albert Rene, and H.E. the Indian High Commissioner, and the Bollywood superstar, Mr. R Madhavan.

Termed by organizers as “three days of spicy cuisine,” the Seychelles-India Day Celebrations official opening was launched by Mr. Danny Faure, the Vice President of the Republic of Seychelles. Vice President Faure used his address to congratulate the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, the Indian High Commission, and the Seychelles-India Day Celebrations Committee for staging such a great event in Seychelles. The Vice President also retraced the ties of friendship that exist between Seychelles and India, “two countries sharing the same ocean,” he said.

In his opening remarks at the evening ceremony, Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister for Tourism and Culture, said that the Seychelles-India Day Celebrations is aimed to give due recognition to the local Indian community for all they have done to help build the nation that it is today.

“For many years we’ve celebrated La Francophonie, Fet Afrik, the Commonwealth, and then we jumped India and China and went straight to celebrating Creole Festival which is what we are today. But to be where we are today, to be who we are today, we have come from different places and from different parts of the world. Yes we came from France, Africa, the UK, India, and China, and tonight I am so happy that the Ministry of Tourism and Culture has been able to fill in these two holes in the list of national events celebrated by our country. As we are now celebrating our first Seychelles-India Day, we shall also be celebrating from January 31 next year our first Seychelles-China Day Celebrations,” Minister Alain St.Ange said.

Minister St.Ange also used his opening remarks to appeal to the Bollywood celebrities present in Seychelles for the first Seychelles-India Day Celebrations to spread the name of Seychelles as being the holiday destination with a difference.

“We are thrilled to have you here with us. I really hope that when you go back home you become good ambassadors for Seychelles. Your first point of view of our country, your first impressions, has been that Seychelles is magical. Please convey this back to India and become good ambassadors for Seychelles,” Minister Alain St.Ange, the Seychelles Minister responsible for Tourism and Culture said.

The Minister also used his address to convey a message to Seychelles-Indo community.

“Today there’s a political will to work with you and to see you all united as an important group within our population. Today we see as an example the launch of a Seychelles-India Day Celebrations, and this shows that the government of Seychelles stands behind you and with you, because we recognize that you are a solid and respected force. You are a strong business community, and we value your presence in Seychelles and all your efforts for the good of Seychelles. So as we have now made a big step forward, let us ensure we take no step backwards again. Let us keep uniting ourselves. Let us work together so that this event, the Seychelles-India Day Celebrations, remains on Seychelles’ calendar of events,” Minister St.Ange said to great acclamation from the crowd present.

The Indian High Commissioner said when he took the podium that he was happy and proud to be part of this momentous event, the launching of the first Seychelles-India Day Celebrations.

“This is the first time that a luminary of India celebrities in such large numbers have gathered in Seychelles. It is my pleasure to welcome them as they represent the rich heritage of the Indian culture from the fields of cinema, music, dance, and cuisine here in Seychelles,” said the Indian High Commissioner.