Get ready for 11th edition of Delhi International Arts Festival

New Delhi [India], Nov 10 (ANI): Delhi, mark your calendar for one of India's biggest arts and culture festival - Delhi International Arts Festival (DIAF) 2017, as it is back with its 11th edition.

The 11th Delhi International Arts Festival will open on November 11 at the magnificent Purana Qila.

A quick cameo of performances from India (Vande Mataram), Taiwan (Who Dinks There?), Russia (Bolshoi- Dance to Fly , Laugh to Cry), Argentina (Mandragora Circo ), USA & TAIWAN (Tara Catherine Pandeya & Billy Chang), and Egypt (Al Menya) will mark the Gala Opening. Many of these artistes are performing in India for the first time.

DIAF will host artistes from 26 countries and from all over India. The festival is now recognized as the 'INDIA FESTIVAL', a platform for cultural diplomacy and cultural tourism.

Delhi International Arts Festival is one of its kinds as it includes all genres of music, dance, theatre, puppetry, poetry, literature, visual arts, films and exhibitions -from the most traditional to the most contemporary expressions of all these art forms.

Of the 25 plus venues of the festival are huge heritage like Purana Qila, Qutub Minar, Central Park, CSOI (Civil Services Officers Institute ), IGNCA, Auditorium, Kamani Auditorium, India Habitat Centre and Bikaner House and such like.

"I believe that everyone should be touched by art. Art feeds the soul and reveals one's true identity," said Founder Festival Director Prathibha Prahlad.

"A little brush with art changes perceptions and moulds a human being into a sensitive, understanding, accepting person. In today's world, this is an urgent necessity," she added.

This year, one of the highlights of Delhi International Arts Festival will be the celebration of silver jubilee of ASEAN-INDIA Partnership at Qutub Minar in closing ceremony which will feature Artistic Border Guards Group from Vietnam, a traditional dance and music performance from Bangladesh, Sumatera Dance Troupe from Indonesia and Baihana Trio from Philippines

In addition to all of these are exciting performances "Balinese Wayang" a Puppet Dance by Indonesia and "Wayang Kulit Dalang" a Shadow Play By Malaysia and many other performances by UK, Norway, Thailand, Portugal, France, Egypt, Argentina, Hungary, Ireland and many more.

The festival will be brought to you in collaboration with the Ministries of Culture, Indian Council for Cultural relations and the Government of NCT of Delhi. (ANI)