Delhi's days in St. Petersburg

Delhi's Days in St. Petersburg, the first large-scale festival of Indian culture in Russia's northern capital for the last 20 years, will start on Saturday.

The opening ceremony of Delhi's Days will take place in the Grand Hall of the Friendship and Peace House (Shuvalov Palace) on the Fontanka embankment on September 1, the press service of the city administration told journalists. Dancers from the Odissi traditional Indian dance school and the folklore ensemble from Rajasthan will present a unique concert programme at the festival's opening.

The State Ethnography Museum will host an exhibition of modern painting dedicated to India. In addition, an exposition of rare manuscripts will open in the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The festival's programme also includes master-classes for schoolchildren and students studying the Hindi language.

The festival will close on September 8. Such actions are to be held annually, the press service said.