Beijing: The third edition of ‘Vasant Mela’ – a signature event organised by the Embassy of India in Beijing, marking the arrival of Spring – was celebrated on Saturday with the participation of a large number of diaspora members and several key Chinese officials.
The grand Indian celebration included everything Indian – music, dance, food, art, yoga, ayurveda and a children’s zone.
Pradeep Kumar Rawat, Ambassador of India to China, thanked Director-General of the Department of Asian Affairs of the Foreign Ministry in China Liu Jinsong and others for gracing the occasion. He said that spring is a time for new beginnings, strengthening bonds and opportunities to experience the essence of India. The spectacular spring celebration brought with it a memorable experience of India to all guests.
“People are enjoying in the stalls in this Vasant Mela. From mouth-watering Indian delicacies, exquisite Indian products, handicrafts and Mehndi art. Guests thronged in huge numbers in all of the stalls and interacted to find out the wide offerings in these stalls,” the Embassy of India in Beijing posted on X.
Yoga sessions were also organised on the occasion.
“Yoga is a beacon of serenity and is beyond moving muscles. It is an art of unifying the body with the soul. In this Vasant Mela 2025, people participate enthusiastically in practicing Yoga. We also had an ultimate Yoga challenge setting spirited participation,” the Embassy stated.
The event was first organised at the old chancery premises in Beijing on March 11, 2023 which was attended by over 3,000 people. The festival featured stalls selling Indian handicrafts, diverse culinary offerings, and activities for children and adults, alongside a day-long cultural extravaganza. Last year too, more than 4000 people enjoyed the cultural extravaganza.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Beijing on January 26-27 for a meeting of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Foreign Minister mechanism between both countries, following which both countries announced their decision to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in the summer of 2025.
The meeting was held to review the state of India-China bilateral relations, as agreed between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Kazan, last October.
During their discussions, Foreign Secretary Misri and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong agreed to take certain people-centric steps to stabilise and rebuild ties.
(IANS)
