Hyderabad, Sep 25 (IANS) A glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of India, complete with dance and music, evoked more excitement among foreign delegates at the ongoing 58th International Astronautical Congress than the speeches on space.
The delegates were treated to a cultural feast at the inaugural ceremony of the five-day Congress at the majestic Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) near Hitec City here.
From a traditional dance performed at temple festivals in Kerala to the sound of five instruments (Panchavadyam), to Punjabi bhangra, the inaugural session Monday was packed with colourful displays of cultural art forms from different parts of India.
While some Indian delegates may have taken it as a cultural overdose during serious deliberations on a subject like space, the foreigners enjoyed every moment of it. There was thunderous applause for every performance from space scientists, heads of space agencies and other professionals.
“The cultural shows were very interesting but the speeches were boring,” admitted Mark Williamson, space technology consultant from Britain. On his first visit to India, he got a taste of the country within a few hours of his arrival.
The delegates were so impressed by the confluence of light and music on the giant dais in a hi-tech setting that they are now looking forward to the cultural programmes scheduled every evening throughout the Congress.
“I attended the last Congress held in India (Bangalore) 19 years ago but don’t remember witnessing such a fantastic programme,” said Jeng-Shing Chern of the National Space Organisation of Taiwan.
The delegates from 45 countries were keen to know about Hyderabad, a fine blend of tradition and modernity. The massive state-of-the-art campuses of IT giants near the venue pricked their curiosity.
“I heard about the city emerging as a hi-tech hub. Some of the city is hi-tech but other parts are not. There seems to be a huge disparity,” said Williamson, who went around Charminar, the symbol of Hyderabad, and the historic Mecca Masjid, both located in the old city, known for chaotic traffic and lack of civic amenities.
Delegates were impressed by the state-of-the-art HICC. “This is my third visit to India but this is the first time I have seen such a wonderful facility,” said Chern.
Built by Dubai-based Emaar Properties, HICC has become a new landmark of the city. Said to be India’s largest convention centre, it was inaugurated early last year with the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas or the annual conclave of the Indian diaspora. It hosted some mega events including the annual general body meeting of the Asian Development Bank.
With 291,000 square feet of conference space, HICC proved ideal for the space congress, which consists of 125 technical sessions, plenary events and lectures.
However, for many delegates, the venue seemed out of orbit – though the place has the ambience, it misses the city’s touch.
“It is a wonderful facility but the only problem is that it is isolated. Those staying in the hotels in the city have to come all the way here. They have to spend the entire day in deliberation but they can’t take a break,” said Ray A. Williamson, research professor at the George Washington University.
HICC has a 300-room five-star hotel Novotel attached to it but only a few could afford to stay here. Heads of space agencies and other VIPs attending the Congress are in this hotel, which is costlier than others in the city.