A large number of expatriates attended various events at the two-day Indian community festival ‘Passage to India’ that concluded Friday at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) Park.

The event was organised by the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) in collaboration with Indian embassy, MIA and with contributions from other apex bodies under the Indian embassy and various organisations under the ICC.

One of the highlights of the concluding day was a police dog show organised by the Ministry of Interior. The dog show comprised of several segments highlighting the skills of the dogs in various activities. The canine team demonstrated finding bags containing drugs or explosives and identifying criminal offenders, standing guard for children among  others. The show ended with children competing with the dogs in collecting balls from a bag as well as a tug of war between the dogs and children.




















Scenes from the dog show. PICTURES: Nasar K Moidheen


A moment from a folk dance on the first day of 'A Passage to India.' PICTURE: Jayan Orma

“The show was aimed at creating awareness among the people about the skills of the police dogs and how they are made use of in helping the security forces in various activities. We also have other programmes about the activities of Drugs Prevention Department, Al Fazaa Police and Coast Guard,” a MoI official told Gulf Times. 

There were several cultural programmes highlighting the culture, traditions and diversity of India. Several Indian expatriate organisations presented a number of cultural items varying from folk and classical dances to musical programmes as well as written quiz competitions among others.

About 25 long term residents of the Indian community, who have completed 40 years or more in Qatar, were honoured during a formal function at the event. They were recognised for their outstanding contributions to Qatar and the Indian community.

A replica of the famous Indian monument, Red Fort was one of the key attractions at the venue. The four-metre-high and eight-metre-long model took 15 carpenters 13 days to complete. The task was undertaken by Viswakalavedi, an associate organisation of ICC.

“We have had great participation from all sections of the community and everyone contributed to the success of the festival. It was great to see people joining the event in large numbers and taking part in many of the events making it one of the most remembered Indian community events in Qatar,” said ICC president, Manikantan A P.

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