BENGALURU: When 15-year-old Ida Poft Eriksen started playing cello, Siri, who studies in class 3 of Parikarma Centre of Learning, was quite amused because this was the first time that she saw “such a big violin”. To celebrate 400 years of Indo-Danish culture, city-based NGO Parikrama Foundation and Chaman Bhartiya School organised a cultural event in association with Danish Cultural Institute in India, on Tuesday, at Parikarma Centre of learning at Sahakar Nagar. The event also saw a performance by Western Symphony Youth orchestra from Denmark.
Eighteen musicians performed European music in front of an audience, which included 300 students. These musicians were welcomed with traditional Indian rituals. The event was as informative as students were exposed to diverse European music, from Hungarian composition on the flute to nuances of various string instruments like violin, viola and cello. “This is the first time that we got to hear such live music. It was relaxing. We realised they are just like us. They also spoke a lot about the culture,” says Dharani, who studies in Class 10. She feels that the school should add this kind of music in their syllabus too.
According to Allan Andersen, director of Chaman Bhartiya School, the school wanted to provide platforms that drive the development of global citizenship. “We believe children should be exposed to as many cultures as possible. Through this interaction, young children will be familiar about cultures across the world,” says Andersen.
Speaking on similar lines, Thomas Sehested, director of Danish Cultural Institute, said this was an initiative to strengthen Indo-Danish ties. “This is not something new. India and Denmark has a history that goes beyond 400 years. This is something to rekindle the relationship that we had,” says Sehested. He adds that there is a bigger celebration lined up that will be happening somewhere in November in Tranquebar, which is traditionally a Danish settlement situated close to 120 km away from Pondicherry. “We are planning something big and are trying to reconnect with routes but without disturbing the peace and harmony of fisherman community. The place truly belongs to them,” he adds.