La Cité de l’Or by Mireille Joséphine Guézennec
Celebrations are on in Paris, at the ongoing Namaste France Festival from 15th September, 2016 to 30th November, 2016. Organized by the Embassy of India, Paris with the support of Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), New Delhi, it is but assumed that only the BEST out of India is being showcased. Events are being hosted in all the major French cities like Paris, Strasbourg, Nice, Nantes, Marseilles, Lyon, Aix-en-Provence, Saint-Tropez, Tourcoingetc and in the French overseas territories like Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Martin and the Reunion Island. The cultural heritage of India is being showcased at this festival via 70 events in the fields of music, dance, theatre, cinema, art exhibitions, cuisine, spirituality, yoga and Ayurveda etc.
Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan with his sons Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangashperformed at the
inauguration held at the prestigious La Villette in Paris. Kathak exponent Kumudini Lakhia and her troupe, enthralled with fancy footwork for Kathak. Such prestigious venues as La Villette, Opera Bastille, Hotel de Ville, Petit Palais, Musee Guimet, Philharmonie, Palais du Tokyo, Theatre du Soleil, Cinematheque
Francais in Paris as well as at important places like Cite de la musique in Marseilles, Musee des Arts Asiatiques in Nice, Maison Folie Hospice d’ Havre in Tourcoing etc. Internationally renowned Indian artists like Santoor virtuoso Pandit Bhajan Sopori, Sitar maestro Pandit Kushal Das, noted contemporary Indian dance choreographer Astad Deboo, fashion designer Rahul Mishra, painter Anju Chaudhuri, Kuttiyattam artists from Kerala Kalamandalam and Michelin Star Chef Vineet Bhatia, along with painter Anju Chaudhuri, are part of the event schedule at the festival. In addition, several French artists trained by ICCR in India are also participating in the festival.
THE CITY OF GOLD
A photography exhibition titled ‘La Cité de l’Or’ by the celebrated French photographer Mireille Joséphine Guézennec is on in Saint-Amand-Montrond,- Région Centre-Val de Loire (France) from 1st October 2016 until 31st December, 2016.India is the muse for Mireille,
The theme of her latest showcase is titled ‘India: the powerful and potential body- Imagined and Imaginary body’. It is important to know that Mireille Joséphine Guézennec has studied Sanskrit, Vedic Philosophy, Jyotish Vidya, has published several books on the Ganga, spent many years in India, and even has an Indian name, ‘Himabindu’, by which she is popularly known. She is also the 
winner of several photography awards, She explains the theme of her photography exhibition as follows.
“In India, tradition says that the body is endowed with power. It is a microcosm, a perfect reflection of the grand universe, the macrocosm. The awaken body has an innate and incredible potential, as revealed by ritual texts, beliefs, rites and celebrations that punctuate the life of every being. By knowledge and the practice of yoga, the vital energy, or prana, our connection to the cosmos infuses a puissant power to the body in reverence to the potential of its subtle energies.
In the art of sacred dances and ancient classical theatre, its sublime beauty is embellished with several myths and founding histories, recounted in the great epics. The animated attire of the artists is an in-depth ode to these myths: a both subjective and archetypal language. Similarly, daily ritual symbols, ornaments and jewellery that adorn the face and limbs are much more than embellishments. Beyond their aesthetic dimension, these ornaments have a symbolic function. They reflect religious guidance as well as spiritual, social and cultural values giving the secular body a soul : its sacred essence.”
