August 12, 2008  
 
Organized by GRUEZI INDIA an organization that is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the signing of the India Switzerland treaty in August 1948.
 
Switzerland was the first country to sign a treaty with independent India in 1948.
 
The logo for the summer festival is a peacock, India's national bird, holding an Edelweiss, the national flower of Switzerland, as a gesture of friendship.
 
The culmination of a month long celebration all over Switzerland will be the MEGA MELA on August 22, 23 and 24th at the ZURICH HB (the old railway station) and visited by 300,000 people daily, The venue is being transformed for the weekend to a little India... to accommodate the opening dance performance by India's Anita Ratnam and her artistes from Arangham Dance Theatre. A special 30 minute non stop performance has been choreographed for the venue and the semi open air atmosphere, keeping the large crowds and the festive mood that is bound to prevail. Anita Ratnam has created a montage of dances including classical Bharatanatyam to folk and a jugalbandhi with Kathak artiste Madhu Natraj. 

Images of Saint Andal, Prince Rama, Hanuman, Ganesa, Devi and a final folk drummer leading the audience in a procession around the station is planned.

Renowned tabla artiste Zakir Hussain follows Anita Ratnam's dance performance with his own concert. Asha Bhosle is also an invited singer for the weekend festival.
 
Anita Ratnam will also conduct a drumming and folk dance workshop for children the following day and deliver a lecture on contemporary dance trends in India to an invited audience from universities and museums.
 

For details of the festival: www.gruezi-india.ch 
 
e-mail: arangham@gmail.com
Website: www.arangham.com