Ranjani Koushik, president and founder of SciArtsRUs, a non-profit organisation in California, said that Hamsadhwani was not just an organisation, but an institution for art and culture, deeply rooted and committed to promote diverse art forms among both amateurs striving to make a mark and for professionals as well. 

H. Shankar, director (technical), CPCL, Chennai, said, “When I came to the city in October 2020, the pandemic was at its peak. Initially, I didn’t have an opportunity to participate in any event back then, but now that things are getting better I am able to witness the rich culture of the city.”

R. Sundar, secretary of Hamsadhwani said, the NRI festival was being held since 1994. This time they have over 70 artists performing this year, of which over 40 are NRI artists hailing from U.S., Canada, U.K., Norway, Australia and Singapore, he said. “This festival was conceived as a principle offering to recognise and reassure that our music will flourish with Indians living abroad as they take it up with dedication to preserve and propagate our culture. The heartening feature of the Indian diaspora is that they are at the helm in several fields be it art, culture, business, politics and IT across the world,” he added.

The event was followed by a dance drama by H.N. Nandhini Suresh. The festival will be held from December 17 to 30.