In cooperation with Egyptian Ministry of Education, the Maulana Azad Indian Cultural Centre held the 21st round of the annual competition “Glimpses of India” from 13 to 15 October. With the participation of 4000 children from more the 600 governmental and private schools and national institutes from Cairo and Giza participated, the competition was held in four venues in Cairo. The participants included children with special needs.
For the first time, the grounds of the house of the Indian Ambassador in Cairo Navdeep Suri were used to host competing children. Other venues included Azhar Park, Child Creativity Centre and Egypt’s public library; each place received more than 1000 child who drew different paintings about India.
In an exhibition held about the competition, the Mr Suri said: “We decided this year to include the ambassador’s house to the locations of the competition and it was a pleasure to host more 360 Egyptian children on the first day and about 500 on the second. It was a joy to see so many creative children busy painting about India and fulfilling Egyptian Indian friendship.”
The competition is one of the important annual events held in Cairo to commemorate Mahatma Ghandi, Jawaharlal Nehru – first Indian prime minister and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad – the first Minister of Education in India’s independent government.
A jury of three members will select 75 winners and 25 other winners from among the children with special needs. The winners will be invited to a celebration to be held at Gomhuriya Theatre in Downtown Cairo on 10 November. A booklet including the full collection of the winning paintings will be distributed to those who attend.
Watani International
17 October 2014