07 December 2015
H.E receives Thattai Hindu Mercantile Community delegation; ‘Little India in Bahrain’ Project Discussed
H.E Shaikha Mai bint Mohammad Al-Khalifa, president of Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities (BACA), received the Thattai Hindu Mercantile Community (THMC) delegation, led by THMC General Secretary Manoj Bhatia, on 7 December 2015 at her office. The meeting discussed the latest preparations before the inauguration of the ‘Little India in Bahrain’ project on 19 December at Bab-al Bahrain Manama Suq, which will coincide with the National Day celebrations.
H.E Shaikha Mai said that the project will give back to the Indian community while promoting the area to tourists and locals through a series of site-specific interventions along Al Hadrami and Al Muatasim Avenues. H.E added that ‘Little India’ is tantamount to Bahrain’s Cultural Tourism and part of one of the ‘Seven Experiences’ of the island and will feature a prominent project for the year 2015 marked by the slogan ‘Our Year of Heritage’ and 2016 ‘Bahrain, Your Destination’. India and Bahrain enjoy warm and friendly relations, which are based on our historical and civilizational ties, and the presence of a large Indian community in Bahrain represents a living link which nurtures this long-standing relationship.
H.E also pointed out that the ‘Little India in Bahrain’ project celebrates and documents the contribution of the Indian community to the history and progress of Bahrain with almost 4000 years of history shared between the two countries. The philosophy behind the project is to showcase one of the richest areas among the historical spots in Bahrain, the Indian section of Souk Manama. This project will give an account of the arrival of the first Indians into the Kingdom of Bahrain, the role they played in its growth, and their continuing influence here. The Indian community has contributed to Bahrain’s economy, its infrastructure, as well as its social and cultural history.
The meeting also discussed Hindu Temple, which dates back 200 years and is where the Indian community’s contribution to the history of Bahrain is documented and the relationship between the two countries is highlighted. This project will give back to the Indian community while being an attraction site for locals and tourists.
The Thattai Hindu Mercantile Community (THMC) delegation thanked H.E Shaikha Mai for the constant constructive work achieved so far when reaching out to other civilizations and religions. They valued the historical Indian-Bahraini relationship and voiced their readiness to contribute effectively to the cultural activities and events organized by the Authority in Bahrain.
‘Little India’, which will be located in Bab Bahrain Old Suq, is a bustling and colorful Indian enclave and is an excellent way to get a taste for the Indian culture in Bahrain. Indian music and dances, bright colors, spices and a delightful Asian atmosphere fills the place and creates an authentic adventure. A walk through the area will bring you across traders selling flowers, traditional Indian sweets, spices, prayer items, Indian clothes, Indian music and movies, restaurants with scrumptious Indian food, Indian beauty salons and so much more.
Interviews carried out with members of the Indian community will be presented to the public (either audio/visual or visual) as the transmission of oral history and preservation of this type of intangible cultural heritage is very important to the BACA. This project will celebrate the great history and the enduring fruitful relationship between Bahrainis and Indians and show the continued commitment to strengthening these precious ties. It will also bring to light the plurality that Bahrain chooses to celebrate in the Kingdom.
