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New Delhi : Nearly a dozen whirling dervishes of the mystic Sufi cult set the stage at the Indira Gandhi National Centre of Arts (IGNCA) on fire with their high-energy religious folk dance and music in the Capital.
The dancers of Egypt's famous Al Tanourra ensemble performed the Al Darawish dance - circular movement of bodies that reaches a crescendo. The dancers dressed in flared skirts fanned out across the stage. A musician chanted verses in praise of the prophet (Mohammed) to the notes of indigenous instruments like drums, flute and tambourine.
The performance was part of a cultural initiative by Egypt to showcase its centuries-old religious cultural heritage - something that the country shares with India, Egyptian Ambassador to India Mohammed Abdel Hamid Higazy said. Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor graced the ceremony. The folk troupe which has been in India for the past week has performed in Chandigarh and Jaipur. Delhi was the last leg of the troupe's performance.
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