They brought a troupe of twenty one dancers representing classical and folk dance traditions from Maitreyee Pahari’s Lokchhanda Cultural Unit in New Delhi, India. Her productions carry her signature amalgamation of different dance forms in a seamless poetry of rhythm and movement. Maitreyee Pahari has performed in the U.S.A., Canada, Germany, Ireland, Syria, Cyprus, Turkey, South Africa, Mauritius, Reunion and Bangladesh. She has participated in some of the major dance festivals in India. She has helped co-ordinate and choreograph numerous dance festivals for the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Sangeet Natak Akademi and the Department of Culture. She was also awarded the Charles Wallace Fellowship in 2003 and visited England and Scotland for dance workshops, choreographic collaborations and performances.

The Indian Association Zurich is spearheading a series of celebrations in Zurich between 17th July and 24th August 2008 under the Gruezi India banner to commemorate this sixtieth jubilee of the Swiss-Indian treaty of friendship signed in August 1948. The logo for the celebration consists of a peacock, India's national bird, adorned with 6 feathers representing the 60 years of Swiss-Indian friendship, which extends an edelweiss, Switzerland's national flower, in a gesture of friendship, very much as the dove carries an olive twig as a symbol of peace.

 CELEBRATING 60 YEARS OF SWISS-INDIAN FRIENDSHIP
Switzerland was the first country to sign a treaty of friendship with independent India in August 1948. The period from August 2007 (when Indian celebrated 60 years of independence) to August 2008 is being commemorated in India and in Switzerland as the 60th Jubilee of Swiss-Indian friendship. This will be highlighted by the Indian Association Zurich in all our events during the course of this period. We however wish to commemorate it with a programme of special events within the framework of a special Indian Summer Festival 2008 in July/August 2008. Zurich will be the hub of the festival.

FILM FESTIVAL, FASHION SHOWS, FOOD FESTIVAL AND MORE
The Gruezi India Indian Summer Festival 2008 proposes to include an Indian Film Festival with special screenings of Bollywood movies in the cinemas in and around Zurich, a touch of Indian Cinema at the Kino am See in July/August 2008 and a flavour of India at the Zürcher Theater Spektakel from 14th to 31st August 2008. Additionally, there will be business symposia, fashion shows, food festivals and an exhibition of paintings from the Ramayana at the Museum Rietberg from June to September 2008.

MEGA MELA - INDIA COMES TO ZURICH HB
The highlight of the Indian Summer Festival 2008, under the Gruezi India banner , and the grand finale of the 60th Jubilee Celebrations will be a 3-day carnival at the Zurich HB, a location frequented by 300,000 persons each day, the Mega Mela.
The Gruezi India Mega Mela will be a three-day grand carnival at the SBB-Halle at the Zürich HB, combining an Indian Bazaar, stage performances, a cookery theatre, workshops, activities for children, live stations, DJ parties and business symposia.

Augustine Parani