Shared History Festival celebrates 150 years since Indians' arrival

The festival commemorates the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first indentured Indians in South Africa and showcases the finest that the culture has to offer.

The Wellbeing Experience

A Shared History favourite, The Wellbeing Experience, is an all-day "experience" for the whole family taking place at the Emmarentia Botanical Gardens, Johannesburg on Sunday, 19 September from 8.30am.

The Wellbeing Experience provides the opportunity to engage in the holistic practice of yoga and Ayurveda, as well as one-on-one health consultations with Ayurvedic professionals. From sunrise to sunset you can immerse yourself in 14 yoga and Ayurvedic disciplines. Yoga disciplines include, Classical, Ishta, Iyenger, Satyananda, Sri Sri and yoga for children. In addition there will be guided meditations, lectures on Indian Ayurvedic practices, yoga workshops and music performances, all taught and facilitated by certificated practitioners. Organic and Ayurvedic food stalls will complete the experience.

Science of life

Ayurveda is the Science of life that maintains the harmony between nature and man - it is a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent and traces its origins to the Vedas, the Atharvaveda in particular. The word Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit roots of ayus, meaning "life" and veda, meaning "science".

"The Shared History Festival is a unique celebration of plurality and the common heritage of India and South Africa. Over the years it has become a platform to showcase the best music, theatre, dance, film food and visual arts from India", said High Commissioner Virendra Gupta.

The Shared History Festival programme will provide an avenue for dialogue and collaborative work exchange between Indian and South African musicians, literary figures, dancers and visual artists.

Something for everyone

There is something for everyone at the festival, from a Wellbeing Experience at Emmarentia Botanical Gardens, an Ayuvedic conference, a spicy cuisine of the "land of spices" Kerala, a Film Retrospective, Literary Festival, Words on Water; "At the Edge and Other Cato Manor Stories", a collection of stories by celebrated author and playwright Ronnie Govender to music and dance performances by celebrated Indian artistes, including mandolin maestro U. Shrinivas, World Music exponents Mrigya and Midival Punditz; Vijayalakshmi's Swan Lake in Mohiniyattam style (an Indian Classical dance form from Kerala) and South Africa's Indian dance company the Tribhangi Dance Theatre and experiencing a visual art exhibition in both Durban and Johannesburg to sharing insights at youth workshops.

Bookings can be made at Computicket at R50 for the Wellness Experience, R50 for Yoga and Workshop Participation: and R100 for the full day.