00:00Taking India to the world is not a new concept or a new idea.
00:06The light of India has travelled far and wide for thousands of years.
00:13Hundreds of Buddhist monks from all over the world
00:17travelled on foot to India in ancient times
00:22in search of cultural and spiritual knowledge.
00:25In Japan and Indonesia, Hindu deities like Lakshmi, Saraswati, Shiva, Ram and Ganesh
00:36are worshipped even today.
00:39The splendour of India's temple architecture can be seen in Angkor Wat in Cambodia,
00:46Borobadur in Indonesia and the ruins of charm temples in Vietnam.
00:52Indian philosophy left a deep imprint on some of the greatest thinkers and philosophers of the world.
01:02We are a country enriched by the wisdom of its civilisation
01:06but equally energised by the throbbing energy of the world's youngest population.
01:14A country where sacred traditions meet modern dynamism in perfect harmony.
01:22Where the rising power of our economy, soon to be the third largest in the world,
01:29meets our soaring global soft power.
01:31We are a timeless civilisation that gifted humanity with the enduring ideals of Satya, Ahimsa, Ekta and Aman,
01:45truth, non-violence, unity and peace.
01:49A luminous nation that gave the world the wisdom of the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita
01:57and the teachings of Gautam Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi.
02:04Bharat is where it all began.
02:08India is the origin of Aum, the sound of the birth of our universe.
02:14The birthplace of zero, Shunya, the beginning of the infinite.
02:22The home of Sanskrit that gave the world language.
02:27The land of yoga and Ayurveda, the pioneer in science and philosophy.
02:34From Aryabhat's astronomical calculations to Adi Sankaracharya's Advaita Vedanta.
02:42The beacon of arts and literature.
02:45From a classical music and dance forms to the epics Ramayan and Mahabharata.
02:53We are the very cradle of civilisation.
02:57A cultural force whose time has come once again.
03:01Every civilisation tells a story.
03:07Some tell it with power and might.
03:10But we have always told our stories with our soul.
03:15For over 5,000 years, from our Kathavachaks to the travelling bards,
03:21from our legendary folklore to temple murals,
03:25and from our epics to present-day cinema,
03:28storytelling has always been the heartbeat of our legacy.
03:36In the modern age, India's magnificent heritage
03:40and the soft power of our theatre, dance, music, cinema,
03:45writers, artists and artisans
03:47have won the hearts and minds of people
03:50in all continents and corners of the globe.
03:55Friends, like all Indians,
03:59we at Reliance Foundation
04:01are great admirers and ardent supporters
04:04and passionate lovers of art.
04:07and we deeply believe in the power of our culture
04:11to heal, inspire and unite.
04:16At the Foundation,
04:18we regard it to be our highest duty
04:21to protect, preserve, revive and honour
04:25India's priceless artistic legacy.
04:28It is with this spirit
04:31that we started the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre
04:35two years ago.
04:37Our vision is to showcase the best of India to the world
04:42and bring the best of the world to India.
04:45With the same vision,
04:49we started Swadesh,
04:50our humble movement
04:52to encourage and promote
04:54India's age-old arts and crafts
04:57on the global stage.
05:00Swadesh honours our traditional artisans
05:03who have learnt at the feet of their fathers
05:06and grandfathers
05:07and whose every weave,
05:10every carving,
05:12every brush
05:13carries not just the touch of the hand
05:16but the memory of centuries.
05:20For instance,
05:21the Indian saree
05:23which is one of the fondest expression of our tradition.
05:27Today,
05:28our timeless nine yards
05:30are weaving the India story
05:32across fashion runways
05:34woven by our weavers
05:37with love
05:38and worn by women
05:40with pride
05:41wherever in the world they are.
05:44From Mother Teresa
05:45to India's missile women,
05:48Dr. Tessie Thomas
05:49to our Finance Minister,
05:51Srimati Nirmala Sitaraman,
05:54our lawyers to journalists
05:56and from astronauts to change makers
05:58all wear it
06:00as an ode to a legacy
06:02that has been passed down
06:04over thousands of years
06:06from their mothers,
06:08grandmothers
06:08and great-grandmothers.
06:11That
06:12is the magic of our culture.
06:15It evolves
06:16without erasing.
06:19In most parts of the world,
06:22culture is something
06:23to be preserved
06:24but in India,
06:26it is something
06:27we live every day.
06:29for us,
06:30it is not a memory
06:32frozen in time.
06:34It is our living reality.
06:37It flows like a river
06:39and breathes like a forest.
06:42Here in India,
06:43the modern does not compete
06:45with the ancient.
06:46It co-exist
06:47in perfect harmony.
06:49and this is what
06:52Indian culture
06:53sets us apart.
06:55Our ability
06:56to hold
06:57contradictions
06:58with grace,
06:59to honour tradition
07:01and welcome
07:02transitions
07:03and transformations,
07:05to cherish
07:06our similarities
07:08and celebrate
07:09our differences.
07:11For centuries,
07:14India has gifted
07:14the world
07:15its wisdom,
07:17its beauty
07:17and its soul.
07:20Somewhere along the way,
07:22our voice softened.
07:24But now,
07:25it is rising again.
07:27And for that,
07:29we owe deep gratitude
07:30to our Prime Minister,
07:32Modiji,
07:33whose unwavering vision
07:35and leadership
07:35have reignited
07:37India's voice
07:38on the world stage
07:40with pride
07:41and purpose.
07:43From yoga
07:44to Chandrayaan,
07:45from digital inclusion
07:47to cultural diplomacy,
07:49from G20
07:50to waves,
07:52today,
07:53India's spirit
07:54is inspiring
07:56the world
07:56like never before.
07:59And young Indians
08:00are answering
08:01the call,
08:03embracing our roots,
08:05carrying our spirit
08:06and making India
08:07proud
08:08on the world stage.
08:10from sports fields
08:12to concert halls,
08:14from fashion houses
08:15to global kitchens
08:17and international dance festivals.
08:20In spite of living
08:22away from India,
08:24young global icons
08:25like Anushka Shankar
08:27and Rishabh Sharma
08:28in music,
08:29Vikas Khanna
08:30in cuisine,
08:32or Priyanka Chopra
08:33in cinema
08:34are holding
08:35the spirit of India
08:36dear to their hearts
08:38and spreading
08:39the message
08:40of Indianness
08:41around the world.
08:44This,
08:44my friends,
08:45is not the beginning
08:47of something new.
08:49It is
08:50our very foundation
08:51and that is why
08:53I am happy
08:55to share
08:55that this September
08:57with great joy
08:59and pride
09:00we are taking
09:01Indian culture
09:02to the world.
09:04The Nita Mukesh Ambani
09:06Cultural Center
09:07will proudly present
09:08a grand Indian weekend
09:10at the iconic
09:12Lincoln Center
09:13in New York.
09:14We will spotlight
09:23the soul of India
09:24in all its glory.
09:27Our arts and artisans,
09:28our weaves and weavers,
09:30our songs and dances,
09:32and our fashion and food.
09:36Friends,
09:37standing here at waves,
09:39among creators,
09:41thinkers,
09:41dreamers,
09:42and designers,
09:43I speak
09:45as a fellow dreamer,
09:47a passionate artist,
09:49and an eternal believer
09:51in the power
09:52of our culture.
09:54I speak
09:55to every artist,
09:57animator,
09:58writer,
09:59designer,
10:00playwright,
10:00musician,
10:02filmmaker,
10:02or policy maker.
10:04I speak
10:05to you
10:06as the storytellers
10:08of India's tomorrow,
10:10as modern ambassadors
10:11of India's heritage.
10:13and I want to remind you,
10:17you are not just
10:18telling the story,
10:20you are the story,
10:22you are the custodians
10:23of India's soul.
10:26The time has come
10:27for a culture,
10:29not just to inspire
10:31the world,
10:32but also transform it
10:34and make it a better place
10:36to live in
10:36for all humanity.
10:38I am sure
10:40that in the near future,
10:43Indian crafts
10:44will shape
10:45global aesthetics,
10:47Indian Ayurveda
10:47will shape
10:49global healing,
10:51Indian spirituality
10:52will shape
10:53global well-being,
10:55and Indian storytelling
10:56will shape
10:58global imagination.
10:58Let our Amarchitra Kathas
11:02be the world's
11:03next Harry Potters.
11:05Let our epics,
11:06Ramayana
11:07and Mahabharata
11:08light up
11:09the silver screens
11:10of the world.
11:12Let our classical dances
11:13sparkle
11:14on the grandest
11:15of global stages.
11:17Let our stories
11:18inspire generations
11:19to come.
11:21Because friends,
11:23culture is not just
11:24a reflection
11:25of who we are.
11:28It is a powerful tool
11:29to shape
11:30who we become.
11:33In a world
11:33building virtual reality,
11:36let us also embrace
11:38spiritual reality.
11:41In a world
11:42obsessed with speed,
11:44let us also remember
11:45the value of stillness.
11:48In a world
11:49racing towards
11:50AI,
11:51artificial intelligence,
11:53let us not lose
11:54the wisdom
11:55of the original AI,
11:57ancient intelligence.
12:00Imagine a world
12:08that combines
12:09the innovation
12:09of artificial intelligence
12:12with the intuition
12:13of ancient intelligence.
12:15A world
12:18where data
12:18is driven
12:19by dharma,
12:21where our choices
12:22are led
12:22by our collective
12:23conscience,
12:25where progress
12:26is defined
12:26not just by power
12:28but by purpose,
12:31and where intelligence
12:32is not just
12:34artificial
12:35but awakened
12:36in service
12:38of humanity.
12:39today,
12:41empowered
12:42by digital
12:42technology
12:43and strengthened
12:44by global
12:45partnership,
12:47we stand
12:47at a moment
12:48unlike any
12:50before.
12:51A moment
12:52where Indian
12:53culture can shine
12:54in the world stage
12:55not just in fragments
12:57but in its full
12:59grandeur.
13:01And in doing so,
13:03we offer the world
13:04a gift.
13:06A gift for our
13:07children.
13:08A world
13:09that they will
13:10not just
13:11inherit
13:11but cherish
13:13for generations
13:14to come.
13:16That world
13:18is calling
13:19on India
13:20now.
13:21On our stories,
13:23our soul,
13:24our spirit,
13:25our spirituality
13:27and our
13:28sanskriti.
13:30So,
13:31let us all
13:32rise
13:32not only
13:33to honor
13:34the glorious
13:35of our
13:36past
13:37but to
13:38ignite
13:38the promise
13:39of our
13:40future.
13:42Let us
13:42step forward
13:43as the
13:44torchbearers
13:45of a
13:45timeless
13:46civilization
13:47walking
13:48the path
13:49of courage
13:50and conviction.
13:52Let us
13:52carry the
13:53force
13:54of our
13:54eternal
13:55values
13:56and
13:56enduring
13:57culture.
13:58A force
13:59that brings
14:00light where
14:01there is
14:01darkness.
14:03That gives
14:03hope where
14:05there is
14:05fear.
14:06That binds
14:07humanity
14:08together
14:08when the
14:10world feels
14:10broken apart.
14:13This is
14:14our moment.
14:16Let's seize
14:17it together
14:17with grace
14:19and with
14:20wisdom.
14:21Dhaniawad
14:22Jai Hind.
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