India Pavilion begins Navratri celebrations as Dubai Expo witnesses over 410,000 visitors in 10 days

The coming days and weeks will be full of special events offering a visitor experience that will be rich, purposeful, and entertaining, and we look forward to welcoming many more people from around the world, Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai, said in a statement.Around 33 per cent of the visitors have come from abroad, with officials expecting this number to rise dramatically once international travel ramps up in the coming months.

The India Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai hosted a musical evening to begin the nine-day Navratri celebrations, leading up to the festival of Dussehra, even as the mega event featuring 192 countries has welcomed over 4,10,000 visitors in the first ten days. Classically trained singer and winner of the popular Indian musical reality show 'Sa Re Ga Ma,' Sudhanshu Raj, kick-started the Navratri celebrations at the India Pavilion on Sunday with his mellifluous renditions. Navratri, a Hindu festival that spans nine nights, is a celebration of the victory of good over evil. Gunveena Chadha, Director, India Pavilion, said they wanted to share the spirit of the festivities with a wider audience. "This is a festival in India and we are also celebrating it here to showcase our culture to the visitors," Chadha was quoted as saying in an official release issued by Expo 2020 Dubai authorities. India's massive 4-floor pavilion promises to captivate the visitors with a mix of ayurveda, yoga, space programme, and its fast-growing USD 2.5 trillion economy.

Expo 2020 Dubai, a six-month-long extravaganza, which opened on October 1, has already welcomed 411,768 ticketed visitors in its first ten days, according to official data. This figure includes only ticket-holders, and not the scores of representatives, delegations, guests of international participants, partners, and other stakeholders, as well as Expo staff. "We are very happy with this wonderful turnout. The numbers achieved in the first ten days reflect the enthusiasm of the world to attend Expo 2020 Dubai. The coming days and weeks will be full of special events offering a visitor experience that will be rich, purposeful, and entertaining, and we look forward to welcoming many more people from around the world,'' Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General, Expo 2020 Dubai, said in a statement.

Around 33 per cent of the visitors have come from abroad, with officials expecting this number to rise dramatically once international travel ramps up in the coming months. An array of ticket options are available for visitors, with Multi-Day and Season Passes proving to be popular. One in five visitors have already visited Expo more than once, the statement said. "Expo 2020 Dubai's opening week has undoubtedly been a success. The numbers we are seeing are very encouraging and demonstrate the global desire for people to reconnect with each other and to imagine a better future,'' Dimitri S. Kerkentzes, Secretary-General of the Bureau International des Expositions, said. Expo 2020 Dubai runs until 31 March 2022, with 200 pavilions for visitors to explore. Apart from the attractions at each location, there are multiple daily events, with panel discussions and cultural performances.

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