As the third annual installment celebrating thriving ties with Korea, the Indian Embassy in Seoul will organize a string of events from Friday to Nov. 18 across the country in collaboration with the Indian Cultural Centers in Seoul and Busan.

The events -- “Sarang: The Festival of India in Korea” -- range from traditional and contemporary Indian art, music and dance to cuisine and films.

“My colleagues and I are delighted to present the third edition of ‘Sarang: The Festival of India in Korea’ this autumn. It is doubly meaningful for us to have this festival in Korea as we commemorate the 70th anniversary of India’s independence, which coincidentally falls on Aug. 15, the exact same day that our Korean friends gained their independence,” announced Indian Ambassador to Korea Vikram Doraiswami.

“Join us for a celebration of our shared freedom, partnership and friendship based on our unique history. Our various business partners and sponsors have made it their mission to add depth, breadth and substance to the India-Korea special strategic partnership through the festival.”

The musical celebrations at the KBS Art Hall in Seoul on Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. and the Busan Cinematheque on Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. will feature bamboo flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia, traditional instrumentalist and Grammy-winner Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and traditional drum tabla nawaz performer Ram Kumar Mishra.

There will be collaborations of Indian contemporary dance and “gukak” Korean classical music between choreographer and artist Astad Deboo, Noreum Machi and Trayam at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul on Friday at 8 p.m. and KBS Art Hall on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Performances of northeastern Indian dance from Nagaland by the Rattle and Hum Music Society and Purulia Chhau will be held across the country from Oct. 20-28.

The works of various Indian artists, including Alfonso Arul Doss, RM Palaniappan, C. Douglas, Smita Kinkale and Ratnadeep Adivrekar, will be showcased at the K and K Membership Gallery in Busan from Oct. 27 through Nov. 2, in consort with Korean artists.

The Indian film festival will feature films “Neerja,” “Pink,” “24,” “Maheshinte Prathikaram” and “Ventilator,” all released last year, at the Busan Cinematheque from Oct. 27-29 and the Korean Film Archive in Seoul from Nov. 14-18.

The Indian food festival at Millennium Seoul Hilton from Oct. 18-27 will showcase authentic flavors of Indian gastronomy with dishes prepared by chef Sanjay Tiagy, who has flown in from India.

By Joel Lee (joel@heraldcorp.com)