The Hindu : New Delhi News : Delhi to have a `Global Village'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 11, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

Delhi to have a `Global Village'

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

Annual exposition for showcasing art, craft and culture

A replica of the historic Qutub Minar prepared by Delhi Tourism to promote Delhi.

NEW DELHI: Inspired by the Global Village in Dubai, which has been a hugely successful annual event since 1995, the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation has decided to set up a Global Village in Delhi as an annual exposition for showcasing and promotion of art, craft and culture.

Global Village Delhi will be set up on a 40-acre area with adequate parking facilities in about 20 acres of land around the Noida DND Flyover. To be held this year from September 30 to October 31, the event will be open to the public on payment of an entrance fee.

Delhi Tourism, which has along with the Noida Toll Bridge Company Limited entered into a memorandum of understanding with a Dubai-based company, M/s e4 Entertainment, for the month-long Global Village in Delhi, said the highlights of the event will be display and sale of products and exposition and marketing of ethnic handicrafts.

The Global Village will also witness marketing of household products, food stuffs and leather goods, merchandising of gift items and souvenirs, street performances from around the globe to enhance the carnival experience, entertaining performance by artistes from across the globe and setting up of international fun fair activities.

To draw in the crowds, the Global Village will also have a food court which would offer a wide range of international cuisines, a specially designed pavilion to project the heritage of each participating country, state-of-the-art fun fairs from various countries and an international laser show and fireworks display.

With this event, according to Delhi Tourism, Delhi will become the first city in India to host such an event for the promotion of art, craft and culture. This, it said, would be a sustainable event to present Delhi as an international tourist destination ahead of the Commonwealth Games 2010.

Earlier this year Delhi was also the theme and partner state of the India Pavilion in the Global Village, Dubai. And to boost the image of the country in general and Delhi in particular, the Delhi Government decided to promote craft and culture by encouraging craftsmen, artisans and demo craftsmen to participate in the event.

Besides the participation of 95 persons from Delhi in the upcoming event, the image of Delhi is also sought to be enhanced through establishment of a 90-metre-long and 18-metre-high replica of the Red Fort. Similarly, a 19-metre-high replica of the historic Qutab Minar and a magnificent stage with a model of Humayun's Tomb are being been set up for the daily cultural and entertainment activities.

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