From Indian dance to yoga: the Gandhi Centre is your gateway to India

Have Indian arts and culture always fascinated you? Then The Gandhi Centre in The Hague is your place to be! This centre is the cultural wing of the Indian Embassy in the Netherlands. We visited The Gandhi Centre during the ICCR Foundation Day and spoke to Krish Gupta, director of The Gandhi Centre. In this interview, he tells you all about Indian arts and culture, and about the opportunities for you to explore at The Gandhi Centre.

Today was the ICCR Foundation Day. What is the ICCR and what is ICCR’s role in promoting Indian arts and culture?

“ICCR is the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, which was established 75 year ago. The role of ICCR is to promote Indian culture, not only in India, but also abroad, globally. In the Netherlands, we are not only promoting Indian culture, but we are also bridging the gap between India and the Netherlands. So we are organizing lots of activities related to India, be it yoga, Ayurveda, meditation, Vedic mathematics, astronomy, performing arts, visual arts and textiles.

We have organized lots of events throughout the years. It's bringing Indian culture in its pure form to Netherlands, connecting India in a pure form to the people of the Netherlands. We bring lots of interested students from the Netherlands to India, for instance in the form of scholarships and by providing education materials. We also organize lots of academic exchanges between India and the Netherlands.”

What was the purpose of today’s event?

“Today's event is about the storytelling art of India, in a way that the local audience can connect to it, and it is about connecting the people who are from the diaspora to their heritage. The wonderful art of Bharatanatyam is a dance form, a way to show the ancient culture to a younger generation.

The Indian diaspora is very strong in the Netherlands and we share great historical, cultural ties between India and Netherlands. So this gives an immense pride to the people who are part of the diaspora – they carry strong Dutch emotions in them. But they also share their tradition, what their parents have taught them, what they carry from their parents and the grandparents. So of course this is also part of them.”

Foto van een Indiase dansoptreden — Dance performance during the ICCR Foundation Day 2025

What would you like people to know about Indian arts and culture?

“Today’s event was about Indian dance and singing, but we have many more performing arts. We have so many different music forms, different raag and taal, which are composed even for different times, which can be soothing to your mind and body. For instance, evening raag is music composed for calmness in your body.

Culture is not only performing arts. Culture is way beyond how we live our life. It's basically the society, what it adapts, it takes the shape of a culture. Indian culture, society and civilization are very ancient. It has different forms and different layers. Performing arts is one form of it. The textile is another form of it. The way we start our day is also a part of it. The yoga, which is very much connected to us, is in our veins. Meditation is one part of it. So every element related to India, we want to bring to the Netherlands in its pure form. “

What can India offer the youth in the Netherlands?

“People from different sectors and younger generations can connect to India. People interested in Eastern philosophy can connect to India. The youth interested in yoga, meditation, alternative medicine, they can all connect to India.

India has so many activities to offer to the younger generation, people who are interested in studying in India or who want to explore India. They can go on different programs which the government of India offers. People can get a scholarship and study in India. They can go on different student exchanges which we have with different universities.

The government of India has lots of different initiatives, be it a startup in India or something related to people who are working in the field of media and performing arts. For instance, right now there is a competition going on in India for people who are in media and film. And there is a startup conference and a big Maha Kumbh going on in India at the moment.”

How can the Gandhi Centre help those who are interested in India?

“The role of The Gandhi Center is bringing Indian culture to the Netherlands. The Gandhi Centre connects the individuals in the Netherlands to India, because we bring every element as you can find it in India to the Netherlands. This way, the people of the Netherlands who are connected to The Gandhi Center, are connecting directly to India in an indirect form.

The Gandhi Centre is a great platform that bridges the curiosity of people, what India is, what India is about and what India offers in various fields. It has a lot to offer to the younger generation. They can connect to different sectors of India in different ways through The Gandhi Center.

So if you're interested, you are most welcome to visit The Gandhi Center. We are happy to tell you more about all the opportunities related to India.”