By Nicolas Lepeltier
Published on August 6, 2024, at 5:37 pm (Paris)
As a candidate to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, India has been pursuing an intense lobbying campaign in Paris for months.
The smell of curry wafted through the air. Sitar tunes could be heard, not far from a man bent over an antique loom. A few meters away, Veena Nagda, the henna queen that Hollywood is snapping up, demonstrated this ancestral tradition on a tourist’s hand, in the muggy Parisian summer. No, we’re not in New Delhi or Calcutta, but in the Parc de La Villette, in the 19th arrondissement of Paris, where India has taken up residence. It’s here, in the Parc des Nations, that some 15 foreign delegations have set up their hospitality spaces, for the duration of the Olympic Games.
It’s impossible to miss India House. The temporary pavilion, with its candy-pink facades and two floral elephants at the entrance, stretches along the Canal de l’Ourcq. The pavilion showcases Indian history, culture and craftsmanship as well as national champions, whose performances are broadcast on a giant screen. This is the first time in Olympic history that India has been showcased in this way. And it’s not by chance.
Candidate for the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, India is on a mission of seduction in Paris. "Today, we gather here at the Paris Olympic Games 2024, to open the doors to a dream. A dream that belongs to 1.4 billion Indians. A dream to bring India to the Olympics, and our shared dream to bring the Olympics to India," said Nita Ambani at the inauguration of India House on July 27.
For more details, read the full article on Le Monde.