Copenhagen Sings India-Denmark Unity
Copenhagen: Beneath the stately spires of Copenhagen’s Town Hall, where timeless architecture framed a canvas of cultural fusion, Rådhuspladsen pulsed with an electric yet tender energy, the soulful thrum of dhol drums mingling with the scent of spiced chai and the intricate swirl of henna under a crisp Nordic sky. Over 10,000 hearts—Danish locals, Indian expatriates, and curious globals—converged in a radiant tapestry of unity for the inaugural Namaste Denmark festival, an open-air day-long ode to India-Denmark friendship that shimmered with promise.
Held in the heart of Copenhagen on September 6, 2025, this 12-hour extravaganza showcased India’s kaleidoscopic culture through dance, music, and fashion, drawing an estimated 10,000 visitors with the gracious support of the Diaspora Engagement Division of India’s Ministry of External Affairs and dedicated sponsors.
“Namaste Denmark was an affirmation of the Indian diaspora’s efforts to strengthen India-Denmark friendship, its respect for Danish culture, and to promote integration,” said Ambassador Manish Prabhat, his words opening the festival like a gentle invocation under the Town Hall’s enduring gaze.
The square awakened with Anita Vora’s yoga session, where hundreds stretched in harmonious breath under the morning’s soft glow, their poses a serene tribute to Denmark’s growing love for this ancient practice, marked annually on International Yoga Day across its cities. As sunlight danced on the cobblestones, the stage erupted in colour: Deep’s Dancing Divas conjured Kathak’s poetic grace, their ghungroo bells tinkling like echoes of distant monsoons, while G.R. Nordics’ Gidda troupe unleashed Punjab’s exuberant fire, vibrant kurtas and turbans swirling in a whirlwind of joy that had a young Danish boy clapping in wide-eyed wonder.
“Stepping onto the stage at Namaste Denmark, I felt excitement and anticipation,” shared participant Sugandh Bansal. “The event embodied the Indian diaspora’s efforts to strengthen India-Denmark ties by promoting integration with respect to Danish culture.” Bansal’s sentiment mirrored the moment Deepshikha’s Krishna Leela bloomed, its ethereal steps pulling the crowd into a mythical trance, as if the gods themselves whispered through the breeze.
Bollywood’s irresistible glamour took centre stage, casting a spell of stardust as Thumka Tribe and Monica & Charlotte’s “Shake it Bollywood” ignited the square with infectious beats, Danes and Indians swaying in unison, hips shimmying to rhythms that transcended borders, a glittering reminder of cinema’s borderless allure.
Kriti Prajapati’s “Laughter Therapy” followed, her sharp wit spilling like champagne, jokes bridging cultures and coaxing belly laughs from strangers turned friends.
“Namaste Denmark 2025 was a resounding success, showcasing the richness of Indian heritage through music, dance, and traditions, bringing people together in celebration,” reflected Anand Bhattad, his words amplifying the roar of Maharashtra Mandal’s Dhol Tasha, its thunderous drums a primal call that swept thousands into spontaneous ecstasy, bodies moving as one under the Town Hall’s watchful arches.
Denmark’s Gujarati Samaj then spun Garba and Dandiya Raas, UNESCO-honoured whirlwinds of community, where a Danish student clasped hands with an Indian elder, their steps a vibrant pledge of belonging amid the square’s historic elegance.
Orchestrated by the Embassy of India in Denmark, the event illuminated the Green Strategic Partnership, announced in 2020 by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Mette Frederiksen—an alliance where Denmark’s global leadership in clean and green technologies met India’s colossal scale, powered by its vast geography and population, to heal the planet’s environmental wounds.
As close allies, the nations saw in their bond a force for global good, with relations blossoming ever since: over 200 Danish companies flourished in India, more than 60 Indian firms thrived in Denmark, and the Indian diaspora swelled to over 20,000 souls, their 30-plus associations weaving cultural presentations, festive joys, and charitable acts into Danish society’s fabric, enriching its economy and spirit.
On September 16, 2025, while talking over the telephone, both Modi and Frederiksen reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership across sectors such as trade, investment, innovation, energy, water management, food processing and sustainable development. While Modi conveyed his best wishes for the success of Denmark’s ongoing Presidency of the Council of the European Union and non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, Frederiksen reaffirmed Denmark’s strong support for the conclusion of a mutually beneficial India-European Union Free Trade Agreement at the earliest, and for the success of the AI Impact Summit to be hosted by India in 2026.
At the Namaste Denmark event, stalls brimmed with India’s vivid palette: chaat’s spicy sizzle evoked bustling bazaars, mehendi artists painted intricate tales of festivity on eager palms, and turban stations sparkled as Danes donned saffron and emerald wraps with gleeful grins, transforming the square into a living mosaic. The Embassy’s pavilion glowed as a beacon of support, dispensing diaspora and consular insights to visitors and the 20,000-strong Indian community, whose associations infused the day with charitable warmth.
Amid this vibrancy, an Indo-Danish panel on “Skills and Scale,” moderated with elegance by Hemant Dubey of Friends of India in Denmark, spotlighted the Green Strategic Partnership’s transformative power. Ambassador Prabhat, former Danish Ambassador to India Freddy Svane, Vikram Sharma of TCS Nordics, and Bente Toftkær of Dansk Industri envisioned a world where Denmark’s eco-innovations scaled across India’s horizons for planetary renewal. Svane, awarded Person of the Year 2025 for his indelible contributions to Indo-Danish amity, pondered 400 years of kinship, now alive with economic synergy.
“Namaste Denmark, a 12-hour celebration with 10,000-plus people, beautifully marked 400-plus years of India-Denmark friendship,” said Yogesh Lickmichand. “More than a festival, it became a living bridge of cultures where traditions were embraced, values united, and the diaspora shone.”
As twilight draped Rådhuspladsen in a golden hush, Ambassador Prabhat lifted his harmonica, its tender notes threading the Danish and Indian anthems into a melody that stilled the crowd, a luminous act of diplomacy where music bridged nations under the Town Hall’s timeless spires.
“It was a testament to collaboration, leaving a lasting impression on our community,” Bansal added, her voice echoing the day’s lingering magic. Poised to bloom annually, Namaste Denmark—cradled by India’s Ministry and its sponsors—emerged as a sanctuary of hearts entwined, where India and Denmark wove a future that greened the earth and kindled the human soul, one radiant moment, one shared heartbeat at a time.
– global bihari bureau
