Queens Day 2010 celebration in Ahmedabad
14 Apr 2010
The Netherlands Business Support Offices celebrates Queens Day in Ahmedabad & Chennai every year. This year being the 600th year celebration of Ahmedabad city, NBSO Ahmedabad decided to celebrate Qeens day in a unique fashion.
In Ahmedabad the year is being celebrated as the 600th year anniversary of the city, of which there has been a Dutch presence of 400 years in this city. This is an unique historical fact which was celebrated on Queens Day in Ahmedabad.
The NBSO, Nuffic Neso Desk India (Ahmedabad) together with the IDBCA (Indo Dutch Business Circle Ahmedabad) celebrated the 400-year-old business relationship of Ahmedabad with the Dutch. The dress code was traditional Ahmedabad or Dutch attire. An etching of Amadabath made by the 16th century Dutch traveller Philip Baldaeus was used as the backdrop. The event was held on the banks of the Sabarmati from where Baldaeus had made his impression; this allowed the guests to see the city from his prespective with today’s reality beyond. Food was a fusion of typically Ahmedabadi and Dutch cuisine.
The music was partly classical European and partly Gujarati songs all with Ahmedabad as their main theme. A Gujarati music group was invited to perform as they had a Dutch connection (their sister lives in the Netherlands). They were so excited that they even prepared a short introduction in Dutch and sang “lang zal ze leven”. There was a perfect fusion of Ahmedabad & Dutch culture, food, people and music. An atmosphere was created so all could visualize the friendship which has grown between the Ahmedabadi's and Dutch.
The attendees were Dutch businessmen, city & state officials as well as the Holland alumni all of whom enjoyed this exceptional celebration. Everyone enjoyed the wonderful evening which had a perfect balance of fun and networking on the newly developed river front.