Egyptian children awarded for winning 'Glimpses of India'

Cairo: About hundred Egyptian school children were felicitated for winning a painting competition held across Cairo city for nurturing a bond between the people of India and Egypt by highlighting India's rich cultural heritage.

Hundred winners from 15 different categories of annual "Glimpses of India" contest were given prizes at a ceremony organised on Monday by the Indian Embassy and the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC) in cooperation with Egyptian Ministry of Education.

Seventy-five participating children with special needs were also given prizes during the ceremony. The annual painting competition was organised at four venues across Cairo on October 13-15 and around 4,000 schoolchildren from more than 400 schools particpated in the contest and painted various images and impressions about India.

The winners received medals and catalogues carrying all the winning paintings of the children. During the event, Indian Ambassador to Egypt Navdeep Suri and Egyptian actress Laila Elwi also inaugurated an exhibition showcasing all the winning paintings.

"I think that the Glimpses of India contest is one of the finest activities of our cultural centre. It gives us a chance to encourage the development of artistic talent amongst the youth; but equally important, it creates a unique bond that will hopefully endure as these kids grow older and will continue to nurture the special friendship between the people of Egypt and India for years to come," Suri said.

The Egyptian actress, who was the chief guest, said that the contest opens the minds of the children of Egypt on the great culture of India. The competition is an annual feature in Cairo and it is held to commemorate the birthdays of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, independent India's first Education Minister.

This year, more than 4,000 children from the age groups 6-12 years (Primary), 13-15 years (Preparatory) and 16-18 years (Secondary) including children with special needs from various government, private and national institute schools in Cairo and Giza governorates participated in the competition.