Festival to mark India-South Africa friendship

New Delhi: The union culture ministry Thursday released a logo depicting a handshake and the faces of Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi side by side in a circle for the Festival of India to be held in South Africa.

The festival, beginning July 18, will mark 20 years of the end of apartheid rule in South Africa and two decades of diplomatic engagement between the two countries. It will cover eight South African cities including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban and will conclude Aug 31. "India enjoys close and cordial relations with South Africa. India`s links with the struggle for freedom and justice in South Africa date back to the period during which Mahatma Gandhi started his satyagraha movement in South Africa over a century ago," Cultural Secretary Ravindra Singh said in a statement. "Against the background of India`s consistent support to the anti-apartheid struggle, there has been a steady consolidation of our close and friendly ties with South Africa," he said. The festival will feature Indian performing arts, photo exhibition, interactive Gandhi-Mandela exhibition, literary event, food festival and film festival.