The Art of Living’s World Culture Festival (WCF) at Washington DC’s prestigious National Mall got off to a busy start on September 29, with around a million people estimated to have attended the inaugural day of the event’s fourth edition.
According to the Art of Living foundation, the event saw the coming together of global dignitaries, including 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Bishop Emeritus Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, Chancellor Emeritus of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences among others.
Enthralling performances included renditions of America the Beautiful and Vande Mataram by Grammy Award Winner Chandrika Tandon and 200 artists, Panchabhootam, a 1000-strong Indian Classical dance and classical symphony, 1,000 global guitar ensemble led by Grammy winner Micky Free, apart from performances from Africa, Japan, and the Middle East.
Set against the iconic backdrop of the US Capitol, the stage alone is the size of a football field. The September 29-October 1 event expects a monumental gathering of 17,000 artists, numerous heads of states, and thought leaders from over 100 countries, all converging at the National Mall. An astounding half a million people are anticipated to participate, making it a global spectacle of unprecedented proportions.
“The purpose of the World Culture Festival is to send a message that the whole world is one family and we can all coexist with our differences. It is an opportunity for leaders from all segments of society – business, politics, religion, academia – to come together and renew their vision to work for the common welfare,” Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had said.