Indian Embassy to hold annual Sarang festival to boost culture exchange

The Indian Embassy in Seoul will host the 11th edition of its Sarang, the Festival of India in Korea from Oct. 14 to 23 across multiple cities in South Korea, the embassy told reporters on Monday.

The word “sarang” has symbolic meaning in both countries, as it means “love” in Korean and “colorful and diverse” in Hindi.

Since its launch in 2015, the festival has become a platform for showcasing India’s cultural richness through dance, drama, music, films and cuisine.

One of the highlights this year will be the performances of a Kathakali dance troupe from India, which will also conduct workshops for Korean dance enthusiasts. The inaugural show is scheduled for Oct. 14 at Samsung Hall of Ewha Womans University, followed by performances extending to Oct. 23 at Gunsan in North Jeolla Province, Namiseom in Gangwon Province, Busan, Miryang in South Gyeongsang Province and back in Seoul.

Underlining the diplomatic context of the festival, charge d’affaires Nishi Kant Singh noted that 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the India-Korea Special Strategic Partnership. He also recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Lee Jae Myung met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in June, where both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties.

A recent visit by Indian Information and Broadcasting Minister L. Murugan to Seoul highlights bilateral efforts to boost cooperation.

The minister met with Korean representatives at the Busan International Film Festival, the India-Korea Friendship Group in the National Assembly, the Assembly’s vice speaker and Herald Media Group CEO Choi Jin-young to discuss ways to expand cooperation in culture, media and entertainment, according to the embassy.

Asked about how the Sarang festival could benefit Korean creators, Singh emphasized India’s growing appetite for Korean entertainment.

“K-content is extremely popular in India, making our market an important opportunity for Korean producers," he said.

"Under the Korea–India co-production agreement, filmmakers who split their shoots between the two countries can receive government incentives from both sides," he said.

Korean content creators can gain fresh ideas and inspiration through the Sarang festival, which in turn helps enrich the K-content industry for Indian audiences, Singh added.

Hybe, the entertainment company behind global phenomenon BTS, recently launched its fifth overseas subsidiary, Hybe India, in Mumbai, a key hub for global culture and entertainment.

Sarang, the Festival of India in Korea is to run from Oct. 14 to 23 across Korea. Full details of programs are available at the Indian Embassy’s official website.