For a small country, Hungarians make their presence on this planet widely known. For instance, when I did a Google search for ‘bagels’ in my hometown, the first result I came up with was the Hungarian Kosher Bakery; I have stumbled upon Hungarian speakers in New York City, Paris, and Prague; and if rumor is to be believed, there is Hungarian restaurant in Beijing. And then consider the Balassi Institute in New Delhi, India. Here we have a state-sponsored cultural center dedicated to teaching interested parties of this populous Asian country the Hungarian language and hosting events that are Hungarian-centric.
According to the Balassi Institute’s excellent site, which can be found here, the Indian/Hungarian connection stretches back long before the establishment of the Institute. In fact, Hungarian explorers reached India in the 18th century. More curiously, János Honigberger – a doctor from Transylvania, was court doctor to Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
The Balassi Institute in New Delhi organizes around 150 events annually, promoting Hungarian art, music, culture, by bringing in renown Hungarian artists from Europe to participate. The birthdays of major figures in Hungarian cultural history are celebrated in India, hence, if you happen to stop by on the right evening, you are likely to hear the poetry of József Attila (perhaps in Hindi translation), or the music of Béla Bartók. The center also does its best to sponsor events of Indian artists, past and present, who have some tangential connection to Hungary. A library stocked with several thousand volumes on Hungary’s culture, language, and history is there for Indian translators to utilize.
Oh, and as of late, India has been spicing up Hungary, in the form of a few Bollywood stars who came to shoot a spot for Hero MotoCorp. It is no secret that PPM Hungary made its own Budapest/India connection in facilitating the complicated shoot that was filled with stunning locations and complicated action sequences. Let’s hope this is only the latest endeavor in the ongoing co-operation between these two very different but friendly nations.
Click on the thumbnail below to find out more about the Balassi Institute.
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