Whirling like an Egyptian

There's a bit of soul and lots of spunk at the world carnival in town, where sufi swirling meets Bulgarian beauty and mid-air antics

There's a bit of soul and lots of spunk at the world carnival in town, where sufi swirling meets Bulgarian beauty and mid-air antics

If Coelho's covers fill your bookshelf, you'd know why the Tanoura is soul tablet. The spiritual swirl, indulged in by Arabic Sufis, cleanses the spirit and takes you into a trance.u00a0 Ask the Shamans, or better still, go take a look at it in town.

A melange of international artists from Egypt, Spain, Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany and Poland have come together for a rare 10-day entertainment extravaganza. Watch awe-inspiring acrobatics, dervish dances and strange designs like you never have.u00a0

'Height' of Talent: Kinga at her aerial acrobatic best

Whatta spin
At the World Carnival, you can experience the whirlwind performance of the traditional Tanourau00a0 dancers of Egypt, whose costumes constantly change shapes. The art transcends all conventionality, sending the performer into the freest form he can achieve.

Acrobatic oeuvre
The festival is also about effortless acts by aerial acrobats, including those like mid-air flights. Watch out for the Zolie-Zsandra duo that creates a spectacle out of think air, quite literally. Their feet touch the ground only while taking-off and landing.

Another mid-air performance is by a solo artist named Kinga. There are also May and Maria, masked performers from Germany, along with Katya and Ivan from Bulgaria, who create strange, beautiful designs inside colourful costumes.

Is it a tent? Is it a sandclock? It's traditional Egyptian Tanoura in progress

Grabonomicsu00a0
Apart from eye and mind treats, there's also lots to appease the greedy side of you. You can look forward to contests, festive promotions,u00a0 shopping vouchers and sizzling stalls. Sans firecrackers, though. "There's a Diwali Hub that sells everything except crackers. This apart, an International Band Festival with music like jazz, sarangi and fusion is in progress," smiles Pushpa Bector, vice president of the organising mall. A great chance to get glammed up, globally.

World Carnival
On till: October 18
Where: DLF Promenade, Vasant Kunj
Entry: Free
Timings: 11.30 am onwards