Embassy of India in Azerbaijan celebrates World Hindi Day

The Embassy of India, Baku celebrated the World Hindi Day on 10 January 2023.

Report informs that the event, held at the Premier Palace Hotel Baku, brought together the enthusiasts, learners and teachers of the Hindi language, representatives of Azerbaijani universities, local lovers of Indian history and culture, members of the Indian diaspora and Indian students in Azerbaijan, prominent Azerbaijani figures of culture and journalists.

Addressing the event, Mr Vinay Kumar, Charge d’Affaires of India Baku informed the gathering that the World Hindi Day, also known as Vishwa Hindi Diwas, is celebrated on 10 January every year to mark the anniversary of the first time Hindi was spoken in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 1949. In the year 1975, the first World Hindi Conference was also inaugurated on 10 January. Various countries, such as Mauritius, United Kingdom, Trinidad and Tobago, and United States of America have organized World Hindi Conference since 1975. The 12th World Hindi Conference will be organized in Fiji in February 2023.

On 10 January 2006, the Vishwa Hindi Diwas was celebrated for the first time. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs celebrates this day every year since then, by organizing events and activities to create awareness about the Hindi language and to promote it as a global language. Vishwa Hindi Diwas plays a significant role in reminding us that the Hindi language is one of the oldest languages across the world, and every Indian should feel proud to speak in their mother tongue.

During the event, Mr. Kumar read out the message from the Prime Minister of India on Vishva Hindi Divas. He added that India has one of the most diverse cultures in the world. With its diversity in religion, traditions, and language, people tend to live in unity. Hindi is the most prominent language in India and the fourth most spoken language in the world. It has more than twenty-six million speakers.

The event saw speeches on Hindi and recitation of poems in Hindi by Indian and Azerbaijani children and adults, as well as performance of Hindi songs and dances to the accompaniment of Indian music. Afterwards, certificates were awarded by Mr. Kumar for dances, song performances, recitation of poems in Hindi, as well as to the winners of Hindi essay competition and drawing competition on the occasion of Clean India Campaign 2023.

The guests of the event also had an opportunity to view a small exhibition organized by the Embassy at the event venue’s foyer showcasing various millet items, including ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook products made from millets. They were also informed about the International Year of Millets 2023, declared by the UN on the proposal of the Government of India and were handed leaflets containing information on the benefits of various millets.