Distinguished guests, dear friends, ladies and gentlemen,

Namaskar, and a very warm welcome to you all.

We have gathered this evening for a truly happy occasion: to celebrate the conferral of the ICCR Pratibha Sangam Competition (PSC) Award on a remarkable Hungarian artist, Ms. Zselyke Molnar, in recognition of her excellence in, and devotion to, Odissi - one of India's oldest and most lyrical classical dance forms, born centuries ago in the temples of Odisha. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the ICCR, is India's principal instrument of cultural diplomacy, and it is a matter of great pride for all of us at the Embassy that this year its honour has come to a daughter of Hungary.

Ladies and gentlemen, when the ICCR confers a dance award on a Hungarian artist, it celebrates something larger than one person's achievement. It celebrates the power of culture to cross borders, and the ability of art to speak a language that needs no translation. It also celebrates the deep and enduring friendship between India and Hungary, two nations rich in tradition, poetry and rhythm.

Zselyke's own story is proof of this power. She is a performer of extraordinary range and discipline. Trained at the Hungarian National Ballet Institute, she graced the stages of the Hungarian State Opera House, the Erkel Theatre and the Eiffel Art Studios in more than four hundred classical ballet performances. She danced for a decade with the celebrated Csillagszemű Dance Ensemble, keeping Hungarian folk traditions alive; she studied folk music at the Óbuda Folk Music School, singing and playing the violin and the Moldavian flute; she is an accomplished actor of stage and film and a lead singer of her own band. All told, she has given more than a thousand live performances. And then, a few years ago, she opened her heart to India.

It was at the Amrita Sher-Gil Cultural Centre - the cultural wing of this very Embassy - that Zselyke pursued her study of Odissi. In less than a year, she gave more than seventy performances of Odissi, Bollywood, contemporary Indian and folk dance. Seventy! Behind that number lie hours of rigorous practice: learning the mudras, the music and the meaning of every gesture, and understanding the spirituality that animates every movement. I have watched her perform on many occasions, and I can tell you that her artistry has been deeply appreciated by every audience, Hungarian and Indian alike, privileged to see her on stage.

She embodies dedication, grace and artistic excellence in the highest tradition of Indian classical dance discipline. And she embodies, just as beautifully, the bonds between our two peoples - a living example of how dance and cultural forms can bring two nations closer together.

There is a special grace in the fact that her journey unfolded at the Amrita Sher-Gil Cultural Centre. Amrita Sher-Gil, one of India's greatest modern painters, was born here in Budapest, to a Hungarian mother and an Indian father - she was herself a bridge between our two cultures. That a centre bearing her name should nurture a Hungarian artist to an Indian award is, I believe, history rhyming in the most beautiful way.

This occasion also invites reflection on what India is doing to keep its heritage alive. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India has embarked on an unprecedented revival and celebration of its civilisational heritage - including our classical dance forms. From the global embrace of Yoga, which Hungary too celebrates with such enthusiasm on the twenty-first of June each year, to new institutions, scholarships and festivals that support our classical arts, artists and artisans, the Government of India is committed to ensuring that the treasures of Indian civilisation are not merely preserved in museums, but live, breathe and flourish - and reach new audiences across the world. The ICCR's recognition of international artists is very much part of that vision: honouring those who carry Indian culture in their hearts, whatever their passport may say.

Our own Amrita Sher-Gil Cultural Centre has, for decades, been building cultural bridges with the people of Hungary. Through its classes in dance and music, its Yoga and Hindi courses, its exhibitions, lectures and festivals - from Diwali to Holi, from Buddha Purnima to our national days - the Centre has brought a little of India into Hungarian homes, and Hungarian hearts into the Indian family. Zselyke is one of its most illustrious alumni, and I can think of no better advertisement for its work than her achievement this evening.

And friends, the evening holds one more delight in store. In a few minutes, we will have the joy of witnessing Zselyke dance for us herself. So I will not keep you waiting much longer.

Zselyke - on behalf of the Embassy of India, and on my own behalf, I congratulate you most warmly on the ICCR Dance Award. May you continue to dance for many years to come, and may your art continue to bind our two peoples ever closer.

Thank you. Dhanyavaad. And now, ladies and gentlemen, the stage belongs to Zselyke Molnar.