The Incredible India Festival, running in Hong Kong’s downtown Lan Kwai Fong from 21–22 March, is only in its second iteration. Like last year, it is being presented by the Consulate General of India, Hong Kong & Macau SARs, in partnership with Lan Kwai Fong Association. But under the guidance of consul-general Rajesh Naik, who formally took up his appointment on 17 November 2025, this free-to-the-public event has been a tremendous success in showing the delights of Indian culture, cuisine, and colors to all of Hong Kong.
The atmosphere in Lan Kwai Fong, Central, was vibrant and joyous, fitting for an area that is known as Hong Kong’s party district. Won On Lane was filled with stall after stall of Indian businesses, restaurants, and services, and a short walk away at D’Aguilar Street stood a delightful inflatable gate welcoming visitors and partygoers to something a little different on the Lan Kwai Fong scene. But the epicenter of the Incredible Indian Festival was the Lan Kwai Fong Amphitheatre, a public sitting-out area that was transformed into a pulsating heart of yoga sessions, cooking workshops, and dance performances ranging from the contemporary to the classical.
So far, I have only able to attend part of the first day: the festivities actually began after midday and would continue late into the night, well after I had to reluctantly leave. But what I managed to enjoy, sitting close to the stage, was breathtaking: an Indian classical dance performance by Salangai Dance Academy (whose ladies and young girls performed dances dedicated to Shiva, the divine feminine, and other sacred motifs), extremely catchy Bhangra folk dances by the teachers and students Funjabi Bhangra Hong Kong, and a Baraat Procession by the delightful Beyond Bollywood studio.
The exquisitely dressed dancers, masters of their art, brought out their dances to exquisite melodies and beats, inviting audiences to join in the practice of their craft at several points. We also saw the breathtaking classical dance performances by Debi’s Naturly and Mudra Dance Academy Hong Kong. It’s not exaggerating to proclaim Hong Kong a hub of Indian dance and artistic virtuosos—perhaps the largest hub outside of India itself; at least in East Asia.
What Mr. Naik and his team have managed to do, among his many other activities and accomplishments since arriving in Hong Kong, is significant. It has been to remind the city’s residents that if Hong Kong is a mix of East and West, Hong Kong is also undeniably Indian. Furthermore, the lights, beats, and cheers of the performances and their enthused audience also remind the city that Indian culture, in all its richness, diversity, and vibrancy, is worth many lifetimes of exploration and immersion.
Incredible India offered only a glimpse of the depth that the wisdom, arts, and culture of India have to offer. But I suspect for many in the crowd, it was more than enough to make them converts to the way of Delightful Dharma. This way of life, this path of joy and richness, is not confined to a single city or community. It is surely and incredibly global.
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Incredible India Festival in Lan Kwai Fong (lankwaifong.com)
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