Paris: Celebrating the auspicious festival of Diwali, the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre (SVCC) in Paris brought the timeless Ramayana to life through a performance combining storytelling and paper bag puppets, the Embassy of India in France said on Saturday.
The presentation, staged by acclaimed storyteller and artist Usha Venkataraman, blended expressive oral narration with creative visual puppetry to retell the revered Indian epic to an international audience.
À l’occasion de Diwali, le SVCC de Paris a donné vie à l’intemporel Ramayana à travers un spectacle captivant, mêlant récit et marionnettes en sacs en papier, proposé par Usha Venkataraman.
Alliant une narration expressive à des chants en tamoul, hindi, marathi, anglais et télougou, sa prestation a mis à l’honneur la diversité linguistique et les traditions narratives de l’Inde, faisant écho au message de Diwali : le triomphe de la lumière sur les ténèbres et du bien sur le mal.
@PMOIndia @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy @PIB_India @iccrinfrance @iccr_hq
— India in France (@IndiaembFrance) November 7, 2026
In a post on social media platform X, the Indian Embassy in France said, “To mark Diwali, the SVCC in Paris brought the timeless Ramayana to life through a captivating performance combining storytelling with paper bag puppets, presented by Usha Venkataraman.”
It further stated, “Blending expressive narration with songs in Tamil, Hindi, Marathi, English and Telugu, her performance celebrated India’s linguistic diversity and storytelling traditions, echoing Diwali’s message: the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil.”
The Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre in Paris operates under the aegis of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and promotes Indian art, heritage and intercultural dialogue globally.
Meanwhile, the French Embassy in India shared a light-hearted video of its annual Diwali celebration, featuring embassy staff and Ambassador Dr Thierry Mathou, highlighting the cultural ties between France and India ahead of the festival.
Posted on X on November 6, the 93-second video shows embassy employees playfully whispering rumours, checking emails and approaching colleagues for confirmation before revealing the occasion they are preparing for.
The clip then transitions to footage of the Diwali celebrations, including the lighting of a traditional brass diya decorated with marigold flowers. French Ambassador to India Dr Thierry Mathou is seen lighting the ceremonial lamp and extending festive wishes.
In his message, he said, “Diwali is a beautiful celebration of life, hope and new beginnings. May this festival bring joy to every home and continue to strengthen the bonds of friendship between France and India.”
The embassy’s celebration comes ahead of Diwali, which will be observed on Sunday, November 8. The festival falls on Amavasya, or the new moon night, in the Hindu lunar month of Kartik.
The five-day celebrations begin with Dhanteras on November 6, followed by Choti Diwali on November 7. The main festival and Lakshmi Puja will take place on November 8, followed by Govardhan Puja on November 9 and Bhai Dooj on November 10.
