Students Shine at India Malaysia Cultural Festival
Over 150 students from India, Malaysia, and Indonesia gathered for a colourful six-day celebration of music, dance, and visual art.
Have you ever made friends with someone from another country through a shared song or a dance step? More than 150 energetic school students travelled to Malaysia to participate in the exciting India Malaysia cultural festival. This grand international event brought children, teachers, and principals together for six wonderful days of creative learning from 17 to 22 October 2026.
Alongside 50 teachers and principals from six different schools, the young participants represented three vibrant nations: India, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The festival showed how young people can share their special traditions and learn from each other while having lots of fun across borders.
What happened?
The festival was organised by India’s Art & Aesthetics Foundation, also known as TAAF. It officially began on 17 October at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indian Cultural Centre in the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur.
Important guests arrived to cheer for the young performers. India’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Somnath Ghosh, and Deputy High Commissioner Hitesh Rajpal attended the opening ceremony alongside artists and cultural representatives.
Over the six days, stages across Malaysia were filled with rhythm, colour, and energy. Students performed classical, folk, and contemporary music and dance. They also brought along visual art exhibits that proudly showed off the unique traditions of their home cultures.
Learning was a huge part of this special trip. On 19 October, students attended a voice masterclass at the Faculty of Creative Arts at the University of Malaya. This class was taught by Chanshim Makunga, a New Delhi-based soprano and voice trainer who is from Manipur.
Makunga, who is an alumna of the Nagaland Conservatory of Music, guided the eager students through Western classical singing, contemporary voice styles, and choral techniques. Children got to practise harmonising their voices and discovering new ways to hit high notes together.
The fun did not stop in Kuala Lumpur. The young participants also took part in creative presentations and learning sessions hosted at the University of Cyberjaya. Finally, this memorable international journey concluded with a grand cultural programme in the city of Ipoh.
Why does it matter to you?
You might wonder how a festival held across the ocean connects to your own life at school. When children meet peers from different places, it shows that creative art is a universal language that anyone can understand. You do not even need to speak the exact same words to enjoy an energetic folk dance or a beautiful melody.
Taking part in artistic celebrations also helps you discover fresh creative techniques, such as different ways to sing in a choir or paint traditional designs. Most importantly, it inspires you to take pride in your own rich cultural heritage while warmly appreciating the colourful customs of friends around the world.
Words to know
- Contemporary: modern styles of art or music that belong to the present time rather than the past.
- Soprano: a singer who can sing notes in the highest vocal range.
- Masterclass: a special learning session taught by an expert or master in a subject.
- Choral: relating to music that is sung together by a choir or a group of singers.
Did you know?
Did you know that Malaysia and India have shared trade and cultural traditions across the Indian Ocean for many centuries? Today, many people living in Malaysia have roots in India, which makes cultural programmes feel like a warm meeting between old friends!
Think about it
If you were chosen to represent your school at an international cultural festival, which Indian dance, song, or painting style would you love to share with new friends? What kind of traditional art from Malaysia or Indonesia would you be most curious to try?
Quick quiz
Which expert conducted a vocal masterclass for the students during the festival?
- Chanshim Makunga
- Somnath Ghosh
- Hitesh Rajpal
See the answer
Chanshim Makunga
Sources
This story was prepared by the Kids Gazette news desk with the help of AI research and writing tools, using the sources listed above.
