Honouring Freedom, Inspiring the Future – An IFAS Community Reflection

Indian Fine Arts Society, popularly known as IFAS was established in 1974 in the Kingdom of Bahrain and is one of the oldest registered institutions with the Ministry in the island.

For last five decades, we have and continue to accept and integrate many cultural events in the best possible way in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and always been committed to its social obligation of spreading the message of love and brotherhood beyond boundaries through promotion of arts and culture. We endeavor to present soul filling music, vibrant classical dances, painting, drama and other forms of classical and semi classical arts. For The Indian Fine Arts Society (IFAS) – Bahrain, Independence Day is a celebration of both heritage and possibility. Freedom is not just a chapter in history - it is the living rhythm in every raaga, the grace in every dance, and the joy we share as a community.

Honouring Freedom, it means celebrating our right to express our traditions openly in Bahrain’s welcoming, multicultural environment. It means preserving the classical arts of India while opening the doors for all to experience their beauty.

Inspiring the Future is about passing this legacy forward - giving young people opportunities to learn, perform, and grow through music, dance, and the arts. Each performance, workshop, and cultural exchange becomes a bridge between generations, deepening roots while broadening horizons.

IFAS has been instrumental in bringing world renowned Indian artists to this island, including Shehnai Maestro Bharat Ratna Late Ustad Bismillah Khan, Sangeet Martand Ustad Mohammed Dilshad Khan, Padma Vibhushan Ustad Amjad Ali Khan (Sarod), Padma Bhushan Dr.Zakir Hussain(Tabla), Ghazal king Padma Bhushan Jagjit Singh, Padma Vibhushan Dr. Balamurali Krishna (Vocal), Padma Vibhushan Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasya (Flute), Padma Vibushan Lalgudi Jayaraman (Violin), Padmashree Kadri Gopalnath (Saxophone), Pandit Shivakumar Sharma (Santoor), Padma Bhushan K.J.Yesudas (Vocal), Padma Bhushan Smt. Padma Subramaniam (Classical Dance), Padmashree Smt. Chitra Visweswaran (Classical), Padma Bhushan Late M.L. Vasanthakumari (Vocal), Flute Maestro Dr.N.Ramani, and Padma Vibhushan Pandit Birju Maharaj (Kathak).

As India marks its 78th Independence Day, we reaffirm our mission: to keep our culture vibrant, make it accessible to all, and ensure the freedom we enjoy today becomes the foundation for the artistic dreams of tomorrow - in Bahrain, and beyond.