World Culture Festival: Here’s a sneak peak into the grandeur

Work underway at the site of the World Culture Festival along the Yamuna flood plains in New Delhi.

World’s largest stage - WCF will witness the world’s largest stage, set up over an area of seven acres, which equals about six FIFA grounds. This will be an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for the ‘Largest temporary stage’ in the world. (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)

In 2016, the Art of Living completes 35 years of service to humanity. To commemorate this momentous occasion, the World Culture Festival is being organized from 11 to 13, March 2016 in New Delhi. (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)

MCD employees fumigating the area around the site of the World Culture Festival along the Yamuna flood plains.

A unique platform will be created for spiritual and religious leaders, world politicians, peacemakers and artists to spread the message of global peace and harmony in diversity. (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)

Preparations for the The World Culture Festival 2016 along the Yamuna flood plains.

By showcasing the rich cultural traditions of dance, music and the arts from around the world as well as Yoga, the Festival hopes to foster a deeper understanding between people of different faiths, nationalities and backgrounds. (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)

Door frame metal detectors installed at one of the entry points of the venue of World Culture Festival.

Size of the venue- The total area of the venue would cover a 1000 acres. (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)

Over 1000 people are working on the stage and venue development. (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)

About 3.5 million people from across 155 countries are expected to congregate at the festival. (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)

More than 20,000 (tentative) international guests are expected. Sizable contingents from South America, Mangolia, Russia, US, Europe, Japan, Malaysia, Australia and Pakistan among others. (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)

A workers hauls metal sheets along the approach road to the site of the World Culture Festival.

Coordination effort - Participants are being sent the tracks and dance steps to practice individually. The state co-ordinators are moving from district to district to monitor practice sessions. (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)

The Global Leadership Forum, co-hosted by the World Forum of Ethics in Business and The Art of Living Foundation in New Delhi on the 12th and 13th March 2016 will bring together senior leaders from business, government, politics, science, NGOs, faith-based organisations, sports, academia and media to reflect on the paradigms of leadership needed to maneuver the world of today. (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)

Children from the neighbourhood watch the construction at the site of the World Culture Festival.

Revival of tribal art forms - WCF will revive some of the tribal art forms from India from states like Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Sikkim among others. (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)

Over 35,973 artists are expected to perform at the World Culture Festival. (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)

World’s largest peace meditation- This will be the first time in the world that 3.5 million people will meditate for world peace for three days at one physical location. Millions will also participate virtually. For the Grand Art of Living Symphony, music tracks have been sent out to more than 8000 participants for rehearsals. (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)

For the dance performances, each state has been assigned a choreographer. States have decided on the dates for rehearsals with all participants assembled at one place. Gujarat will do its final rehearsals on 7 Mar with 2000 people In Ahmedabad. Chattisgarh is doing the Kathi Dance and the participants will assemble in Raipur on 6,7,8th February. They will do the Happiness program simultaneously. They will travel together from Raipur. The event is to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pakistan's Prime Minister (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)

A ponton bridge being prepared on the Yamuna to connect the venue for the The World Culture Festival 2016 along the Yamuna flood plains on Friday.

For Bharatnatyam 3 Padma awardees are training the participants. 650 drummers will arrive from South Africa. The drums were shipped in October 2015. They reached Bombay Port and now they are being shipped to Delhi. (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)

Workers pull a ponton (not seen) on the Yamuna to connect the venue for the The World Culture Festival 2016 along the Yamuna flood plains

According to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the “purpose of WCF is to give the world a message that the whole world is one family". (Source: Photo by Oinam Anand)