President hosts BRICS leaders at cultural soiree, banquet

New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) Indian President Pratibha Patil hosted the heads of the BRICS countries who are in India for their 4th BRIC summit to a banquet and a cultural programme Wednesday evening, a at the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

'The BRICs leaders called on the president, who played host to a performance of Indian classical dance by Gitanjali Lal and her troupe. The cultural soiree was followed by a lavish banquet with both Indian and global fare,' the official said.

The cultural programme was prersented by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, she said.

Gitanjali Lal, the director of Kathak Kendra, is one of the leading exponents of the dance form in the country. She has trained under Roshan Kumar and Devi Lal. After joining Kathak Kendra, she learnt from Birju Maharaj by working under him. She starred as the leading lady in 1972 Bollywood biographical drama 'Shayar-e-Kashmir Mahjur'.