PM Modi in Australia: Odia folk music enthralls crowd in Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s penchant for everything indigenous is hardly a secret. Wherever he goes, he never fails to showcase Indian art and culture. Keeping that in view, the Indian diaspora in Australia performed many cultural programmes including an Odia folk song during PM Modi’s visit to Australia.

More than 20,000 people at The Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney got a taste of folk music and dance from the tribal hinterlands of Odisha when the girls swayed to the pulsating ‘dhitam dhitam madal baje’ song which translates ‘The drum beats dhitam dhitam’, on the stage.

The song which has its origin in Durua tribes of western Odisha, mainly celebrates wedding. It is composed by Abhijeet Mishra and sung by Susmita Das.

Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi said that it is the mutual trust and respect that bind India and Australia. Addressing the Indian diaspora, PM Modi said that he has kept his promise that the Indians in Australia will not have to wait for another 28 years to see their PM.

The Prime Minister thanked his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese for the renaming of Harris Park as "Little India".

He said that mutual trust and mutual respect have not developed between India and Australia only due to the diplomatic relations. "The real reason, the real power is - all of you Indians who live in Australia," he said.

Ahead of PM Modi's speech, Australian Prime Minister Albanese said that the last time he saw someone on that stage was Bruce Springsteen, adding "he did not get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got".

He added, "Prime Minister Modi is the boss."