The 'India Festival' in Israel to celebrate 60 years of Independence and 15 years of Indo-Israel diplomatic relations got off to a glorious start with Odissi danseuse Kavita Dwibedi and sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee performing to a capacity audience in Tel Aviv.

The renowned Odissi performer brought visual delight to the audience on Thursday night at the Klatchkin auditorium with the perfect use of her expressive eyes and rhythmic body movements.

"Kavita was like poetry in motion on stage. It has aroused curiosity among us regarding the dance form which was so far unknown to us," said Nehemya Schachaf, who came from the south of Israel for the cultural evening.

"Breathtaking! It's been long since I saw a sitar concert with such intensity. With young artistes like him, I am sure that Indian musical tradition has a bright future," Jerusalem resident David Nagani, who comes from a family of musicians, said about Chatterjee.

The Indian community has been organising several cultural programmes during the last week to celebrate the country's Independence Day. 

Over 600 Indians turned up for the celebrations on Wednesday at the residence of India's ambassador to Israel -- the largest such gathering since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1992.

Indian Ambassador Arun Kumar Singh appreciated the role of the Indian community in Israel and expressed satisfaction at the way the bilateral relations have progressed between the two countries.