If the inaugural ceremony wowed audiences and participants from across the world, the closing ceremony matched its energy and went lavish with the entertainment factor. Clearly, the Chess Olympiad, which was planned and executed in less than four months, was a roaring success, not just with respect to the participation but also the hospitality and entertainment.
Tuesday evening’s programme was a display of technology, art and diverse talent. Children from Hariology solved the Rubik’s cube in a minute on stage. This was followed by a scintillating performance called ‘Heartbeats of India’, featuring Sivamani on the drums, Rajesh Vaidhya on the veena, Stephan Devassy on the keyboard and Naveen Kumar on the flute. In a moment that took the crowd by surprise, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin accompanied Sivamani on the instrument and received thunderous applause.
The next performance defied gravity and was proof that technology can be melded with art. Playing a collection of Bharathiyar songs and Vande Mataram, the pianist was not merely ‘levitating’ but also rotated 360 degrees throughout the performance. Continuing this theme, performers in glow-in-the-dark costumes beat the drums while levitating.
