First look: Inside the India House in Paris

A day after the grand Paris Olympics opening ceremony on the Seine ended with a light and laser show at the Eiffel Tower, another landmark inauguration took place—that of the first-ever India House.

Located at Parc de la Villette, 15 km from the Eiffel Tower, India House is designed to resemble a haveli. Visitors are greeted with pink-and-white elephants made of roses at the entrance, percussionists playing the dhol and drums, and volunteers dressed in blush-pink tops and cream-coloured bottoms. Inside is a wall, displaying Gond art from Madhya Pradesh, which is decorated with images of India’s 117-member strong contingent competing in Paris. 

At the inauguration of the space, Nita Mukesh Ambani, founder of the Reliance Foundation and member of the International Olympic Committee, dressed in a rose-pink Banarasi sari paired with a French lace blouse, said, “India House is envisioned as a symbol of India’s Olympic aspirations. We hope it becomes a home away from home for our athletes, a place where we honour them, salute their spirit, and celebrate their achievements. India House is not a destination, it’s a new beginning for India.”

Conceptualised by Reliance Foundation as part of its partnership with the Indian Olympic Association, the space offers not only a look into India’s rich history and practices (you can try out their yoga sessions), artistic traditions through workshops and showcases by Swadesh (you can even buy Indian jewellery, handlooms, fabrics, and perfumes), but also a taste of the country, literally—think vada pav, Malabar parotta with Nadan mutton curry, sev puri, mini sambar idlis, rasam vada, and more) and even the cult favourite, Old Monk dark rum.

The creation of India House is part of a growing trend at the Olympics where participating nations set up spaces for fans to enjoy a piece of their culture, through music, food, and more, to meet Olympians, celebrate victories and, of course, watch the Olympics Games action on giant screens with their compatriots. For example, the Belgium House in Paris has a stall selling fries, the Brazil House is trading pao de queijo, the Czech House has plenty of beer. “At India House, we welcome the world to experience the beauty, diversity, and rich heritage of India right here in the heart of Paris,” said Ambani at the inauguration.

The first Olympic hospitality house was set up by the beer giant Heineken for the Dutch athletes at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. As families and friends of athletes were not allowed into the Olympic Village, the beer maker set it up as a place for athletes to meet their loved ones after the competition, celebrate their victories, and commiserate if they missed out on a medal.

In 1994, the pioneering people at Heineken introduced a cry room, a small soundproof cabin with a couch where athletes could cry, shout, and let it all out after cooking for several days in such a high-performance, high-pressure competition. Since then, the Heineken Holland House has had the popular cry room as part of its Olympic hospitality houses.

At the Y2K Sydney Olympics, fans were allowed to enter for the first time and the popularity of these houses soared—many other houses started showing up as a place for their travelling fans to hang out. This year there are more than 30 hospitality houses in Paris.

Even the most ardent sports fan will agree that the Olympics are not just about watching sports. The event is as much a time to party and have a good time, not just for fans, but athletes as well. So today’s hospitality houses offer bars, food, cultural shows, engagement activities, live bands, DJs spinning music, and a whole list of events. You could have a cricket net session at the India House, go cycling in the Belgium House, and play some football at Brazil House. This year, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) has curated an impressive music and dance programme for The India House, which has so far seen artists like Shaan and Raghu Dixit on the lineup.

Besides events, these houses also become a space for watch parties and for camaraderie to play out. So it’s not surprising that even brands have jumped onto the bandwagon: Nike has set up a camp at Centre Pompidou while sunglasses maker Oakley has a “bunker” next to USA House in the heart of the city. There is also a Pride House in Paris, which hosts parties every night, and events to create awareness and increase visibility for LGBTQ+ community and athletes. It also provides a space for LGBTQ+ supporters, athletes, and allies to meet. While some of the houses, such as Casa Colombia and Casa Mexico accept walk-ins, others, like Casa Brazil. require a free online registration. Then there are others who charge an entry fee, ranging from India House’s €5 ticket to Belgium House’s €20, Canada House’s €30, going up to USA House’s whopping €325 plus tax.

But it’s not just fun and games. All houses have a dedicated area for Olympic athletes and coaches, to which fans do not have access. That area remains sacrosanct for the players and their friends and families. At Belgium House, which is in a palatial building just off Champs-Élysées, an ornate staircase just to the right of the main entrance leads straight to the Olympians’ area. At India House, this section is right at the back, next to the stage with two beefy bodyguards stationed outside all the time.

If the inauguration is any measure, India House has already caused quite an effect with its Bollywood-themed opening lineup and food stalls garnering much appreciation. Close enough is Belgium House, which literally featured an extension of the EDM festival Tomorrowland that’s currently on in Belgium. Eat in India, dance in Belgium, maybe?