'I think we've done the hard part of creating something from scratch and building it up year on year for three straight years, including this year, when in a recession it was even harder than it would otherwise have been.

'We've managed to not only sustain last year's programme but have even been able to build and expand upon it; so I think my successor will have a very good platform to build on and I'm sure he will take it to even greater heights.'

Suri lauded the support and participation of the many Indian and South African corporates, academic institutions and especially the Johannesburg Arts and Culture Department, which has made the Shared Histories Festival a part of the annual Arts Alive International Johannesburg Festival.

Sanjoy Roy of Teamwork, the Indian company responsible for putting together the festival, said it was not difficult finding performers and participants to bring a different flavour to a third edition while still maintaining enough interest and diversity.

'There are so many artistes doing so many different things year in and year out that the problem is rather what to put in and what to leave out,' Roy said, adding that initiatives were under way to present a similar festival in India.

'We're trying to enthuse the South African government to look at that very seriously and help set up something like that in India.'