Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall get a colourful welcome to Southern India

PRINCE Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall celebrated the sixth day of their Indian tour today with a truly colourful welcome to Southern India.

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were welcomed with a colourful ceremony to Southern India Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were welcomed with a colourful ceremony to Southern India [GETTY]

The pair were greeted by an array of demons, princes and Gods as dancers with brightly coloured costumes and  painted faces performed an short excerpt of a 300-year-old Hindu legend.

And it looked as though the royal visitors were more than impressed with their welcome, with Charles even claiming that the performance was "far too short."

The performance was the highlight of a tour of the Kerala Folklore Theatre and Museum in Cochin, where other cultural displays were staged for the couple including martial arts fighting and an acrobatic wrestling match.

Prince Charles, camilla, duchess of cornwall, india, south india, tour, Kerala Folklore Theatre and Museum in CochinThe royal couple looked more than impressed with the enuthusiastic welcome [REUTERS]

Prince Charles, camilla, duchess of cornwall, india, south india, tour, Kerala Folklore Theatre and Museum in CochinCharles got well and truly involved in the ceremony [REUTERS]

The match even had Camilla wincing at one point when one man grabbed his opponent between the legs during a throw.

Later, she examined the costumes and said to the dancer playing Jayanta: "That must be hot.

As the couple posed for official photographs, Charles joked: "This will ruin your reputation."

Charles and Camilla were welcomed with flower garlands and a traditional tika on the forehead.

However, the Duchess wiped the tika off with a paper handkerchief once she got inside the museum, which houses India's largest collection of traditional performing art costumes, and its top floor is a theatre where folk dances are held.

After being shown around the artefacts, Camila bought a carving of three elephants in the museum's crafts and antique shop, and contemplated buying a toy car before deciding against it.

Prince Charles, camilla, duchess of cornwall, india, south india, tour, Kerala Folklore Theatre and Museum in CochinCharles layed flowers on on the tomb of one of India's most revered Sufi saints [PA]

Prince Charles, camilla, duchess of cornwall, india, south india, tour, Kerala Folklore Theatre and Museum in CochinCharles was welcomed by Pooja Oberoi, who runs a charity offering free medical treatment to the poor [PA]

Charles went on to visit one of Mumbai's most unique and religious attractions, the Haji Ali Mosque, where he layed flowers on the tomb of one of India's most revered Sufi saints.

The prince was welcomed to the shrine by Pooja Oberoi, a Sikh who runs a charity which offers free cataract surgery and medical treatment to poor devotees at the shrine.

Ms Oberoi, who was dressed in a white shalwar kameez and has two brothers who live in Birmingham, said her work reflected the multi-faith character of the shrine.

She said she believed the Prince is burdened by his responsibilities and had only recently found happiness.

"With very big man there is tension, too big tension, so many responsibilities, too many friends and enemies. I will pray and God will give him happiness," she said.

During his visit, Charles learned about an ongoing £1 million restoration project to repair the marble cladding and interior of the 60-year-old Dargah, which has been damaged over the years by sea water.

He admired the efforts of a group of workmen who were putting the finishing touches to a large slab of white marble carved with an intricate flower pattern.

Chetan Raikar, architect for the restoration project, acted as interpreter for the Prince as he chatted to one of the carvers and Charles told him: "It's brilliant, I'm full of admiration for their skills."

Prince Charles, camilla, duchess of cornwall, india, south india, tour, Kerala Folklore Theatre and Museum in CochinCamilla visited women, who have started up their own businesses [REUTERS]

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cornwall met a group of inspirational mothers today who have started their own businesses selling everything from scrap to bangles.

Camilla toured a display put on by the Vandana Foundation Micro-Finance Project which provides either free or low-cost loans to some of the city's poorest women so they can start their own businesses.

They sell everything from fruit and flowers to scrap but all have one thing in common: they are breaking boundaries by becoming entrepreneurs.

Saumya Roy, chief executive officer of the not-for-profit organisation, told the Duchess: "Many of these women are hugely vulnerable and, make no mistake, there is a huge stigma here about them going out of the house to work, let alone starting their own businesses. Each of them is an inspiration."

One of the most remarkable was 59-year-old Lila Manohar Chauhan, who lives on Mumbai's largest dump and works from 7am until 6pm picking up scrap copper, brass and other pieces of rubbish to sell.

She supports her husband, who does not work, her son, daughter-in-law and their three children with her 200 rupees per day earnings - around £2. The illiterate grandmother is now earning enough to send her three grandchildren to a local private school and they are even teaching her a few words of English.

Prince Charles, camilla, duchess of cornwall, india, south india, tour, Kerala Folklore Theatre and Museum in CochinCamilla browsed the many stalls and insisted on paying them for their goods [REUTERS]

Speaking through a translator, she said: "I want them to have a good education and a better life."

Despite the hardship, she has not lost her sense of humour.

When asked if her unemployed husband has a cup of tea waiting for her each evening, she rolled her eyes and waved her hands heavenwards in a gesture of futility.

Another scrap seller was Ankush Rajguro, 30, who supports her husband and three children and has become so successful that she now runs a little shop from her home selling sugar, coconut and garlic.

She said: "My husband is glad I have a job that allows me to stay at home with the children and work."

Prince Charles, camilla, duchess of cornwall, india, south india, tour, Kerala Folklore Theatre and Museum in CochinThe Duchess spoke to a number of women druing her visit [EPA]

On arrival, Camilla was greeted with a traditional Indian welcome - a vermillion tika, a flower garland and a traditional Indian lamp.

And as she walked around, she could not resist picking up gifts for her husband and family as she toured the stalls - buying beautiful embroidered jackets, children's clothes, sweets and a belt for Charles.

Marvelling at the women's ingenuity and the fact that so many of them support their husbands, she said: "What would we do without the women?"

Although all of the stallholders tried to offer their goods as a gift to the Duchess, she insisted on paying them, saying: 'No, I wouldn't dream of it. I must insist.

She added: "Sorry, I just can't resist, these things are so lovely. So beautifully made."

Before leaving, she posed for a group picture with the delighted women.

Their arrival in the south west Indian coastal city is the latest leg of their nine-day tour of the subcontinent.

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