Indian Parade Bridges Old and New World

Welcome to India My Friend

The 33rd annual Indian Independence Parade on Madison Ave. this past Sunday August 18th had an energetic and prideful feel to it. Many Indians from the Tri-State area came to see notable honorees including Bollywood star Vidya Balan and political reformer Anna Hazare lead the celebration of the 67th Independence Day from British rule. Billed as the largest Indian parade in the country, thousands of people were treated to a day of colorful floats, music, dancing and a celebration of coming to America to begin new lives. Many memorable sights were seen. One of them was a symbol of Lady Liberty with an Indian woman representing the iconic image. There was also an impressive float with a replica of the Taj Mahal and a bridge to a replica of the Freedom Tower. Once the parade got under way, a large number of people greeted the beloved star Vidya Balan on her float. She was soon followed by the remarkable Swamibapa Pipe Band. They could give any Irish or Scottish pipe band some good competition. The biggest response came on the convertible carrying reformer Anna Hazare. The NYPD could hardly prevent the large crowds from gathering around the vehicle so folks could shake his hand.

Vidya Balan

Swamibapa Pipe Band

Bridging the Nations

More colorful floats made their way down Madison Ave. towards 23rd St where there were more kiosks and food vendors of many kinds. India as a country as large as Europe and just as diverse with many languages and different customs and traditions. The spiritual side of India was well represented with many organizations from yoga, Buddhists, Christians, Hare Krishnas with each group wishing for peace and love among each other. It was a beautiful sight to see for anybody of any culture. One group that really made some noise and got lots of attention were the Jal Bharat dancing and drum group. They really put on a show for the crowd. Overall it was a fun parade with good content but the spacing and pairing of groups could have been better as some music mashed into other sounds and one couldn’t really appreciate either group. Some marching bands like Mother Cabrini and the Yonkers Military Band could not be heard too well over the blaring music coming over the speakers. Other than that the parade was a success and something the organizers, Federation of Indian Associations, should be very proud of.