NEW YORK—The cool gray corridor of high-rise buildings along Madison Avenue was energized on Sunday with big smiles, bright colors, and lively music for the 31st annual India Day Parade.
More than 40 floats drew cheers as they drove down the 10-block stretch from 38th Street to 27th Street. Indian film actress Rani Mukerji took turns with prominent figures from the Indian community at the microphone on stage to keep the crowd energized.
“We are very happy at the India Day Parade,” said T.P. Singh, 61, from Hicksville, N.Y.
Singh, who owns three Subway sandwich franchises in the Bronx, came to see the parade for the first time. Singh’s granddaughter, Amanpreet Kaur, 16, was on a float with the winners of various beauty pageants. Kaur won a pageant in the “under 16” category earlier this year. Wearing a red langa, a traditional Indian dress, she beamed a bright smile at the crowd while waving an orange, white, and green Indian flag.
“Twenty-five years ago, there weren’t that many people, there weren’t that many flags around. Now, everybody has flags in their hands,” said Mercy Philips, 60, a registered nurse from the Bronx.
Philips has been to parade 10 times and is drawn back each year by the music and dancing.
More than 40 floats drew cheers as they drove down the 10-block stretch from 38th Street to 27th Street. Indian film actress Rani Mukerji took turns with prominent figures from the Indian community at the microphone on stage to keep the crowd energized.
“We are very happy at the India Day Parade,” said T.P. Singh, 61, from Hicksville, N.Y.
Singh, who owns three Subway sandwich franchises in the Bronx, came to see the parade for the first time. Singh’s granddaughter, Amanpreet Kaur, 16, was on a float with the winners of various beauty pageants. Kaur won a pageant in the “under 16” category earlier this year. Wearing a red langa, a traditional Indian dress, she beamed a bright smile at the crowd while waving an orange, white, and green Indian flag.
“Twenty-five years ago, there weren’t that many people, there weren’t that many flags around. Now, everybody has flags in their hands,” said Mercy Philips, 60, a registered nurse from the Bronx.
Philips has been to parade 10 times and is drawn back each year by the music and dancing.
The parade celebrates Indian independence. The nation broke free from British colonial rule on Aug. 15, 1947.
“Every other culture has some sort of commonalities, but the Indian culture is completely different from the rest of the world,” said Anupam Tyagi, 29. “It’s an entirely different culture, and it’s good to stay connected with that.”
Tyagi moved to New York four months ago, after working in London and Switzerland for India’s second-largest IT company. He particularly enjoyed the float where a model of the Taj Mahal was joined by a bridge with a model of the Empire State Building.
Tyagi heard about the parade from friends, who attend it regularly. On his way to the event, he bought an Indian flag made from traditional cloth.
The crowd cheered the loudest when Rani Mukerji came up to the stage. The actress, dressed in a traditional Indian dress, got everyone chanting “Hip-hip, hurray!” for India.
Madry Engasser, 66, decided to join this year’s festivities to after reading in a newspaper that Mukerji would be the grand marshal of the parade. She last saw the parade 10 years ago and recalled that many people in the crowd dressed in traditional outfits back then.
The annual parade in New York City is the largest of its kind in the world outside of India.
“Every other culture has some sort of commonalities, but the Indian culture is completely different from the rest of the world,” said Anupam Tyagi, 29. “It’s an entirely different culture, and it’s good to stay connected with that.”
Tyagi moved to New York four months ago, after working in London and Switzerland for India’s second-largest IT company. He particularly enjoyed the float where a model of the Taj Mahal was joined by a bridge with a model of the Empire State Building.
Tyagi heard about the parade from friends, who attend it regularly. On his way to the event, he bought an Indian flag made from traditional cloth.
The crowd cheered the loudest when Rani Mukerji came up to the stage. The actress, dressed in a traditional Indian dress, got everyone chanting “Hip-hip, hurray!” for India.
Madry Engasser, 66, decided to join this year’s festivities to after reading in a newspaper that Mukerji would be the grand marshal of the parade. She last saw the parade 10 years ago and recalled that many people in the crowd dressed in traditional outfits back then.
The annual parade in New York City is the largest of its kind in the world outside of India.
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