Mumbai:
Thousands of Indian-Americansgathered at Madison Avenue in Manhattan here for the annualIndia day parade to commemorate the 66th independence day oftheir homeland, with actor Saif Ali Khan and cricketer AnilKumble gracing the occasion as special guests.
The 32nd 'India Day Parade', held yesterday, has become aregular fixture in the city's cultural scene and is one of thebiggest parades organised in the US to celebrate the Indianindependence day.
Saif Ali Khan, dressed in a crisp white kurta-pyjama, was thegrand marshal of the parade and waved out to fans as the floatcarrying him made its way through 10 blocks of Madison avenue.
A visibly delighted Saif said he was proud to be arepresentative of India at the parade, adding that the eventwas an opportunity for him to express his gratitude to hisfans in the US.
"Whatever fame we have is because of the movie industryand I am happy to see such a massive outpouring of love here.I want my fans in the US to know that we love them and arethankful to them and I hope they continue to enjoy our films,"Saif said.
The actor was accompanied by Indian Consul General PrabhuDayal. Anil Kumble, who was the guest of honour at the parade, saidit was a matter of pride for him to be part of one of thebiggest independence day events held outside India.
"Indians have made cricket popular in the US and I hopeAmerica too becomes an important member of the cricketingfraternity," he said.
The Cricket World T20 Trophy was also displayed at theparade.
Apart from Indian-Americans, who had come fromneighbouring New Jersey and Connecticut to witness the parade,several New Yorkers also stopped to look at India's culturalheritage and diversity which was displayed through tableauxand dance performances in the parade.
People waved the Indian flag and wore tri-colour sashesas patriotic Indian music wafted through the air. Thousands ofIndians waited on the side of the roads to catch a glimpse ofKhan and Kumble during the nearly three-hour parade.
A contingent of the New York Police Department led theparade, which is organised every year by the Federation ofIndian Associations. The parade is a culmination of variousevents organised in the country to celebrate India'sindependence day.
On August 15, Dayal had rung the opening bell at theNasdaq Stock Exchange while Kumble rang the closing bell onFriday. Several other parades and cultural events wereorganised in cities like Dallas, Chicago and Boston to markAugust 15.
Last year, Indian actress Rani Mukherjee was the grandmarshall of the parade. The other main attractions of theparade were colourful floats, street fairs, food courts andmerchandise booths as well as cultural programmes by variousdance schools.
The 32nd 'India Day Parade', held yesterday, has become aregular fixture in the city's cultural scene and is one of thebiggest parades organised in the US to celebrate the Indianindependence day.
Saif Ali Khan, dressed in a crisp white kurta-pyjama, was thegrand marshal of the parade and waved out to fans as the floatcarrying him made its way through 10 blocks of Madison avenue.
A visibly delighted Saif said he was proud to be arepresentative of India at the parade, adding that the eventwas an opportunity for him to express his gratitude to hisfans in the US.
"Whatever fame we have is because of the movie industryand I am happy to see such a massive outpouring of love here.I want my fans in the US to know that we love them and arethankful to them and I hope they continue to enjoy our films,"Saif said.
The actor was accompanied by Indian Consul General PrabhuDayal. Anil Kumble, who was the guest of honour at the parade, saidit was a matter of pride for him to be part of one of thebiggest independence day events held outside India.
"Indians have made cricket popular in the US and I hopeAmerica too becomes an important member of the cricketingfraternity," he said.
The Cricket World T20 Trophy was also displayed at theparade.
Apart from Indian-Americans, who had come fromneighbouring New Jersey and Connecticut to witness the parade,several New Yorkers also stopped to look at India's culturalheritage and diversity which was displayed through tableauxand dance performances in the parade.
People waved the Indian flag and wore tri-colour sashesas patriotic Indian music wafted through the air. Thousands ofIndians waited on the side of the roads to catch a glimpse ofKhan and Kumble during the nearly three-hour parade.
A contingent of the New York Police Department led theparade, which is organised every year by the Federation ofIndian Associations. The parade is a culmination of variousevents organised in the country to celebrate India'sindependence day.
On August 15, Dayal had rung the opening bell at theNasdaq Stock Exchange while Kumble rang the closing bell onFriday. Several other parades and cultural events wereorganised in cities like Dallas, Chicago and Boston to markAugust 15.
Last year, Indian actress Rani Mukherjee was the grandmarshall of the parade. The other main attractions of theparade were colourful floats, street fairs, food courts andmerchandise booths as well as cultural programmes by variousdance schools.
