Ram Temple Float High Point Of ‘India Day Parade’ In New York Despite Controversy

Thousands of Indian Americans and others, including prominent spiritual guru Swami Avdheshanand Giri Ji Maharaj and some Indian film actors, participated in the grand 42^nd annual India Day Parade down Madison Square in New York City on August 18 to commemorate India’s Independence Day despite a “malicious and hate-filled” social media campaign by some groups to have it stalled because of the inclusion of a float of Ram Mandir being included in this year’s parade.

Among the Indian film stars who joined in were newly weds Sonaksh Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal, Pankaj Tripathi and Manoj Tewari.

The parade has been held in New York city every year for the past over four decades.

According to the Federation of India Associations (FIA) in USA, which organises the parade, more than 40 floats from various communities representing the Indian diaspora, 50 marching groups and 30 marching bands participated in the parade. Enthusiastic waving of the tricolour, dancing, singing of patriotic songs and beat of the drums marked the parade.

Apart from the grand parade, a festival featuring cultural performances, 45 booths and food stalls, vending a variety of traditional Indian foods from different regions of the country wowed the participants.

The float which generated some controversy carried a flower bedecked wooden replica of the recently consecrated Ram Temple in Ayodhya with the Ram Lalla idol.

Defending the inclusion of the float in the annual parade, Dr Avinash Gupta, president of New York’s FIA, said, “The temple was built after 500 years of wait and it was decided by the highest court of the land. Supreme Court decided it. The parade is all about unity, diversity, and inclusiveness, and there is no place for hate. We are respectful to all faiths,” he added.

Earlier on Independence Day, on the initiative of FIA-NY, NJ, CT (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut) the most iconic building in New York City, the Empire State Building was illuminated with a stunning display of the Indian tricolour, a ceremony in which Indian Consul General Binaya S. Pradhan also joined.