Priyanka Chopra leads India Day Parade in New York 21st Aug 2007
10.53 IST
By Agencies
Thousands of people flocked to the annual India Day Parade held in New York that saw Bollywood beauty Priyanka Chopra as grand marshal and astronaut Sunita Williams as the guest of honour.
The event held on Sunday, saw people fill up the sidewalks on the parade route along Madison Avenue from 41st Street to 24th Street in Manhattan. The atmosphere was charged with the hues and vibrancy of Indian culture, with many people waving the tricolour and quite a few dressed in the colours of the national flag.
The parade to celebrate 60 years of India's independence was organised by the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), which boasts of 300,000 members in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Standing on the platform with Priyanka and Sunita was comedian Johnny Lever , waving to the crowds and cracking jokes. TV actresses Reena Kapur and Prachi Desai were also present at the function.
Around 40 floats and groups participated in the parade - all sponsored by private bodies ranging from companies to spiritual organisations. While disseminating their own messages, they also played patriotic songs as well as popular film numbers.
An entertainment programme at Madison Square Garden followed the parade. But the low stage and surging crowds made it quite difficult for most people to view the performances.
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Priyanka Chopra leads India Day Parade in New York
