NEW YORK – The India Day Parade returns to New York City for the 42nd year on Sunday.
The parade starts at noon.
What to see at the NYC India Day Parade and Festival
According to the Federation of Indian Associations, the parade will feature over 40 floats, over 50 marching groups and over 30 brass bands, along with celebrities and dignitaries. Indian actress Sonakshi Sinha will play the role of Grand Marshal and guests of honour will include Indian actor Pankaj Tripathi and Indian Bhojpuri superstar Manoj Tiwari.
In addition to the parade, there will also be a festival with a stage for cultural performances and over 45 stalls and food vendors.
Map shows route of the NYC India Day Parade and festival grounds
Federation of Indian Associations
The parade moves along Madison Avenue from East 38th Street to East 27th Street.
The events on the cultural stage can be followed from the audience area on East 25th Street and Madison Avenue.
Food vendors and other stalls line East 26th Street from Madison Avenue to Park Avenue and Madison Avenue from East 26th Street to East 25th Street.
Street closures during NYC India Day Parade on Sunday
The following roads will be closed for the India Day Parade and Festival on Sunday:
- 37th Street and 38th Street between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue
- Madison Avenue between 38th Street and 27th Street
- 27th Street between Park Avenue South and 5th Avenue
- Madison Avenue between 24th and 26th Street
- 26th Street between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue South
Controversial float at the India Day Parade
A float honoring a Hindu temple built over a destroyed mosque in India is being criticized as anti-Islamic.
The Indian American Muslim Council and other religious groups called on parade organizers to remove a float depicting the Ram Mandir because the temple is seen in the South Asian country as a symbol of glorifying the destruction of mosques and violence against Muslims.
About 80 percent of India’s population is Hindu, but the country is also home to about 200 million Muslims who are often the target of attacks by Hindu nationalists.
Parade organizers have rejected calls to remove the float, saying it was a celebration to mark the inauguration of a sacred landmark that is of great importance to hundreds of millions of Hindus.
