Celebration of independence showcases Indian culture in Philly
-
The Festival of India at Penn's Landing celebrates India’s 70th anniversary of independence from British rule Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. The festival is part of PECO’s multicultural summer series which includes celebrations from different cultures. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Dancers perform on stage during the Festival of India at Penn's Landing Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Malini Mazumdar and 2-year-old Ashmi take in the colorful Bollywood dancing at the Festival of India at Penn’s Landing. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Dancers perform on stage during the Festival of India at Penn's Landing Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
A man dances in the crowd while balancing a water bottle on his head during the Festival of India Independence Day celebration at Penn’s Landing. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Dancers wait for their turn on stage during the Festival of India at Penn's Landing. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Dancers leave their shoes behind before they take the stage at the Festival of India at Penn's Landing. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Dancers perform with their bare feet painted to resemble red shoes during the Festival of India at Penn's Landing Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Parents take images and videos of their children perfoming during the Festival of India at Penn’s Landing Saturday, August 12, 2017. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Dancers perform on stage during the Festival of India at Penn's Landing Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
A crowd gathers on the steps to watch the dancers at the Festival of India at Penn's Landing. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Dancers perform on stage during the Festival of India at Penn's Landing Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Dancers perform on stage during the Festival of India at Penn's Landing Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Dancers wait for their turn on stage during the Festival of India at Penn's Landing. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
The Festival of India at Penn's Landing celebrates India’s 70th anniversary of independence from British rule Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. The festival is part of PECO’s multicultural summer series which includes celebrations from different cultures. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Dancers wait for their turn on stage during the Festival of India at Penn's Landing. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Dancers perform on stage during the Festival of India at Penn's Landing Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Manisha Jain, the cultural chairperson for the Festival of India (right), goes over the order of dance groups with emcees Priya Ganesh (far left) and Anika Sangal. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Nirali Dhada sorts her saris for sale during the Festival of India at Penn's Landing. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Jewelry is displayed for sale at the Festival of India at Penn's Landing. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
-
Amrit Singh (left), paints a henna design on Lavanya Dixit, 8, as her friend Kashish Pandey, 5, looks on. Singh works with 100 percent natural ingredients in her henna at her shop Natural Touch in Newark, Delaware. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
A man makes Jalebi, an Indian version of funnel cake, at the Festival of India at Penn's Landing. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
A family gathers at Penn's Landing for the Festival of India, a celebration 70th anniversary of India's independence from the British Empire. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
A dance group poses for a photo with the trophy they recieved for dancing in the festival. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Dancers pose for photos at the Festival of India at Penn’s Landing Aug. 12, 2017. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
-
Performers (from left) Varsha Balu, 30, Teens Varghese, 26, and Ithi Joshi, 26, pose before showing off their BollyX excercise routine which they describe as Zumba meets Bollywood. They teach the class in Philadelphia and West Chester. (Emily Cohen for NewsWorks)
Happy, nervous energy filled the backstage area as dancers from more than 35 organizations readied themselves to perform at the Festival of India at Penn’s Landing.
The festival celebrates India’s independence from the British Empire 70 years ago, when on Aug. 15, 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, the newly elected prime minister, raised the nation’s flag above the Lahori Gate of the Red Fort in Delhi.
The Council of Indian Organizations in Greater Philadelphia has been holding the annual festival at Penn’s Landing since the early 1990s, but “this is one of the best programs we’ve ever created in many years,” said Sri Sagaram, the elected Council of India president. “All of the volunteers around help make this [event] successful. We are very happy.”
The festival is part of PECO’s multicultural summer series, which includes nine celebrations of different cultures represented in the Philadelphia area. Dancers of all ages took the stage, performing to everything from classic Bollywood music to more modern Bollywood pop, even blending in some remixes from English pop star Ed Sheeran.
Throughout the day, hundreds of patrons filed through the festival grounds as they took in the dancing and singing. They sampled a variety of traditional Indian cuisine and colorful fashion, as well as the work of henna and face-paint artists. The vendors represented more than 25 local Indian organizations eager to share their culture with fellow Philadelphians.
Council of India President Sri Sagaram thanked the gathered crowd by quoting Mahatma Gandhi. “’A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people,'” he said, adding, “It is true and warms my heart to see you all here honoring his and our culture.”
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.