After being forced to hold their celebrations online for the previous two years due to COVID-19 limitations, tens of thousands of people of Indian descent descended to Toronto on Sunday for the grand parade and India Day Festival, which also featured the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
The procession at Nathan Phillips Square in downtown Toronto included a variety of floats with representation from 25 Indian states, as well as more than 15 marching teams. The celebrations lasted for about 12 hours. A broad variety of Indian food vendors and cultural performances were two of the festival-goers’ top draws.
To prevent any disturbances, Toronto Police officers had been present at the location.
The India Day Parade, traditionally held the Sunday following August 15, was the culmination of a series of similar activities that took place around the country this month. About 5,000 people attended Calgary’s Independence Day celebrations in the province of Alberta on August 15. In order to organise the event, 22 group organisations came together on the City Hall Plaza. Last Sunday, the Gurukul Intercultural Society hosted a Tiranga Yatra car rally in British Columbia to commemorate the occasion. Nearly 300 cars participated.
The Government of India has launched the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to commemorate and celebrate 75 years of independence as well as the illustrious past of its people, culture, and accomplishments.
This Mahotsav is dedicated to the Indian people who, in addition to playing a key role in the country’s progress to this point, also possess the strength and capacity to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of enabling India 2.0, fueled by the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
