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Atlanta Indian community ready
for festival of India
By Ravi R. Ponangi
Atlanta: Indian community in Atlanta is gearing up to celebrate
Festival of India under the aegis of India American Cultural
association. Many ethnic groups and associations have come
together and set up special committees to hold the celebrations
in different forms and styles to attract Indians and non-Indians
from all over Atlanta to Festival of India.
Every year Festival of India is being held in August to
celebrate India’s independence. Festival of India draws more
than 6,000 visitors and brings a colorful panorama and festivity
of India to the Atlantans. Organizers are making elaborate
arrangements to make these celebrations more interesting and
meaningful to attract local community and to involve them more
intently in Festival of India. Dignitaries from various fields
are invited to grace the festival. Enthusiastic cultural groups
in Atlanta are busy in their practices to show case classical as
well as traditional songs and dances of India in the festival.
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Governor with organizers File photo |
Festival of India, a huge event has been an integral part of
Atlanta Indian community and its supporters since 1997. Festival
of India 2007 will be held in two parts. The main event will be
held on Saturday 11, 2007 at Gwinnett Center and feature many
exciting aspects of the Indian culture, tradition and language.
Visitors to the festival will experience mouthwatering dishes
from many regions of India at the food court. This celebration
will feature the latest fashions of clothing, jewelry, and other
services in commercial booths. Activities at Festival of India
also include a Health Fair. They also include multiple
performances, seminars, exhibitions, and food booths that
celebrate Indian culture. Certain activities for children are
arranged such as drawing competitions.
The second part of Festival of India is Freedom Walk/Run and it
will be held on Saturday, Aug 25 at Georgia Tech. The American
Cancer Society and its supporters
in the fight against Cancer in the United States and India
present Freedom Walk/Run.
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FOI inaguration Andrew Young with
garland, to his right Nandita Das
and Dr. Ravi Sarma introducing DR Adrew Young file photo |
Chand Akkineni, the think tank of Atlanta festival of India told
this correspondent that visitors can experience the taste of
India in a single day at one spot and he encourages Indians to
bring their non-Indian friends in large number to introduce
India to them with out visiting India physically. He further
said in 1997, I was the President of IACA. Mr. Ram Sidhaye was
the Chairman of the Board. We wanted to celebrate the 50th
anniversary of India's independence and bring all the India
associations together irrespective of their region, religion and
language. In 1997, it was a three-day event attended by over 50
speakers including Kiran Bedi, Lt. Gov. Howard Pierre and Mayor
Campbell. Over 10,000 attended the three-day event. "Unity in
Diversity" was the theme. It was a $120k event and IACA lost
around $12,000. But we stayed put and turned it around. Today
75% of IACA's operational expenses are taken care of by FOI.
Over the years, FOI became the largest south Asian event in
Atlanta. Everyone looks for the event during the middle of
August every year.
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