When: Sunday, August 15, 2010, 12 PM to 5 PM
Where: St Paul Capitol Grounds
What: IndiaFest is the joyful celebration of the rich culture and heritage of
Flyer: Click here for IndiaFest 2010 Flyer and here for Program Brochure.
The event detail follows:
Thank you for your support of the second annualIndiaFestpresented by India Association of Minnesota (IAM) at the St Paul Capitol Grounds on Sun, Aug 15. This year’s IndiaFest was a grand success! The program was kicked off at noon by IAM Vice President, Shalini Thadani. Soon thereafter, in celebration of the India’s Independence Day, both US and Indian flags were unfurled by one of IAM’s founders, Jagadish Desai, followed by performance of the national anthems of both countries.
“Wow! What a day! Gorgeous weather, beautiful location, tasty food, graceful performances, Indian art, excited crowds …it has all came together perfectly today at IndiaFest. Today’s event exceeded expectations! Our thanks to the planning committee, volunteers, participants and the thousands of attendees” said PG Narayanan , President of IAM. “Vineet Gupta and Hari Pallempati led the event flawlessly” added Mr. Narayanan.
A local band, Tarang, kicked off the cultural program with popular patriotic and Bollywood songs, that got many in the audience dancing in front of the stage. This was followed by a variety of popular Bollywood dances. Several regional Indian programs enthralled the audience including Rabindra Sangeet from Bengal, Mohini Attam from Kerala, Odissi dance from Orissa and the ever popular Bharata Natyam dance form.
There was representation from over 20 non-profit groups and 7 state organizations. Several businesses sponsored and sold goods and services, including several restaurateurs who served authentic and tasty Indian cuisine adding flavor to the event. IndiaFest was sponsored by several local corporations including 3M, Wells Fargo, M&I Bank, TBS Mart, Edina Realty (Pramod & Sangeeta Chopra) and supported by partners including Localfiles and Brookdale Cinemas.
Apoorva Parischa and Shurti Iyer won the IAM Student Fellowship Awards of $1,000 each for 2010. The IAM Student award is presented to two High School Graduates each year who have demonstrated academic superiority, Leadership, Community volunteering, and extra-curricular activities. Both these student leaders are very active with the Indian Community and volunteer their time with various religious and cultural organizations.
The green lawns of the Capitol Grounds formed the perfect background to colorful Indian dresses worn by the attendees of the festival. Children took the colors to a whole new level by taking advantage of the free activities including face painting, henna and balloon twisting. Many of the visitors turned nostalgic seeing kites flying on India’s Independence Day - a favorite Indian pass time. See pictures of IndiaFest at IAM’s Facebook site at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=202930&l=e4b58af50f&id=89298145823
India Association of Minnesota (IAM) is a non-profit organization whose aim is to build a strong and cohesive community of Asian Indians in the state of Minnesota. One of IAM’s primary goals is to educate and inform the broader MN community about India and how to make the connection easier with India as we become a globalized world. This is achieved via a number of events throughout the year, IndiaFest being one of them. IndiaFest was held at this new location for the first time and this venue promises to be a great backdrop for this fun-filled Indian festival for many years to come. Visit www.iamn.orgfor more information on IndiaFest or India Association of Minnesota.
