'Our country is in our heart': India Day Festival enlivens downtown Toronto

Downtown Toronto was awash in vibrant colours, music and waving flagsSunday afternoonas thousands of peoplecelebrated India's Independence Day, culture and heritage at theIndia Day Festival and Grand Parade.

Indo-Canadian dancers and musicians performed on stage at Nathan Phillips Square, and people lined up for delicious foods and drinks.

Groups dancedatopfloats during the afternoon parade,and people dressed intraditional garb represented various regions of the country.

Bollywood actor JimmySheirgillmarshalledthe 20-float parade, whichbegan in Nathan Phillips Square before movingdownDundasandYongeStreet, and heading back along Queen.

"We are very far away from our country in miles, in distance, but our country is in our heart," saidRekahGupta, who attended the festival. "We are here to celebrate India's Independence Day."

The eventshowcasesIndia's immensecultural diversity, said AnuSrivastava, president of Panorama India, which organizes the annual event with thesupport of Consulate General of India.

There were people representing all 29Indian states, and the country'smany languages and cultures.

Now in its19thyear, the event first started atYonge-DundasSquare. But Srivastava said theyoutgrew that space and had to move toNathan Phillips Square last year.There were 60,000 attendees in 2017, she said, and they hoped to surpass that number this year.

"We are blessed to be living in a country where we can celebrate other cultures, our own identity," saidSrivastava, who says the event is also a chance to engage youth.

People come from all overfor the festival and parade, said Consul General of India in TorontoDineshBhatia. He saysit's a chance to celebrate India, as well asIndia's relationship to Canada.

But India is also in national mourning, said Bhatia.

While speakingto the crowd, he lead a minute of silence for former Indian Prime MinisterAtalBihariVajpayee, whodied on Thursday. In an interview,Bhatia also noted the recent disastrousfloodinginIndia's Kerala state.

Panorama India says more than 100 community organizations were expected to participate in the festival, which runs until 10 p.m. on Sunday.

India'sIndependenceDay was on August 15.