Sep 12, 2009
India Comes to Downtown Columbus
Families Celebrate Central Ohio’s Ethnic Diversity
Central Ohioans can celebrate diversity by joining the Indian community for its eleventh annual India Festival on Saturday, September 19, 2009 at Veterans Memorial. The India Festival offers an opportunity for families to sample India's rich culture, history and heritage. The daylong celebration is open from 10:00am to 10:00 p.m., and includes activities for children, adults and seniors.
The eleventh year brings several new items to the festival including, a Bollywood band lead by Vishal Kothari, one of the three finalists of Indian Idol. Kothari will be accompanied by several other artists from the Indian movie industry (Bollywood).
The festival will also feature a cultural entertainment program, Talent Hunt Competition, and performances by local dancers and musicians. Children can enjoy themselves by participating in a number of activities, in Children’s Area like storytelling, face painting, playing games, and painting clay pots. The Educational Theater and Tourism Gallery will provide children, adults and seniors a way to learn more about India’s history, people, culture, tradition and tourism.
Attendance at India Festival has grown exponentially each year. The festival has come to be known as one of the premier events of its kind in the United States. The Festival has generated publicity and
recognition and has made Columbus, Ohio a destination spot for many weekend travelers. The Governor of State of Ohio, Mr. Ted Strickland officially recognized last year’s festival and commended FIA and the participants for offering such a great event year after year.
A free Health Fair sponsored by Bharatiya Hindu Temple (BHT) and Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPIO), will be providing health screenings. This fair will include primers on yoga and meditation techniques and an on-site Red Cross Blood Drive. All these activities are sure to work up visitor’s appetites, which can be satisfied at more than 15 food booths bringing the tastes of India to Columbus from top local Indian restaurants.
Along with the full day event on September 19, FIA also organized a Cricket Tournament held on Saturday, September 5 2009. More than 16 cricket teams from all over Ohio participated to compete and win the trophy in the sixth year of this event. The popularity of this sport has increased amongst Asian Indians in Central Ohio since the first Cricket Tournament was held in 2003.
The India Festival will be one of the only events this year offering local families a chance to enjoy the depth and breadth of Indian culture, music, food and dress. It provides a place for people of Ohio to embrace diversity, learn more about the people from India who have been calling Ohio their home and contributing to Ohio's growth and progress. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $6.
For more information on India Festival, visit www.indiafestival.org. More information on FIA is available at www.fia-ohio.org. Please feel free to contact us at (877) FIA-OH12
EMail:info@fia-ohio.org
Contact: Ami Chokshi; ami@fia-ohio.org
