Large Crowds, Stars At NY Parade That Featured A Ram Temple Float

Photo: YouTube.

NEW YORK, NY (ANI) – A huge crowd participated in the India Day Parade that marched down Madison Avenue from East 38th Street to East 27th Street. Sonakshi Sinha served as the grand marshal, with actor Pankaj Tripathi and Member of Parliament Manoj Tiwari as guests of honor.

According to the Federation of Indian Associations, the parade, in celebration of India’s Independence Day, featured more than 40 floats, over 50 marching groups, and over 30 marching bands, alongside celebrities and dignitaries. In addition to the parade, there was a festival with cultural performances, over 45 booths, and food vendors.

A carnival float featuring the Ram Temple was part of the parade. Religious songs played as the float, made of wood, depicted the Ram Mandir, a grand pink sandstone temple built for Lord Ram in Ayodhya. The float, measuring 18 feet long, nine feet wide, and eight feet high, was largely carved in India and shipped by air to participate in the parade.

A group representing Indian American Muslims withdrew its float from the parade following controversy over the inclusion of the Ram Mandir float, which they said shows anti-Muslim bias. Just hours before the parade, the Federation of Indian Associations, which organized the event, stated that the float celebrates the inauguration of a landmark significant to Hindus.

In a statement on August 14, the Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-CT-NE said, “We find ourselves under heavy scrutiny for organizing a peaceful community celebration that our dedicated volunteers have worked tirelessly to prepare. This malicious and hate-filled scrutiny, spread on social media, has resulted in the loss of sponsorships–the lifeblood of our event–and in fearmongering, causing law-abiding citizens to worry about potential unruly conduct due to the hateful messages circulating online.”

“Our inclusion of a float that celebrates the inauguration of a sacred landmark, significant to hundreds of millions of Hindus, has been insulted by derogatory name-calling, and the officials and the mainstream are radio silent. I respectfully ask, would such name-calling be tolerated if directed at any other community’s place of worship? The answer is unequivocally no,” the statement further said.