South Asian Indians from Greater Boston region will gather this weekend to celebrate India Republic Day, the 64th anniversary of the country’s constitution coming into force.
The Indian Association of Greater Boston will host an event Saturday at Burlington High School from 4-8 p.m. Local artists will present musical, Bollywood, folk, and classical performances to showcase Indian diversity and their patriotism. Vendors will be present, and a folk art exhibit will hold a viewing. The event is free and open to the public, and food will be catered to the estimated 2,000 who will attend by One World Cuisine.
Amrit Soni, the president of the IAGB, said that attendees enjoy the program and look forward to it every year. According to Soni, Burlington’s celebration is a smaller-scale version of what occurs in India.
“Indian Americans who grew up here, this is one day of bringing to them the feeling they would have felt in India,” he said.
Soni said that this year’s IAGB event is held in tribute to late Indian musician Pandit Ravi Shankar, who died at the end of last year. It is themed “The Colors of India.”
Soni added that the fete is especially fun for children.
“They are really thrilled. They’re socializing, they’re dancing, they’re talking,” he said. “The energy is something I notice.”
On Jan. 27 from 12:30-4 p.m., celebrations for India Republic Day will continue with an event called “India of My Dreams.” Guests will gather at Bombay Mahal, a restaurant in Waltham. A buffet of Indian food will be available as well as contests for children.
The IAGB holds one other large event every year for India Day in August. Soni said that the organization hosts around 15,000 people at the Hatch Shell for the occasion that commemorates the country’s independence from British control.