Annual festival embraces two cultures
By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
Although it happened many years and a month removed, residents of both the United States and India highlight the summer with a celebration of independence.
Several hundred members of the township’s Indian community as well as many other residents took part in the fourth annual festival sponsored by the Indo-American Cultural Foundation of Central New Jersey.
”As a member of the Indian community, it is nice to come and participate in the events,” Monmouth Junction resident Sunanda Salhotra said as she waited for her daughter to take the stage and perform a cultural dance from her native land. “I come from India and my daughter is performing in the dances.”
Ms. Salhotra’s daughter, Saumya, 14, said it was her first time performing along with native dancers from a variety of local native dance schools.
Saumya performed a dance based on a prayer to one of the deities of the Hindu religion and said she has been performing dances from her parent’s native land since she was 4 years old.
She said there were five others in the group performing the dance, which was one of many performances during the festival.
Attendees also were able to sample a plate of Indian cuisine and celebrate the 65th anniversary of that nation’s independence from British rule on Aug. 15.
Foundation organizer Mac Shah said the event helps second and third generation Indians to know about their native land’s history and culture.
”We bring it here (to America),” Mr. Shah said. “We got our independence from Britain 65 years ago and we celebrated in India, now we started doing it here.”
YMCA Executive Director Tom Libassi said that almost half of the YMCA’s membership is of Indian decent and that the organization sees the celebration as a way to represent that group of the community as well as a way to share its rich culture with the rest of the community.
”The Y’s objective, regardless of where (the various YMCAs) are located, is to be a mirror image of the community,” Mr. Libassi said. “We try to host, and put on events, that celebrate the cultures that we have here.”
Mr. Libassi said that many different ethnic groups are celebrated at the facility, including Indian holidays, where the children are encouraged to come in dressed in cultural attire.
”It is a great way for the community to learn more about each other and to grow together,” Mr. Libassi said. “We are all in this together and we need to learn how to work together and think together. We don’t have to agree on all of the ideas.”
Mr. Shah said the foundation started 15 years ago and also hosts several other events throughout the year such as the harvest Nivrati dance festival in the fall that draws several thousand people each year.

