Toronto: Toronto, the largest city in Canada, especially the Nathan Phillips Square,
was transformed into a festive spot with lively parade, visuals, ambience, and flavors
of India. The India Day parade, organized by Panorama India attracted a huge
crowd. Everyone from the Indian Diaspora, irrespective of ages, from all over the
states poured into the heart of the city waving and wearing tricolors, which turned
to be a splendid display of ‘Unity in Diversity’.
The event kicked off with the opening ceremony, where the biggest flag outside India
was displayed and fluttered. The national anthems of Canada and India sung by the
Panorama India Junior idols. All the dignitaries emphasized the long-standing
relationship between Canada and India which is built on shared traditions of
democracy, strong ties of friendship & multiculturalism. They praised the cultural
diversity and democratic values of India as well as the contribution of Indian diaspora
towards the Canadian economy.
The new Consul General of India, Shri Siddhartha Nath graced the occasion with his
presence. He remarked that Canada and India both believe in restoring the multicultural
environment promoting the culture and heritage that various communities inherit from
generations. Vaidehi Bhagat, Chairperson, Panorama India welcomed the audience.
Mayor of Toronto Olivia Chow, Deepak Anand MPP, other elected officials, a large number
of prominent Indo-Canadians and other Nationalities were also present.
The cultural segment comprised of phenomenal performances that are showcased
the culture & heritage of India.
The Grand parade had a lot of trucks representing different States of India and
also Indian institutions that depicted the culture and heritage of the largest
democracy in the world, with desi music, dance, and cultural artifacts. In addition
to the floats, many marching organizations joined the parade with their banners,
flags of India and Canada, chanting slogans. Women, Men and Children were
dancing and rejoicing in their local India wear.
The Festival and Grand Parade was organized by Panorama India with the
support of the Consulate General of India, Toronto. TD Canada Group was
the premium sponsor of the event. All the trucks for the state floats were
arranged by TransEmerge. Representatives of other corporate sponsors
SBI Canada, Nanda Lawyers & Associates, Rajdhani, Maharaja Bhog and
ICICI Bank of Canada, Lynx Air were also present. The historic event was
carried out successfully with the guidance of City of Toronto, Toronto
Police, other official authorities and NGOs.
Panorama India is a not-for-profit umbrella organization established in 1999,
that bonds various Indo-Canadian organizations and groups, to celebrate
and depict unity in diversity with their rich culture and heritage. Also
provides a platform for the Indian cultural diaspora to exhibit and showcase
their arts and culture. The organization fosters a better understanding
between India and Canada and is proud to build bi-lateral relations through
culture.
