NEW YORK (PIX11) – The 37th annual Sikh Day Parade took place in Manhattan on Saturday.
Thousands of Sikhs marched down Madison Avenue during the annual Sikh Day Parade. Paul Hans attended with his family.
"This makes me feel more connected with the community here. There are people from NJ, NY, Washington, Virginia, and it makes you feel not alone and that you're part of something bigger," said one participant.
The Sikh Cultural Society organizes the parade to celebrate Vaisakhi, a spring harvest festival.
It also commemorates the birth of Khalsa, the formal order of the Sikh community.
Gurdev Kang is with the Sikh Cultural Society. Kang said, "This is important because everyone's gurdwara already celebrated on April 13, but this is united. We are living in NYC for 45 years because this is our right."
Jaspreet Singh was there with his wife and son. They emphasized the importance of gathering with the community. "It's a good representation of who we are, where we come from. Our culture, religion. So good experience, good vibes, and good day. It's important to keep our culture. We live in America, and it's a mixing pot. But it's important to keep our roots and culture."
The parade concluded with a festival at Madison Square Park, which offered free food to all, a core tenet of the Sikh religion.
English (US) ·