Thousands attend India Day celebration at Living History Farms

URBANDALE, Iowa- Thousands gathered at the Living History Farms in Urbandale to celebrate cultural food, music, and dance during the India Day celebration.

The annual event is hosted by the Indo-American Association of Iowa and is meant to celebrate India’s independence.

Pooja Mayur is the founder of Ishara Dance in Des Moines and her group performed for the almost 5,000 attendees.

“This is what we love, like this is our life. So, we love being able to share it with other people,” she said.

Mayur and her teammates are all trained in dances from different parts of India. Some of their dances also have roots from Africa, China, and Spain.

“We didn’t really see a lot of ethnic and international dance in Iowa so we wanted to bring that in and embrace our roots here,” said Mayur.

Attendees also enjoyed Indo-American food from vendors.

Apart from cultural celebrations, several state leaders were present like Attorney General Brenna Bird, State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott, State Representative Eddie Andrews, and others. The Indo-American Association of Iowa said having politicians present can encourage civic participation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com.