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Taarak Mehta cast draws crowds at India Day Parade
The annual Manhattan parade brought together Indian American communities, cultural groups and public officials to celebrate India’s heritage and Independence Day.
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Malvika Choudhary - Tue, 18, Aug 2026
- 19:07 EDT
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Taarak Mehta cast during the parade / Handout
The Federation of Indian Associations’ 44th Annual India Day Parade drew an estimated 200,000 spectators to Manhattan’s Madison Avenue on Aug. 16, with the cast of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah among the main attractions.
The show’s float featured producer Asit Kumarr Modi alongside cast members Dilip Joshi, Mandar Chandwadkar, Munmun Dutta, Sonalika Joshi, Balvinder Singh Suri and Nitish Bhaluni. The cast’s appearance drew fans along the parade route, adding a popular television presence to the annual Indian American celebration.
Also Read: Indian-Americans set flagpole record celebrating India@80, America@250
Indian actress Pooja Hegde served as the chief guest, while actor-director Adivi Sesh participated as chief guest and grand marshal. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul led the procession, joined by elected officials including New York State Assemblyman Jeremy Cooney, U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, Assemblyman David Weprin and Sarita Komireddy, a candidate for New York attorney general.
Held under the theme “Harmony in Heritage,” the parade marked India’s 80th Independence Day and was also tied to the United States’ 250th anniversary. The procession traveled along Madison Avenue from East 38th Street to East 27th Street.
The parade featured 55 floats representing cultural organizations, businesses and regional associations, accompanied by marching bands, music groups, dance troupes and other performers. The Consulate General of India in New York fielded its own float, while organizations including ISKCON and Indian American Muslims of North America also participated.
FIA also organized an adjacent food festival, community booths on East 26th Street and a live cultural stage between East 26th and East 25th streets, featuring traditional music and dance performances.
The Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah team’s participation extended beyond the parade. Modi, Joshi, Chandwadkar and Sonalika Joshi were also among the cast members who attended an India Independence Day celebration at the Empire State Building. The building was illuminated in the colors of the Indian flag as part of the wider India@80 celebrations.
The parade was one of several events organized across the New York tri-state area to mark India’s 80th Independence Day. FIA’s celebrations also included a tricolor illumination at the Empire State Building on Aug. 14 and a flag-hoisting ceremony at Times Square on Aug. 15.
At Times Square, Consul General of India in New York Binaya Srikanta Pradhan hoisted the Indian flag at an event organized by FIA. The program included cultural performances and traditional dances and brought together members of the Indian American community and friends of India.
The celebrations also highlighted the India-U.S. relationship and the contributions of the Indian American community. The India@80 events were held alongside celebrations marking America@250, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States.
As part of those celebrations, a separate event at Veterans Memorial Park in Parsippany, New Jersey, set a Guinness World Record after more than 1,300 U.S. flags were arranged to form the number “250,” surrounded by Indian tricolors. The event was organized by the Consulate General of India in New York in partnership with FIA, with support from Zoho.
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