India Festival Tampa Bay gearing up for 35th celebration
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Gujarati Semaj of Tampa Bay, Inc. is getting ready to bring their 35th India Festival to Tampa Bay.
The India Festival Tampa Bay is a day full of culture, art and cuisine in honor of Indian heritage. The Gujarati Semaj of Tampa Bay started this event 35 years ago with just 2,000 people attending inside of the USF Sun Dome, at the time.
"We wanted to bring the culture and showcase the Indian culture to the community," said Dr. CJ Patel. "At the same time, not just the dances, but also the food, the clothing ware and it just kept getting bigger and bigger."
The India Festival now expects at least 15,000 people to join in the celebration of Indian culture and heritage.
Dr. CJ Patel is the Board Chairman for the Gujarati Semaj of Tampa Bay. The organization focuses on giving back to the community and promotes the education of Indian heritage. There are several elements to Indian Culture, but the music, arts, dancing and food are the focus at Tampa's India Festival. Over 1,000 people from four-years-old to senior citizens compete in dance competitions. There are even over 200 vendors displaying authentic Indian jewelry and clothes. "Our culture is so diverse and we would like for people to understand how our dances vary from one region to the other, and then enjoy the food because it's a different type of food, which is different spices and then also, look at what we wear on a regular basis," Patel said.
