Indrajit S Saluja

NEW YORK CITY  (TIP) The Sikh Community took  out a  massive and  impressive Parade in New York City in celebration of the community’s birthday which was on April 14,  on Saturday, April 23. Sikhism is the youngest and the fifth largest religion of the world, with a following of about 30 million across the world. Organized by the Sikh Cultural Society, Richmond Hill, New York, in cooperation with Sikh Temples and Sikh organizations of the Tri-States of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, the Sikh Day Parade on April 23  in Manhattan, New York attractedlarge crowds of Sikh men, women and children, and contingents of Sikhs from as far as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Maryland. While the organizers claimed an attendance of 25000, the independent sources put the number at around 10,000. The parade that  started at 12 PM from 38^th Street  and Madison Ave, wound its way  through the city and ended  up at 26th Street and Madison Ave for the conference on 23rd Street. There were  a dozen or so  floats depicting Sikh history, culture  and religion, and hundreds marched behind each of them. An impressive feature of the parade was langar (free food). The whole 26th Street between Madison and Park was dedicated to food stalls where free food was served to the thousands  irrespective of color or creed. A conference was  held as the closing part of the parade. Apart from the many community leaders, the gathering was addressed by many politicians who included Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, NY State SenatorJohn Liu, and NY City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams, among others. Earlier, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, New York City Mayor Eric Adams,  and New York State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumarjoined the parade at the starting point. The event is held annually to mark the day the Tenth Master of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, created the order of Khalsa in 1699.