ICC Celebrates “Vijayee Bharat – Victorious India” with Huge Crowds

STAFFORD: The Indian Culture Center, under the leadership of President Parul Fernandes, proudly hosted a vibrant celebration of India’s 79th Independence Day on Sunday, August 17, at the Stafford Center. The six-hour event, from 1 to 7pm, brought tin large crowds of the local community to honor India’s rich heritage and indomitable spirit of freedom.

The event was chaired by Dr. Divyendu Singh, and showcased an elaborate cultural program meticulously coordinated by Cultural Program Chair, Jasmeeta Singh. The Consul General of India, D.C. Manjunath, was the chief guest, and several mayors and elected officials from across the Greater Houston area, as well as representatives from government agencies and the judiciary, joined in the celebration, an acknowledgement of the strong presence of Indo-Americans in Texas.

A solemn moment of silence was observed in memory of the victims of the Pahalgam attack in India. The theme “Vijayee Bharat – Victorious India” of the event paid tribute to the valor of India’s armed forces in the annihilation of terrorists in the Sindoor Operation and the resilience, achievements, and leadership of Indian women across society. The stage décor and other displays reflected this dual theme in striking ways: an LED backdrop with images of sindoor highlighted ‘Operation Sindoor’; side drapes adorned with bindis; and a photo booth, featuring aircraft imagery.

The venue offered a true festival experience with over 51 booths showcasing traditional Indian clothing, jewelry, and handicrafts and Indian street food stalls served favorites such as chaats, bada-pawa and samosas, kulfi and ice cream treats

Patriotism was in the air from the moment one entered the Stafford Center. The ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ photo booth caught one’s eye and a grand display of 21 photos provided by the Consulate of India, noted the origin and history of Tiranga (the Indian Flag) was informative. ICC’s complete team did an amazing job in putting all this together. Naeem Vahveria, the Cultural Co-Chair; Raghvender Sengar, the Food and Volunteer Chair; Phani Kondapi the Booth chair; VP K.D. Upadhaya and Hemant Patel in charge of Sponsorships; Sangeeta Dargan in charge of Decorations and Gifts; Gaurav Javeri in charge of Awards and Scholarships; Bharat Patel in-charge of inviting dignitaries; Santosh Verma and Manoj Nair helped with the backdrop slides and, overall supervision was conducted by the President Parul Fernandes. Superkind Trustee Praful Gandhi held the fort by volunteering and welcoming the guests.

The car park was overfull, and people parked in the HCC compound to come to ICC’s I-Fest because they wanted to relive the happy and unique experiences of India long ago etched in their minds. The event began with Patriotic Songs sung by the Joshi group, Shyam Sunder, Parasi Sarayu, Anuradha, Rashmi Pande, our very own Jasmeeta Singh, and Soma Ghosh.

The cultural program filled the hall with color and energy, with a wide array of performances, from classical dances to vibrant Bollywood sequences. Dance presentations from various Indian states highlighted the nation’s diversity, while friendly competitions across multiple age groups added excitement, with winners recognized on stage.

ICC Vice President Dr. KD Upadhaya welcomed Chief Guest M.C. Manjunath who emphasized the progress India has made and that it is now ranked fourth in the economic scale. A video from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s encouraged every Indian to observe a minute of silence for those soldiers who laid down their lives defending their Motherland.

A surprise appearance of mechanical robot with LED lights gave gifts to Manjunath and all the dignitaries.

Scholarships were given to high schoolers entering the world of college education. ICC Scholarship Donors Col. Raj Bhalla and Lachmandas have donated $100,000 each for school kids entering college. A new scholarship from IACFF has been added to give two more scholarships, thanks to the committee chaired by Swapan Dhairyawan, Trustee Charlie Patel, Chief Trustee Hasu Patel, Director Raghvender Senger and Parul Fernandes. Gaurav Jhaveri also participated along with the team for Lachmandas scholarship.

This year, the Bhalla Outstanding Student Scholarship of $5,000 went to Shawn Ray and the Lalitha Das Outstanding Female candidates for the STEP program went to two young girls, Ananya Pathak and Eesha Kondavatikanti. Two more scholarships were given by IACCF to Anay Gupta and Tapisar Singh.

The cultural program began with a special presentation by the ICC group showcasing the celebration of “Vijayee Bharat” from Kashmir to Kerala. Jasmeeta Singh performed on stage a zestful Punjabi Bhangda. Naaem Vehvaria also joined in the finale with the entire group giving patriotic vibes on Vande Mataram.

This was followed by ICC Elite Dance competition exhibiting versatility and diversity of different forms across India. Eighteen schools participated and Kathak to Bollywood styles were magnificently performed.  The Winners Trophy  went to“ Dil Se”, Story Tellers, Pardesi Pulse, Bollywood  Dancing Stars, andThangaat. The audience voted through a QR Code  with prizes going to Basant Rituraj and SPARK -Rasadhara. A diamond ring and trophies were awarded to competition sponsored by Karat 22, Alings Restaurant, Pooja Agarwal and Dipika Contractor.