A bright, crisp late summer day was a portent that this was to be the biggest and best India Independence Day Rhode Island had ever seen.  The India Association of Rhode Island (IARI) was honored by the presence of Rhode Island’s both sitting Senators, Jack Reed and Lincoln Chafee, the Deputy Consul General of India, New York, A.R. Ghanashyam, Stephen Laffey, the Mayor of the City of Cranston, State Senator Elizabeth Roberts, and 85-year old Major General of the Indian Army, Eustace D’Souza, who traveled from India.

A crowd of under a thousand arrived to hear IARI VP Dr. Ravi Chander’s bracing welcome address; IARI President Sharad Bhatia’s inspiring opening address, which used Nehru’s words to strong effect; and a short round of speeches from the dignitaries.  The speakers variously highlighted the democratic ethos of India, the growing convergence between the united states and India, and the contribution of Indian Americans to American society.  Within an hour the crowd had swelled to several thousand, as the cultural program began.

The festivities were kicked off with a stirring recital of Rabindranath Tagore’s poem, “Heaven of Freedom,” by Dr. Ruby Dholakia. To the words “Into that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake,” schoolchildren in bright dance costumes filed on stage to sing the Indian and American national anthems. A classical dance, ‘Ganesh Prarthana,’ in the Kuchipudi style began a series of folk, classical and fusion dances, all choreographed by Sheetal Patel and Prafulla Velury.

Slowly crowds filled even the Waterplace Park basin, as the music and dances built to a livelier pace, with bhangra, and more modern fusion dances taking over from the classical and folk styles. Yet even with the fusion dances, the DNA of Indian dance—graceful hand and foot movement paired with emotive glances—remained. The tension built, until it was brought back down again, with a slower folk dance.

The crowd cheered, appreciating that the artistry on display was not hired professionals, but teens and children from the community, who worked hard in modern America to keep in touch with ancient traditions from their motherland.

A live sitar, tabla, and vocal accompanied the final Kathak dance, as subtle sitar work by Koyal Ghosal accented terrific Kathak steps by Rajani Kaimal. The audience listened intently to the sounds of Kaimal’s feet as she danced in a call and response fashion with the tabalchi Chris Pereji’s confident playing.

As the last footfalls died away, as dusk fell, the Waterfire bonfires were lit, lending an ethereal and mystical aura to the Waterplace basin. Then the Boston-based guitarist Prasanna took the stage with his band, which included his wife Shalini on vocals. The clear standouts in the band were the rhythm section with Lyndon Rochelle on drums and Mali on mridangam. Prasanna was sublime, his playing fluent and varied, masquerading as a rock guitar-god, a classical Carnaticist, and a jazz maestro with equal ease, all the time maintaining the listener’s interest with his sheer energy.

As the last notes floated away with the embers of relit bonfires, as the cheers faded with the steps of the departing crowds, smiles remained behind like lost Cheshire cat grins: it was that kind of day. One to remember, one to still enjoy, perhaps even surpass childhood memories of Independence Days past.

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