NEW YORK: Over one lakh Indian Americans spilled into the streets of the Big Apple and Chicago over the weekend to celebrate the country's Independence Day with colourful parades where astronaut Sunita Williams was the toast of the crowd.
Williams, who was in both Chicago on Saturday and New York on Sunday, was repeatedly cheered by people who turned up to witness the dozens of floats showcasing the country's rich cultural heritage and fast growing economy.
Bollywood star and former Miss World Priyanka Chopra was the grand marshal at the parade here, the biggest in the United States to celebrate the Independence day which was attended by nearly one lakh people.
Bollywood actor Mousumi Chatterji and former cricket captain Mohammed Azharuddin led the parade in Chicago which was attended by 40,000 people.
Slogans like 'Bharat mata ki Jai' rent the air, as revellers, may of them in traditional dresses, waved Indian and American flags while the floats passed by.
Banquets, food festivals and others events were also held to mark the occasion.
The parades had more than forty floats showing various aspects of the Indian culture and heritage as also the quantum leaps that the Indian economy is taking.
Among the floats which attracted great deal of attention in New York was on the life of one of the architects of the Indian Constitution B. R. Ambedkar.
While Williams, who spent a record 195 days in space, wore the traditional Indian salwar-kameez in Chicago, she appeared in her astronaut suit here which evoked great interest, especially among youngsters.
Talking to reporters after the parade organized by the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), Williams briefly described her experience aboard the space station and the challenges she faced.
Noting there are always risks involved in such a venture, the 41-year-old said she was not deterred as it was her dream to go to space.
Williams, who will be in Hyderabad in September to attend a conference, agreed with a questioner that the society is male-dominated but said women can achieve anything if they work for it.
She pointed out that the President of India is a woman and another woman is a strong contender for the White House.
Asked whether astronauts face the danger of radiation when in space, Williams said no one has any idea of about the risks involved on that count.
Replying to a question, she said she got a lot of inspiration from her father.
