SYLVANIA, Ohio (WTVG) – People from all over the Toledo area gathered at Centennial Terrace in Sylvania to celebrate Indian culture at the 33rd Festival of India.

There was food, dancing, henna tattoos and everything else you might need to experience Indian culture.

13abc spoke with two University of Toledo students from India who came to the U.S. a year ago for school. They said the festival felt like home.

“It feels like we are back in India even though we are not. It’s so great to just have this one day where you can feel like you’re back in your country,” says UT student Yash Kakade.

The event organizers say the festival was about bringing people together and educating them about Indian culture.

“We want everyone to be aware of all the different cultures that are out there. Just as we go to other festivals, we want them to come to ours,” says Annu Goelsangal, the chairwoman of the Hindu Temple of Toledo.

India has 29 states and they were all represented at the festival.

“All states have different culture, different language, different cuisines and this festival just kind of brings everyone together and it also educates the people here about our background a little bit: the liveliness, the performances, the dance forms,” says Ashwini Mudliyar, an Indian student at UT.

Dance is one of the biggest parts of Indian culture.

“My girls used to dance,” says Goelsangal. “We used to come every year just to encourage them to learn the culture, the dancing and to perpetuate it for their children. We use it for everything: weddings, festivals, any kind of enjoyment. That’s what’s really fun about it.”

“It’s like showcasing our traditions and culture in a way of dancing, singing and, of course, eating,” says president of the Hindu Temple of Toledo Sarma Katrapati.

The Festival of India was able to connect people in the community through food, dance, shopping and education.

“I think it’s a way strengthen the bond between American culture and Indian culture,” says Kakade. “America is a place where people from all over the world come so when they come here they will be able to see for the first time. It’s like a trainer of what India is actually.”

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