Bir Singh, 7, of Hicksville, N.Y., marches near the front of the Sikh Day Parade, an annual Nagar Keertan "meditation celebration" Saturday, April 28, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Bir Singh, 7, of Hicksville, N.Y., marches near the front of the Sikh Day Parade, an annual Nagar Keertan “meditation celebration” Saturday, April 28, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

 

New York – New York is hosting one of the biggest tributes to Sikh culture in America — a parade down Madison Avenue capped by a sea of turbans.

The Saturday afternoon gathering of thousands of ethnic Sikhs is officially called a “meditation celebration.” But it’s mostly a boisterous walk to live music, with participants wearing the stylish, multi-colored clothing of their culture. On the sidelines of the annual event, vendors offer homemade Indian food.

The Sikh religion started more than 500 years ago in India’s Punjab region. Many left after a 1984 genocide. In New York, Sikhs are most visible in the borough of Queens.

The Manhattan parade began on Madison Avenue and East 26th Street and proceeded down to East 26th Street.

Members of the Sikh Motorcycle Club Of The Northeast ride along Madison Ave. during the Sikh Day Parade, an annual Nagar Keertan "meditation celebration" Saturday, April 28, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Members of the Sikh Motorcycle Club Of The Northeast ride along Madison Ave. during the Sikh Day Parade, an annual Nagar Keertan “meditation celebration” Saturday, April 28, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Participants fill Madison Ave. during the Sikh Day Parade, an annual Nagar Keertan "meditation celebration" Saturday, April 28, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Participants fill Madison Ave. during the Sikh Day Parade, an annual Nagar Keertan “meditation celebration” Saturday, April 28, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

 

As reported by Vos Iz Neias