Thousands of Guyanese celebrate Phagwah in N.Y. with gusto
By Vishnu Bisram
Stabroek News
April 2, 2003
A crowd estimated at over fifty thousand congregated at Smokey Park in Richmond Hill, Queens, to celebrate Phagwah, regarded as the most popular Hindu festival observed by Guyanese.
Thousands more lined the parade route for this annual festival, which was celebrated as a national holiday in Guyana on March 18.
But since Phagwah is not a public holiday in New York and is not accorded official recognition, the festival is normally celebrated the Sunday after its official observance in Guyana so that Guyanese can enjoy the festival just like they did back home.
The festival’s celebration in New York is reputed to draw the largest gathering of Guyanese anywhere in the world and is said also to be the largest Phagwah celebration outside of India.
There was widespread enthusiasm as the celebration took on a carnival-like atmosphere in the streets and in Smokey Park among the large Guyanese population settled in the metro region.
The tens of thousands of celebrants, clad in mostly white-coloured traditional garments celebrated Phagwah in all its pomp with songs, dance, music and jollification just as if they were in Guyana.
And they were splashed too with multi-coloured abeer as they danced in the streets and the park.
The parade commenced at the Cheddi Jagan Square at 133rd Street and Liberty Avenue, a busy shopping area lined with dozens of Guyanese and other West Indian stores, and culminated over a mile away at Smokey Park in Richmond Hill, also known as “Little Guyana” because of the large number of Guyanese living there.
The New York City police in full force closed traffic along the parade route and blocked intersections to facilitate the free flow of the celebrants.
The sunny, warm weekend, after one of the coldest winters in the history of the city, was ideal for the celebration of Phagwah. Spirits soared among the celebrants as they danced and clapped to chowtaal music. Several magnificent floats and multi-coloured abeer and abrack brightened up the parade areas as clouds of talcum powder floated around.
As the parade made its way through Liberty Avenue, various announcers atop flat-bed trucks blared out Phagwah greetings in Hindi and English over loud speakers and invited onlookers to join the parade.
Representatives of various organisations and spokespersons from the Muslim and Christian community, as well as politicians, appealed for unity among all.
The response from the multi-ethnic community of Richmond Hill, which comprises large numbers of Hispanics and Sikhs among other groups, was ecstatic.
Several Afro-Guyanese and Afro-Americans also participated in the parade and were doused with colourful abeer.
The distance of some fifteen blocks became an undulating sea of humanity.
As spirits soared amidst the festive mood, revellers danced to the enchanting music of chowtaal and tassa and to Hindi and local Guyanese songs.
“O Rangh-a-bar-say” by the popular Indian film star Amitabh Bachchan from the movie Silsila was a favorite of the crowd.
Phagwah was also celebrated in Jersey City last Saturday where hundreds showed up for the parade.
