Indian culture, crafts and cuisine highlighted at India Fair

- ADVERTISEMENT -

EDISON, NEW JERSEY

Indian art and handicrafts, costume jewelry, traditional dresses, Indian cuisine, and an array of classical and Bollywood dance groups were highlights of a two day South Asian festival at the New Jersey Convention and Expo Center here. The India Fair, held April 1 and 2 attracted thousands of people from the tri-state area and beyond, organizers estimate.

The purpose of the event is to bring together the community, various businesses under one roof, promote local talent, diversity, art, culture and heritage in New Jersey, a press release from Business NJ LLC, the organizer of the annual event said. The event was managed by Royal Events and Entertainment.

Fair goers also got a chance to meet Bollywood actress Genelia Deshmukh, who graciously mingled with her fans and posed for photographs. Married to Bollywood actor Ritesh Deshmukh, Genelia Deshmukh began her acting career with the box-office hit “Tujhe Meri Kasam” in 2003. She was recognized for her role in “Boys” the same year, and later established herself in Telugu cinema by acting in several Telugu films during 2003–2008. Genelia Deshmukh received her first Filmfare Award in 2006 for her performance in the Telugu romantic film, “Bommarillu”, which earned her critical acclaim. In 2008, she gave critically acclaimed performances in “Santosh Subramaniam”, a Tamil remake of “Bommarillu”, and the Bollywood movie “Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na”. In addition to mainstream acting, she has hosted the television show “Big Switch”, and is the brand ambassador of Fanta, Virgin Mobile India, Fastrack, LG Mobiles, Garnier Light, Margo, and Perk in India.

Over 1,000 performers from the tri-state area from several dance schools participated in the two-day cultural program that was coordinated by Arun Anand. Local singers as well as winners “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa” 2016 entertained the attendees with both popular songs and yesteryears classics. Musical attractions, radio and television artists, and non-stop entertainment with live band dominated the cultural show.

Indian cuisine – vegetarian and non-vegetarian – was also a major attraction at the fair. Banks, insurance companies, mortgage companies, long distance calling companies, and real estate companies were among the many businesses that participated in the fair.