Vibrant India fest at Sears Centre kicks off
Bringing the world's-largest Indian flag to the Sears Centre was a labor of peace, but on Friday thoughts turned to those hurt during Wednesday's terrorism attacks in the capital city of Mumbai.
Event organizer Monty Saiyed asked the crowd assembled at the arena's parking lot in Hoffman Estates to stand an observe 30 seconds of silence to remember those harmed in the explosions. At least 21 people died in those attacks.
Saiyed brought the Indian tricolor flag, which measures 153 feet by 102 feet and weighs 551 pounds, to the village as part of the two-day Vibrant India festival that kicks off on Saturday at the Sears Centre.
The flag was finally shown off Friday at a ceremony attended by Indian community leaders, Hoffman Estates Mayor William McLeod and 44th District State Rep. Fred Crespo, among others.
“Its great that we have this in Hoffman Estates, we're very proud of it,” McLeod said. “The Northwest suburbs is a mosaic of people of all races, religions and ethnicities, this is a great opportunity for people of Indian heritage to celebrate their heritage and culture, and a great opportunity for everyone else who makes up this great community to learn more about the history and culture of India, one of the most important countries in the world.”
Besides the flag, Indian Bollywood singers and actors will perform.
Singer Bhoomi Trivedi sang the Indian national anthem at the start of the event, proceeding a performance of the “Star-Spangled Banner” by Lindsey Compton.
The event goes from 11 a.m. to midnight today and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. The fest concentrates on northern Indian cultures, and will include exhibits inside. For more information go to myvibrantindia.com.
Event organizers pondered many ways on how to showcase the massive flag, which was too large to drape across the arena. Concerns with wind also hindered plans to use cranes to fly the flag. Instead officials laid a tarp on the parking lot and unrolled the flag outside.
Saiyed, of Bartlett, has brought shows to the Sears Centre including Grammy and Oscar winner A.R. Rahman, who scored the music to “Slumdog Millionaire.” The goal of the Vibrant India festival is to share Indian culture and promote unity, Saiyed said.
Peace was a big theme for Saiyed. The flag was crafted by seven people in the Indian city where Indian hero Gandhi was born.
“Thank you to all of you guys for coming here, making your time to believe in us and our peace mission,” Saiyed told the crowd Friday.
The flag was quickly unfurled, as the crowd either took off their shoes or wore bootees on their feet to keep dirt off the banner. Saiyed worried about taking proper care of the flag, not wanting it to rip or tear.
Also present was 8th District Congressional candidate Raja Krishnamoorthi, who is of Indian descent. He's running against former Illinois Department of Veteran Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth, whose mother is of Chinese descent. If either win, they would be the first Asian-American in Illinois elected to Congress.