NY assembly woman Jenifer Rajkumar to lead Indo-Guyanese community’s Phagwah parade

New York assembly member Jenifer Rajkumar (Democrat Assembly District 38) will join New York’s Indo-Guyanese community as grand marshal of the 35th annual Phagwah parade, on Sunday March 26, according to a press release from her office. The event, organised by the Federation of Hindu Mandirs, Inc and Arya Spiritual Center, Inc, will start at the intersection of New York City’s Liberty Avenue and 133rd Street in the Little Guyana section of Richmond Hill. After the parade, a cultural programme will be held at Phil Rizzuto Park.

As the first Indian-American woman elected to New York state office, Assembly woman Rajkumar was honoured to be selected as grand marshal for one of the biggest celebrations in New York’s Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist communities. Past grand marshals include luminaries such as Mayor Michael Bloomberg. This year marks the first parade since 2019, following two years with no celebration and last year’s cultural programme with no parade.
The Phagwah parade is one of the most popular events of the year in Richmond Hill’s Indo-Guyanese community. The parade commemorates the Hindu, Sikh, Jain and Buddhist holiday of Holi, more commonly known as Phagwah in the Guyanese community. The festival is celebrated with colours and Rajkumar will be riding a red convertible; red being her signature colour, and dressed in white expecting to be fully covered in colours by the parade’s end. She will also be launching the first ever “Colors of Holi” Awards at the parade, where she will honour leaders of the community.

Community leader and Phagwah parade co-organiser Romeo Hitlall said: “We are blessed to have Assembly woman Rajkumar as grand marshal for the triumphant return of the Phagwah parade. She is always working for us. Whenever someone needs help, she is there. Honouring her at one of Richmond Hill’s biggest events of the year is our way of showing gratitude.”

Assembly woman Rajkumar said: “It is one of the greatest delights of my time in office to be grand marshal of the famous Phagwah parade. It is the festival of colours and a chance for us to celebrate all the colours and diversity of New York City. It is also a time when we celebrate the vibrancy of our Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain communities. In the tradition of my ancestors, I look forward to throwing colours on the members of the community, and for them to throw colours back at me, as a sign of our everlasting love and affection.”