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Indo-Canadians flocked to Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto on Sunday to celebrate their heritage and culture.

The 19th annual India Day Festival and Grand Parade was expected to draw more than 75,000 people between noon and 10 p.m. with over 400 entertainers on the main stage, including “King of Bhangra” Malkit Singh and Indo-Canadian singer Parichay, dozens of information, retail and food booths, and 20 colourful flatbed floats travelling through the city’s downtown core.

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Brand new immigrant and TD Bank employee Souriv Kanjilal, who was chowing down on the south Indian rice dish known as dosa, said he heard about festival through “various Indian groups to come out here and see the different festivities because its Independence Day Week for India. It’s been pretty good.”

Indians just celebrated Independence Day on Aug. 15, which acknowledges the country freeing itself from 200-plus years of British rule and becoming a nation in 1947. There are about 1.3 million Indians living in Canada – the largest North American population of Indians outside of India.