Newton held its sixth annual India Day Celebration on Saturday at the Hyde Community Center, celebrating the city’s large Indian American population and sharing Indian culture with the public at large.
There were dancers. There was music. There was Indian food filling the air with a spicy, savory aroma.
“One thing I talk about a lot as I travel around the city is the importance of events like this one, bringing people together, celebrating great performances, great food, and simply people gathering to honor their heritage,” Mayor Marc Laredo said to the crowd. “And that’s one of the things that makes Newton such a great place in which to live and work.”
This year’s event had a special guest: Shruthi Purushotam, deputy consul general at the newly established Consulate General of India in Boston.
“The consulate in New York used to cover all the New England states, and then we decided that it’s such a vibrant Indian community here, and there is so much to offer in New England states, especially in Massachusetts with higher education, life sciences, bio sciences—there’s so much potential,” Purushotam said.
Check out these photos from India Day 2026.
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Members of the Indian American Community of Newton give Mayor Marc Laredo gifts during the city’s sixth annual India Day celebration on Aug. 16, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle
Members of the Indian American Community call for the crowd to get up and dance during the city’s sixth annual India Day celebration on Aug. 16, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle
State Rep. Amy Sangiolo and her husband, John, enjoy some food at Newton’s sixth annual India Day celebration at the Hyde Community Center on Aug. 16, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle
Dancers perform at Newton’s sixth annual India Day celebration at the Hyde Community Center on Aug. 16, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle
Sharyn Roberts of the League of Women Voters of Newton welcomes visitors to her booth at Newton’s sixth annual India Day celebration at the Hyde Community Center on Aug. 16, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle
Sumana Hatwar introduces Shruthi Purushotam, deputy consul general at the newly established Consulate General of India in Boston, at Newton’s annual India Day celebration on Aug. 16, 2026. Photo by Bryan McGonigle