A multicultural festival celebrating India's Independence Day will be held in Knox in August.
Not-for-profit community organisation, Uttar Pradesh Association of Australia, has received a Council Community Development Fund grant to host the event, at which everyone is welcome.
President Dr Santosh Kumar Yadava says the association was founded in 2016 to support migrants from the northern India state, which is the country's most populous.
"Our main objective is to reassure people who are coming here from afar that this is a home away from home," he says.
"We embrace both Australian and Indian values and culture and work to advance our culture and promote reconciliation, mutual respect and tolerance between groups of individuals that are in Australia.
"Aside from our multicultural activities, we support emerging families who are really in need and in Knox we have lots of Indian families who are members."
The Indian community is Knox's third largest population born overseas.
There are 5,169 or 3.2% of residents born in India and many more whose parents were born in India. Knox is a thriving, multicultural city with over 33% of us born overseas and over 130 languages spoken.
The festival will feature multicultural dancing and singing by all age groups, including the singing of both the Australian and Indian national anthems to reflect unity and harmony. A light dinner of Indian cuisine will be served.
"In Victoria, especially in Knox, we have many residents who are helping with our multicultural festival," Santosh says.
"The Council grant helps our association showcase multicultural diversity by bringing various groups to celebrate our festival and Indian Independence Day celebrations.
"We would like to invite people from other cultures to join us at the festival and see our culture."
The festival is on 17 August from 4pm-8pm at Carrington Park Leisure Centre, 20 O'Connor Road, Knoxfield. Find out more at upaaustralia.org
