The turnout was impressive. The community's best and the brightest was there.

Also See: Mohini Bhardwaj is the India Abroad Person of the Year 2004

Also making an early appearance was US Congressman Joseph Crowley, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, who praised the community for its considerable roster of achievements and spoke glowingly of India-US relations.

To Crowley's left is Dr Krishna Reddy, founder of the Indo-American Friendship Council.

Photograph: Paresh Gandhi | Design: Rahil Shaikh