Houston, Texas: The mega ‘Howdy, Modi!’ Indian-American community event in Houston on Sunday to greet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump would provide the world a glimpse of the valuable contributions of Indian-Americans to the cultural, intellectual and social landscape of the United States, the organisers said.
PM Modi is on a week-long visit to the US, from September 21 to September 27, for the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly or UN General Assembly. It is Modi’s first US visit after winning a second term as Prime Minister in May. He will also have a meeting with the CEO's of energy companies in Houston, before heading to New York for the UN General Assembly.When and Where
The 'Howdy, Modi' event has been organised by the Texas India Forum. The three-hour event will be held from 8:30 pm IST (India time) to 11:30 pm IST. It will see artistes present Indian classical and folk songs and dances, among other numbers. The 'Howdy, Modi!' event "will be the largest gathering for an invited foreign leader visiting the United States other than the Pope," Jugal Malini, member of the Texas India Forum (TIF), which is the main organiser of the event, said. The event will be held at NRG Stadium in Houston.Highlights of the Event
Thousands of Gujaratis from Houston have prepared for a mega 'dandiya', a traditional Gujarati dance, to welcome the prime minister for the event, which will start with a 90-minute cultural programme called 'Woven: The Indian-American Story'. The programme has been prepared to celebrate the contributions the Indian-Americans have made in the United States.
Over 50,000 attendees and those watching the event on their television sets will experience the vibrant expressions of people empowered by their identity and driven to enrich the communities around them, TIF said.
The cultural show will have nearly 400 performers and community members from Texas and across the United States. A total of 27 groups are performing at the 'Howdy, Modi' event. According to the reports, two original songs have also been written for the event.
"The event is a grand celebration of culture and unity of America and India, where attendees will hear Modi speak about the deepening US-India ties strengthened by the confirmations of over 3 million Indian Americans in the US and will lay out his vision of India's growth and development," TIF spokesperson Priti Dawra said.
The event is the third meeting between Donald Trump and PM Modi in three months, after the G20 summit in Japan in June and the G7 summit in France last month. The organisers hope to keep the event non-partisan, and have invited speakers including Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House of Representatives.
According to reports, the stadium gates will open three hours before the beginning of the 'Howdy, Modi' event after which the cultural programme will begin and continue for 90 minutes.Where to Watch
The event will be broadcast live in Hindi, English and Spanish languages, followed by the address of PM Modi and Trump. There would be also be a 'Shared Dreams, Bright Future' session at the 'Howdy, Modi' event. It would focus on the success and the strength of the United States-India relationship. You can watch the live coverage of the event on CNN News18. Click here to watch the event in English
Houston is considered the energy capital of the world and one of the most diverse cities in America. The news of President Trump joining the 'Howdy, Modi!' event is a sign of the growing importance of the US-India relationship, he said.
After the session, Modi will join a private community reception and will then leave for New York to attend the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Hundreds of volunteers, Texas India Forum, the Indian Consulate in Houston, city officials, the governor's office are all working together on the 'Howdy, Modi!' event, to make it a grand success.
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