Though barely bigger than his bat, Andre Ricketts might have a future place on the Indian or West Indies cricket teams.

Thanks to the Indian Council in Jamaica, droves of Jamaicans of Indian descent gathered in St Catherine on Sunday to celebrate their ancestors' arrival on the island. They came from across Jamaica and converged at Chedwin Park, near Old Harbour for festivities marking the 163rd anniversary of the Indians arrival in Jamaica. Old Harbour is the spot where the first set of East Indians are said to have arrived in 1845.

With the Jamaican Indians, were persons of similar heritage from Guyana, Florida and India. They danced, sang, ate and drank, and showed that Indians knew how to have fun. A young lady, who was the centre of attention when her hair-piece fell off on the trapeze, used the opportunity to laugh at herself, being in one big happy family setting.

Of course, whatever fun the adults had, paled in comparison to the children. The open field was all they needed as they ran from one end to the other (most time with parents in toe), and believing their parents' running behind was part of the game they just picked up speed.

The fun day also turned out to be a meeting place for potential young and not-so-young couples.

Show of their lives

Reginald Mobhair and Lorna Rose felt the Indian beat and gave the performance of their lives at the annual Indian Council's family fun day at Chedwin Park, St Catherine. - photos by Nashauna Drummond

Reginald Mobhair and Lora Rose, from Gimme-Me-Bit in Clarendon, who encountered each other year after year at the fun day, have created their own unofficial dancing group. Well before the main performances began, they put on the show of their lives for a reluctant audience.

So with Dr Winston Toluene doubling as master of ceremonies and performer, Jamaicans of East Indian descent celebrated their heritage and how Jamaica came to be the homes of generations of Indians.