India is thousands of miles from Plano but explosive growth in North Texas is bringing very distinct cultures together. The proof is at the corner of Coit Road and Spring Creek Parkway.
What looks like an average strip mall is anything but When NBC 5 visited, a new Ford Mustang was parked along the curb between a fitness center and an Indian grocery store. The car was receiving a Hindu blessing from the leader of the Shirdi Sai Temple.
"Once we get a car we come to the temple, bring the car to the temple and seek blessings from God," said the car's owner, Akshat Sherma.
Sherma is from India and moved to Plano recently for work.
"It's been a couple of months since I moved here, and yeah until now, everything has been very good. Very welcoming people," Sherma said.
The temple's leader says that welcoming attitude plus opportunity is what is drawing record numbers of people from India.
"For the last five years we never think this many people are moving here," explained Akkala Veera Swami.
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Steps from the temple many of the symbolic colors of India line the rack at Fabindia. The retail giant has 370 stores and recently chose Plano for its first American location.
"And we thought there can't be a better place than Plano/Frisco, because a lot of Indian communities are here as well and it's not only Indian – a lot of Americans are well versed with Fabindia," explained Jeshma Ganaphy, with Fabindia.
"It has been an awesome place. I don't have to go to downtown or uptown any time. Everything you have is around here. Anything and everything I just find it here in Plano," Ganaphy said.
Plano City Planner Steve Sims agrees that culture has arrived in Plano. He tracks population change and says the Asian population, of which Indian nationals are a part, is now greater than the Hispanic population.
"Since the 2000 Census the Indian population has more than doubled, and they've taken over that role of being the largest segment of our Asian population," said Sims.
In 1990 the Asian population was 3.9 percent in Plano. In 2014 is was 18.1 percent.
That's great news for Fabindia, which hopes to draw more than loyal Indian shoppers.
"It's beautiful clothing actually. Anybody can relate to it whether it's Indian, or American or African-American or anyone," Ganaphy said.
And a bonus of having a diverse population: Plano is becoming a go-to city for some of the best international cuisine in North Texas.
Copyright, 2013, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia (Dustin A. Cable, creator)
Map data by OpenStreetMap, under CC-BY-SA. Image Copyright, 2013, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia (Dustin A. Cable, creator)
