The Indian Jews, recognised by an Israeli rabbi in 2005 as a lost tribe of Bnei Menashe, are descendants of Jews banished from ancient Israel to India in the 8th century BC.
Some 1,700 Bnei Menashe had already immigrated to Israel, but the process was halted in 2007 after questions were raised on their "Jewishness". Recently, Israel agreed to let the remaining 7,200 Bnei Menashe immigrate.
The community practises Judaism just as their ancestors did, including celebrating the Jewish festivals and following the family purity laws.
"After waiting for thousands of years, our dream came true," one immigrant was quited as saying by Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
