SEATTLE– Downtown Seattle came alive last week with the city’s first-ever India Day Parade, a celebration marking India’s 79th Independence Day and highlighting the strong cultural and community ties between the United States and India.
The centerpiece of the festivities was an “India Pavilion,” featuring more than 30 booths representing all 28 Indian states along with themed exhibits. Each display showcased One District One Product (ODOP) items, promoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to boost balanced regional development and strengthen “Brand India” on the global stage.
The event drew thousands of attendees and a roster of prominent dignitaries, including Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, Congressman Adam Smith, Seattle Port Commissioner Sam Cho, King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, and Washington Supreme Court Justice Steven González. Mayors from Mercer Island, Sammamish, North Bend, and Normandy Park also joined the celebration, along with U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Arex Avanni.
“Honored to celebrate India’s 79th Independence Day — from raising the Indian flag at the Space Needle for the first time to today’s parade downtown,” Harrell posted on X. “These moments highlight Seattle’s commitment to inclusion and the deep bonds we share with India and our Indian American community.”
The day began with a Vedic prayer and the hoisting of the Indian tricolor alongside the U.S. flag, followed by both national anthems. A sweeping cultural showcase, Natyam: A Dance Mosaic of Bharat, presented classical and folk dance traditions from across India. Consul General Prakash Gupta joined Harrell and other dignitaries in officially launching the parade, releasing tricolor balloons into the Seattle sky.
For the first time in history, India’s national flag was raised atop the iconic Space Needle, a symbolic gesture that resonated with the city’s 200,000-strong Indian American community. Addressing the crowd of more than 2,000, Harrell hailed the recent opening of India’s Consulate in Seattle as a “landmark development” and credited Indian Americans for contributing to the city’s diversity and global reputation in technology. He added that the U.S. could “learn from India’s message of love, compassion, and nonviolence.”
Congressman Smith echoed those sentiments, noting that global peace and security remain paramount. “The United States has no better partner in working toward those goals than India,” he said.
The parade itself showcased India’s famed “unity in diversity,” with floats, dances, and performances organized by community groups. Highlights included Gujarat’s colorful Garba, Maharashtra’s lively Lavani folk dance, Andhra Pradesh’s Kuchipudi, Odisha’s Boita Bandana with Vande Utkal Janani, and West Bengal’s float honoring Swami Vivekananda’s teachings. The Washington Telangana Association led the community organizing efforts.
Thematic presentations added further layers, from traditional Indian art created by youth to “Gurukul,” which celebrated India’s vast linguistic diversity. Beats of Washington delivered an energetic tribute to the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Attendees also sampled regional Indian cuisine and explored cultural artifacts, rounding out a full immersion into India’s heritage.
The success of the inaugural India Day Parade, co-hosted by the City of Seattle, underscored both India’s growing cultural footprint in the United States and the deepening ties between the two nations. (Source: IANS)
