New York City’s first Indian-American mayor, Zohran Mamdani, joined the Queens ‘India Day’ Parade in Floral Park as Indian-American communities across the New York tri-state area marked India’s 80th Independence Day. The celebrations across the New York tri-state area featured cultural programmes, flag-hoisting ceremonies and a Guinness World Record event in New Jersey.Mamdani attended the parade on Saturday and described the event as a moment he would remember. In a post on X, he said, “Today, I was back in Floral Park for the Queens India Day Parade — this time as the first Indian American mayor of New York City. It was an experience I will never forget.”Reflecting on the city’s diverse Indian diaspora, Mamdani said the celebration brought together communities from across religious backgrounds.“Mayor David Dinkins once described our city as a gorgeous mosaic. Today, I saw that mosaic in the Hindus and Christians, Muslims and Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs across the Indian diaspora who have helped make our city what it is,” he said.“To all of them, I say: it is an honor to do that work alongside you. Happy Indian Independence Day!” Mamdani added.Meanwhile, in neighbouring New Jersey, more than 1,300 US flags were arranged to form the number “250” at Veterans Memorial Park in Parsippany, marking the 250th anniversary of the United States alongside India’s 80th Independence Day.The arrangement set a Guinness World Record for the “Largest Flagpole Number”, according to the Consulate General of India in New York.The event was organised by the consulate in partnership with the Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-NE (FIA), with support from Indian technology company Zoho.The organisers described the celebration as an expression of India-US ties and the Indian-American community’s role in strengthening relations between the two countries.“The event was a memorable expression of India-US friendship and of the Indian-American community’s enduring contribution to bringing the two nations and their peoples closer together,” they said in a statement.Consul General of India in New York Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell, US Congresswoman Analilia Mejia and Parsippany Mayor Pulkit Desai attended the New Jersey event.The Indian Consulate in New York and India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations also held flag-hoisting ceremonies, while the tricolour was unfurled at Times Square during an annual FIA celebration featuring cultural performances.Several US states issued proclamations recognising August 15 as “India Day”. Landmarks including the Empire State Building and Grand Central Terminal in New York, the Prudential Centre in Boston and Niagara Falls were also illuminated in the colours of the Indian flag.
