Daijiworld Media Network - New York
New York, Aug 16: India's 80th Independence Day was celebrated across the New York tri-state area with a series of cultural and community events, including a Guinness World Record celebration in New Jersey and the Queens India Day Parade attended by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The celebrations across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut featured flag-hoisting ceremonies, cultural programmes and landmark illuminations, highlighting India's heritage and the strong people-to-people ties between India and the United States.
At Veterans Memorial Park in Parsippany, New Jersey, a Guinness World Record was set on Saturday for the "Largest Flagpole Number" as part of a joint celebration of India's 80th Independence Day and the 250th anniversary of the United States.
More than 1,300 US flags were arranged to form the number "250", surrounded by Indian tricolours, marking America's upcoming semiquincentennial anniversary.
The event was organised by the Consulate General of India in New York in partnership with the Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-NE, with support from Indian technology company Zoho.
The Indian consulate announced the achievement in a post on X, describing it as the Guinness World Record for the "Largest Flagpole Number" during a special celebration of India@80 and America@250.
The event was attended by members of the Indian-American community, elected representatives and business and community leaders. New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell, US Congresswoman Analilia Mejia, Consul General of India in New York Binaya Srikanta Pradhan and Parsippany Mayor Pulkit Desai addressed the gathering.
Speakers highlighted the strong India-US relationship, while Pradhan underlined the growing bilateral partnership and the contribution of the Indian diaspora in strengthening economic, cultural and people-to-people ties.
Organisers said the Guinness World Record also reflected the Indian-American community's role as a bridge between the two countries, with its contributions spanning business, technology, healthcare, education, science, public service, arts and culture.
In New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended the Queens India Day Parade in Floral Park. In a post on X, Mamdani described himself as the "first Indian-American mayor of New York City" and said the parade was an experience he would never forget.
Referring to New York City's diversity, Mamdani said he witnessed the city's "gorgeous mosaic" through members of the Indian diaspora belonging to different faiths and communities.
The Consulate General of India in New York and the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations also hosted flag-hoisting ceremonies attended by large numbers of members of the Indian diaspora.
At Times Square, the Indian tricolour was unfurled during an annual celebration hosted by the Federation of Indian Associations, featuring cultural performances showcasing India's heritage and the enduring India-US partnership.
Ahead of Independence Day, governors of several US states issued proclamations declaring August 15 as "India Day" in their respective jurisdictions. US senators, governors, lawmakers, cities and towns also recognised the contributions of the Indian-American community to the country's economic, cultural and educational sectors.
Several prominent landmarks were illuminated in the colours of the Indian tricolour, including the Empire State Building and Grand Central Terminal in New York, the Prudential Centre in Boston and Niagara Falls.
The celebrations are set to continue with the Federation of Indian Associations' 44th India Day Parade on Manhattan's Madison Avenue on Sunday. The parade will feature floats, tableaux and cultural performances, with the cast of the popular television show "Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah" attending as chief guests and grand marshals.