Indianapolis Sikh Community Opens New Gurdwara as Khalistan Vote and ICE Fears Grip City
Indianapolis's South Asian community, centered around its large and growing Sikh population, has made national headlines in recent months with a landmark new gurdwara opening, the 12th annual Nagar Kirtan parade, and the hosting of an unofficial Khalistan referendum vote that put Indianapolis on the map. At the same time, Sikh and Punjabi families are raising urgent concerns about a spike in ICE enforcement activities targeting community members across the city.
🤝 New Gurdwara Opens, Marking a Milestone for Indiana's Oldest Sikh Congregation
The oldest and largest Sikh congregation in Indiana marked a historic milestone when Gurdwara 74 Sikh Satsang opened its doors on April 26, 2026, in Indianapolis. The new place of worship represents a significant expansion for the Sikh Satsang community, which has long served as the anchor institution for Sikhs across Indiana and the broader Midwest. Photographs from the opening ceremony captured a Sikh elder waving the Chaur Sahib over the Guru Granth Sahib as devotees gathered for inaugural services. The congregation's decision to open a new gurdwara reflects the sustained growth of Indianapolis's Sikh population over recent decades, as families have put down deeper roots in Indiana. The new facility will serve as a spiritual center, a gathering space for community events, and a venue for Langar — the community kitchen central to Sikh practice that remains open to anyone regardless of background. Jaswinder Singh was among those who turned out to witness the congregation's landmark expansion, which community leaders described as a milestone for Sikh life in the Midwest and evidence of the community's deepening institutional presence in Indiana. [5]
🗳️ Indianapolis Hosts Khalistan Referendum as Yellow Flags Fly on City Highways
Indianapolis became a site for the Sikh Khalistan referendum in August 2026, bringing the international debate over a proposed Sikh homeland into Indiana. Sikhs in the Indianapolis area were invited to cast votes in an unofficial, non-binding referendum calling for the creation of a separate country within India — a homeland where Sikhs could live free from what organizers describe as ongoing persecution. In the lead-up to the vote, a convoy of cars flying yellow Khalistan flags rolled through Indianapolis's highways on August 1, turning heads across the city. Billboards advertising the referendum appeared across town, prompting questions from non-Sikh residents about the history and intent behind the campaign. The Indianapolis Star explained the referendum's background for unfamiliar readers, tracing the Khalistan movement to historical events in Punjab, India. The vote is part of a broader international Sikh diaspora effort coordinated across multiple cities globally. While non-binding, it serves as a powerful public statement of community identity and grievance, drawing both strong Sikh participation and widespread attention from the broader Indianapolis public and media. [1]
🎉 All Are Welcome: Annual Sikh Day Parade Brings Nagar Kirtan to Indianapolis Streets
Mirror Indy covered the annual Sikh Day Parade under the inclusive headline 'All are welcome,' emphasizing the event's open, community-facing character. The Nagar Kirtan — a Sikh tradition of processional hymn-singing through public streets — has become a beloved fixture on Indianapolis's cultural calendar, drawing Sikh participants from across Indiana and curious members of the general public alike. Nagar Kirtan translates roughly to 'town praise,' and it is among the most publicly visible expressions of Sikh faith: devotees process through city streets singing Gurbani, the sacred hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib. The parade typically features the Guru Granth Sahib carried in a decorated float at the head of the procession, accompanied by the Panj Pyaras in traditional attire, musicians, volunteers serving Langar to onlookers, and thousands of marchers in the blue and yellow colors of the Sikh faith. Organized under the banner of the Indiana Nagar Kirtan and Sikh Society, the parade reflects the community's commitment to open engagement with broader Indianapolis, inviting neighbors of all backgrounds to witness and celebrate Sikh heritage in the heart of the city. [2]
🤝 Sikh Society of Indiana Marks 12 Years of Nagar Kirtan in the Midwest
WISH-TV's multicultural news beat gave prominent coverage to the Sikh Society of Indiana's 12th annual Nagar Kirtan parade in 2026, marking another year of this event's presence in Indianapolis civic life. The Sikh Society of Indiana has grown the Nagar Kirtan from a modest community march into a large-scale public celebration drawing participants and spectators from across the region. Twelve consecutive years of public procession represents a meaningful embedding of Sikh culture into the fabric of Indianapolis — a testament to the community's organizational strength and its commitment to sustained public visibility. WISH-TV's coverage as part of its dedicated multicultural news segment reflects the station's recognition that Indianapolis's South Asian community is an important and growing part of the city's population and culture. Beyond its spiritual significance, the 12th annual Nagar Kirtan parade introduces neighbors unfamiliar with Sikhism to its teachings of equality and service, provides young Sikh Americans born in Indiana with a sense of shared cultural identity, and signals to the wider city that the Sikh community is organized, proud, and deeply rooted in Indiana for the long term. [3]
🪔 BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha Hosts Diwali and Annakut Celebration in Indianapolis
BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, one of the largest Hindu organizations in the world, hosted its Diwali and Annakut celebration in Indianapolis, bringing the city's Hindu community together for one of the faith's most significant festivals. BAPS operates a mandir in the Indianapolis area as part of its extensive global network, and its annual Diwali and Annakut event is a centerpiece of the Hindu calendar for South Asian families across greater Indianapolis. Annakut — meaning 'mountain of food' in Sanskrit — refers to the elaborate display of vegetarian dishes offered in devotion, a practice that fills the mandir's hall with color and fragrance during the festival. The celebration draws families from across the metropolitan area, providing an opportunity to observe faith traditions in community. BAPS's active presence in Indianapolis reflects the broader growth of the Hindu South Asian community in Indiana, which has expanded significantly as professionals and their families have settled in the region over recent decades. The Diwali celebration reinforces BAPS's central role in the Hindu cultural and religious life of Indianapolis's Indian-American community, anchoring the festival season for thousands of families throughout the state. [4]
Sikh and Punjabi Families Sound Alarm Over Rising ICE Arrests in Indianapolis
WISH-TV's I-Team investigative unit reported that Sikh and Punjabi families across Indianapolis are experiencing a significant increase in ICE arrests, adding a new layer of fear and uncertainty to a community already navigating complex questions of identity and belonging in the American Midwest. Families and community leaders documented the anxiety spreading through Sikh and Punjabi neighborhoods, where community members — many long-established in local businesses, gurdwaras, and schools — face the threat of arrest and deportation. Households with mixed immigration status describe the strain of not knowing whether a family member will return home from a routine errand or a workday. The Sikh and Punjabi community has a substantial presence in Indianapolis-area trucking, agriculture, and small business sectors, and the surge in enforcement is reported to be creating economic disruption alongside personal hardship. Community organizations and gurdwara leaders are responding by connecting affected families with legal resources and immigration attorneys, working to provide support in what has become an increasingly difficult environment for undocumented and mixed-status Punjabi families throughout the city. [6]
Sources: [5] indystar.com · [1] indystar.com · [2] Mirror Indy · [3] WISH-TV · [4] BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha · [6] WISH-TV