Indianapolis Sikh Community Opens New Gurdwara, Hosts Nagar Kirtan Parade, and Holds Khalistan Referendum
Indianapolis's Sikh community has made headlines on three separate fronts this year, underscoring the size and civic engagement of one of the Midwest's most active South Asian faith communities. The oldest and largest Sikh congregation in Indiana opened a new gurdwara in April, the annual Nagar Kirtan parade brought the community to the streets, and in August the city was selected as a site for an unofficial Khalistan referendum — a vote that drew car rallies, billboards, and national attention.
🪔 Indiana's Largest Sikh Congregation Opens Gurdwara 74 Sikh Satsang
The oldest and largest Sikh congregation in Indiana opened its newest place of worship, Gurdwara 74 Sikh Satsang, on Sunday, April 26, 2026, marking what IndyStar described as a milestone for the Midwest's Sikh community. The opening ceremony captured by IndyStar photographer Travis LaCoss shows a Sikh elder waving the Chaur Sahib — the ceremonial whisk — over the sacred Guru Granth Sahib, underscoring the solemnity of the occasion and the congregation's deep reverence for its scripture. The gurdwara's name, Gurdwara 74 Sikh Satsang, reflects the congregation's identity as an institution of spiritual gathering and community service. For Indianapolis's Indian diaspora, the opening represents years of planning, fundraising, and community organizing by a congregation that has long served as the spiritual and social hub for Sikhs across Indiana. As the newest addition to an established network of gurdwaras in the region, Gurdwara 74 is positioned to serve a growing Punjabi and Sikh community that has expanded considerably in Indianapolis and surrounding suburbs in recent decades. The opening drew community members, families, and observers from across the state and reflected the ambition of a congregation that considers itself not just the oldest in Indiana but the benchmark for Sikh communal life in the Midwest. [1]
🎉 Annual Sikh Day Parade Invites All Indianapolis Residents to Join the Nagar Kirtan
The Indiana Nagar Kirtan Sikh Society organized its annual Sikh Day Parade in Indianapolis, extending an open invitation to all residents of the city to join the community procession, as reported by Mirror Indy. The Nagar Kirtan — meaning 'city procession' in Punjabi — is one of Sikhism's most visible public expressions, in which the Guru Granth Sahib is carried through the streets on a decorated float accompanied by prayers, kirtan singing, and a walking community. For Indianapolis's Indian and Sikh diaspora, the parade is a celebration of identity, faith, and community presence in the American Midwest, and its annual recurrence marks it as an established fixture in the city's multicultural calendar. The event's messaging of 'all are welcome' reflects both the Sikh principle of universal hospitality — langar, the community kitchen, is typically available to all at such events — and an outreach orientation aimed at introducing non-Sikh Indianapolis residents to the traditions and values of the community. Mirror Indy, a local Indianapolis journalism nonprofit, covered the parade as part of its commitment to documenting the city's diverse neighborhoods and community organizations. The annual parade has helped raise the visibility of the Sikh community in Indiana's capital and created a point of connection between the diaspora and the broader civic life of Indianapolis. [2]
🗳️ Indianapolis Selected as Site for Unofficial Sikh Khalistan Independence Referendum
Indianapolis was selected as a venue for an unofficial Khalistan referendum organized by the Sikh separatist movement, with Sikhs living in the Indianapolis area invited to cast symbolic votes in August 2026 on whether they support the creation of an independent Sikh homeland within India, as reported by IndyStar. The campaign made a visible mark on the city's landscape: a convoy of cars flying yellow Khalistan flags drove through the city's highways on August 1, and billboards promoting the referendum appeared at multiple locations across town. IndyStar explained the event in an explainer headlined 'Why was there a Sikh car rally in Indianapolis? The Khalistan referendum, explained,' describing the referendum as an unofficial, non-binding vote organized by the global Sikh for Justice movement calling for a separate country where Sikhs can live without persecution. The referendum has no legal status in either India or the United States and is not recognized by any government, but it has drawn significant political attention: India's government has repeatedly protested similar referendums held in other Western cities, and the question of Khalistan has become a recurring point of tension in India-U.S. and India-Canada diplomatic relations in recent years. For the Indianapolis Sikh community, the referendum reflects deep divisions between those who actively support Khalistan and those who prefer to focus on building community life within existing national frameworks. [4]
Sources: [1] IndyStar · [2] Mirror Indy · [4] IndyStar