Indianapolis Sikhs Vote on Khalistan as City's Oldest Congregation Opens New Gurdwara
The Sikh community in Indianapolis commanded public attention on two distinct fronts in 2026. In August, area Sikhs organized around an unofficial referendum on Khalistan, a diaspora-driven campaign for a separate Sikh homeland within India, staging car convoys with yellow flags on city highways and posting billboards that prompted the IndyStar to publish a civic explainer for residents unfamiliar with the movement. Just months earlier, in April, the state's oldest and largest Sikh congregation had celebrated the opening of a new gurdwara in the city, a milestone that underscored how deeply Sikh religious and communal life has taken root in the American Midwest.
🗳️ Khalistan Referendum Brings Sikh Car Rally and Billboards to Indianapolis
In August 2026, the IndyStar published an explainer examining why Sikh drivers had staged a vehicle convoy across Indianapolis streets. The rally was tied to an unofficial referendum on Khalistan — the name given to a proposed separate homeland within India where Sikhs could live free from persecution. Sikhs living in the Indianapolis metropolitan area were organized to vote in this diaspora-driven political exercise, and the city's selection as a referendum site reflected the presence of an established local Sikh community. On August 1st, a convoy of cars flying yellow flags traveled city highways as part of outreach efforts connected to the referendum campaign, drawing notice from many Indianapolis residents unfamiliar with the movement behind the yellow banners and the organized procession. In the days surrounding the vote, billboards advertising the referendum also appeared at multiple locations across the city, extending the campaign's reach to a broader urban audience. The IndyStar's report, published August 4, 2026, functioned as a civic explainer — guiding general readers through the background of the Khalistan movement, the context of Sikh political advocacy in the diaspora, and the significance of the yellow flags and highway motorcade that had caught commuters' attention. The story positioned Indianapolis as one of several American cities where the Khalistan referendum was making the Sikh community's political voice newly visible to the wider public. The referendum effort in Indianapolis was part of a wider diaspora voting campaign organized across multiple North American cities. [1]
🪔 Gurdwara 74 Sikh Satsang Opens as a Milestone for Indiana's Oldest Congregation
On April 26, 2026, Indianapolis marked a significant moment in Midwestern Sikh history with the opening of Gurdwara 74 Sikh Satsang — the newest place of worship belonging to Indiana's oldest and largest Sikh congregation. The IndyStar documented the opening with photojournalism published on April 27 and updated on May 4, 2026. The photographs captured the ceremony with images conveying both the solemnity and the meaning of the inauguration. One photograph showed a Sikh elder performing the Chaur Sahib — a ceremonial ritual in which a sacred whisk is waved over the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy scripture, as an act of devotion and honor. The gesture, ancient in origin, was performed inside a brand-new American house of worship, illustrating how diaspora communities carry centuries of spiritual tradition into newly constructed spaces. Community member Jaswinder Singh was also captured in attendance, dressed in traditional Sikh clothing, representing the congregation that gathered for the milestone event. The IndyStar described the opening as a milestone for the Sikh community across the broader Midwest, noting that the congregation holds the distinction of being both the oldest and largest Sikh organization in Indiana. The opening of Gurdwara 74 reflects the congregation's continued growth and its capacity to serve an expanding membership, marking a moment of deepened institutional presence for South Asian religious life in Indianapolis. The new gurdwara expands the congregation's footprint at a time when Indianapolis's Sikh community continues to grow in size and visibility. [5]