New Gurdwara Opens in Indianapolis as Sikh Community Hosts Nagar Kirtan and Khalistan Vote
Indianapolis's Sikh community has been at the centre of several significant developments this season, from the landmark opening of a new Gurdwara by the state's oldest Sikh congregation and the 12th annual Nagar Kirtan parade to an unofficial Khalistan referendum that generated billboards, car convoys, and national media attention across Indiana.
🤝 New Gurdwara 74 Sikh Satsang Opens as Midwest Milestone
The oldest and largest Sikh congregation in Indiana has opened its newest place of worship — Gurdwara 74 Sikh Satsang — marking a milestone for the Sikh community not only in Indianapolis but across the broader Midwest. The gurdwara opened its doors on Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Indianapolis, with attendees including elders dressed in traditional clothing who participated in the opening ceremonies. One of the opening rituals captured in photographs showed a Sikh elder waving the Chaur Sahib over the sacred texts — a traditional sign of reverence for the Guru Granth Sahib, the living scripture of the Sikh faith. The opening of a new gurdwara by what IndyStar described as the oldest and largest Sikh congregation in Indiana is a reflection of the community's growth and its deepening roots in the state. Indianapolis has been home to a Sikh population for decades, but the establishment of a new dedicated place of worship signals both increased membership and the community's confidence in its long-term future in the city. The gurdwara will serve as a centre for worship, community gathering, and Langar — the tradition of free communal meals that is central to Sikh practice — for Sikhs living in Indianapolis and the surrounding region. [5]
🎉 Sikh Society of Indiana Hosts 12th Annual Nagar Kirtan Parade
The Sikh Society of Indiana hosted its 12th annual Nagar Kirtan parade in Indianapolis, marking more than a decade of this public religious procession in the city. Nagar Kirtan, which translates roughly as a town procession of devotional singing, is a Sikh tradition in which the community marches through city streets singing hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib, often preceded by the Palki Sahib — a decorated palanquin carrying the sacred scripture. WISH-TV covered the event under its Multicultural News section, reflecting the parade's growing profile as a civic event that brings Indianapolis's Sikh community into public view. Local outlet Mirror Indy emphasised the parade's open and inclusive character, noting that members of the wider Indianapolis public were welcomed to participate alongside Sikh community members. The 12th annual edition marks a sustained commitment by the Sikh Society of Indiana to maintaining this tradition of public religious expression in the city. Nagar Kirtan parades have become a visible feature of Sikh community life in cities across North America, and the Indianapolis iteration has established itself as an annual fixture that draws participants from across the state. The event provides an important opportunity for Indianapolis residents unfamiliar with the Sikh faith to learn about its traditions, values, and community life. [3]
🗳️ Indianapolis Selected for Khalistan Referendum as Sikh Car Rally Draws Attention
Sikhs living in and around Indianapolis participated in an unofficial referendum in August calling for a separate Sikh homeland within India, known as Khalistan, where Sikhs could live without persecution. Indianapolis residents were exposed to the referendum campaign in the weeks leading up to the vote through a series of high-visibility events and advertising. A convoy of cars waving yellow flags drove along the city's highways on August 1, drawing public attention and prompting questions from Indianapolis residents unfamiliar with the Khalistan movement. Billboards promoting the referendum also appeared across Indianapolis in the lead-up to the vote. The referendum is described as unofficial — it carries no legal force within India or internationally — but organisers framed it as an expression of political will by diaspora Sikhs. IndyStar described it as a vote by Sikhs living in the Indianapolis area on a question about creating a separate country within India for the Sikh community. The campaign's visibility in Indianapolis, a city not typically associated with South Asian political activism, reflected the city's growing Sikh diaspora and the national reach of the referendum movement, which selected Indianapolis as one of its voting sites. [1]