India@80 celebrations in New Jersey culminate in Guinness Record

India's 80th Independence Day was marked across the New York tri-state area with a host of events, including a "special celebration" in New Jersey where a world record was set and a parade in Queens joined by New York City's Indian-origin mayor Zohran Mamdani. A Guinness World Record for the "Largest Flagpole Number" was set at Veterans Memorial Park in Parsippany, New Jersey, on Saturday, in 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, to mark America's semiquincentennial anniversary.
The event was led by the Consulate General of India in New York in partnership with the diaspora organisation Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-NE (FIA), with support from Indian technology company Zoho. "Held at the intersection of India@80 and America@250, the event was a memorable expression of India-US friendship and of the Indian-American community's enduring contribution to bringing the two nations and their peoples closer together," a media statement by the organisers said.The New York tri-state area refers to the greater metropolitan region of New York City that extends across three states: New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Guinness World Record @GWR for the “Largest Flagpole Number” in a Special Celebration of India@80 & America@250!

The Consulate General of India, New York joined hands with the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA)@FIANYNJCTNE , with the support of @Zoho , as the… pic.twitter.com/UezghNHvsN

— India in New York (@IndiainNewYork) August 16, 2026

The Indian diaspora in Houston celebrated India's 80th Independence Day at an event organised by the consulate featuring a flag-hoisting ceremony, cultural programmes and an exhibition. The event, held at the Chancery premises on Saturday, began with the singing of the national song, followed by the hoisting of the tricolour amid a shower of flower petals and a mass rendition of the national anthem. Despite the Houston heat, the diaspora thronged the consulate, with many community members saying the ceremony deepened their bond with India, even thousands of miles from home.
Ahead of Independence Day, governors of several US states issued proclamations declaring August 15 as "India Day" in their respective jurisdictions.Prominent landmarks, including the Empire State Building in New York and Prudential Centre in Boston, were illuminated in the colours of the Indian tricolour.