A life-size statue of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled October 29 at Peace Park in downtown Bismarck, marking the first Gandhi statue installed in North Dakota, according to a statement from the Consulate General of India in Seattle.
The statue was installed with assistance from the consulate and technical support from the Indian American community in North Dakota and the North Dakota Trade Office. North Dakota First Lady Kjersti Armstrong, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and representatives of the consulate attended the ceremony.
The program opened with the national anthems of the United States and India, followed by performances of Gandhi’s favorite hymns by North Dakota school students, the statement said. Officials from the Bismarck Parks and Recreation District and members of the state’s Indian American community also attended.
The unveiling took place during the month of Gandhi’s 157th birth anniversary on October 2, which is observed internationally as the International Day of Non-Violence.
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Addressing the gathering, Goehring highlighted the growing relationship between India and North Dakota and said Gandhi’s message resonated with people in the state as well as around the world, according to the statement. He described the statue as a symbol of peace and nonviolence and recalled Gandhi’s words.
Armstrong expressed admiration for Gandhi and said she was honored to celebrate his legacy, describing its relevance as greater today than it had been in many years, the statement said.
Peace Park, located at 400 East Front Avenue in downtown Bismarck, was developed shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
“The park is also home to a Peace Pole installed by the Gandhi Peace Network of North Dakota, along with other bronze sculptural artefacts,” the statement added. “The statue of Mahatma Gandhi, whose life and message remain universal symbols of peace and non-violence, now joins these other installations at the Peace Park, adding to the public art heritage of North Dakota’s capital city.”
According to the consulate, engagement between India and North Dakota has expanded since the Seattle office was established. The consul general visited the state in 2024 and 2026, meeting with the governor, Bismarck’s mayor and representatives from agriculture, business and education.
The consulate also organized cultural and consular outreach in Fargo, including a consular camp in February 2026 and an International Day of Yoga event later that year. Senior representatives of the North Dakota Trade Office visited India earlier this year as part of continuing delegation exchanges, the statement said.
The consulate described the statue’s installation as another step in strengthening cultural and community ties between India and North Dakota.
The Bismarck statue is the latest installation supported by the consulate, following Gandhi statues unveiled at the base of Seattle’s Space Needle in October 2024, the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln in December 2024, and the Mansfield Center at the University of Montana in Missoula in March 2026.
Together with a statue installed at Bellevue Public Library in October 2009, the Bismarck installation brings the number of Gandhi monuments within the Seattle consulate’s jurisdiction to five, according to the statement.
