On October 2, 2024, a bust of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled at the iconic Seattle Center to mark his 155thbirth anniversary. This is the first Gandhi bust installation in the culturally vibrant city.
The event was attended by notable figures including Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, Congressman Adam Smith, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Commander of the US First Corps in Pacific Northwest, Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson, Eddie Rye, Chair of the Martin Luther King-Gandhi Initiative, and India’s Consul General in Seattle, Prakash Gupta, along with prominent members of the Indian American community.
Consulate General Gupta along with the City of Seattle had “worked in partnership to identify an appropriate venue for locating the bust of Mahatma Gandhi and the iconic location of Seattle Center, which draws more than 12 million visitors each year, was considered appropriate, given its location, accessibility and commitment to promoting the values of peace and non-violence,” noted a statement from the Seattle Consulate.
To commemorate the occasion, Washington State Governor Jay Inslee issued a proclamation recognizing the Mahatma Gandhi Bust as a lasting tribute to his teachings and a symbol of the power of non-violence in creating change. King County also declared October 2nd as Mahatma Gandhi Day across all 73 cities in the Greater Seattle area.
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The Indian Consulate in Seattle, which began operations in November 2023, serves the Pacific Northwest, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Alaska. The installation of the Gandhi bust in Seattle is part of a broader initiative being implemented across the consular region.
