A bust of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled on Oct. 2 at the Seattle Center, just below the base of the Space Needle and adjacent to the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum. The unveiling marks Seattle’s first installation of Gandhi’s bust.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by notable dignitaries, including Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell; Congressman Adam Smith; Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal; Lt. Gen. Xavier Brunson, Commander of the U.S. First Corps in Pacific Northwest; and Eddie Rye, chair of the Martin Luther King-Gandhi Initiative. They celebrated along with the Consul General of India, Prakash Gupta. The event was also attended by eminent members of the Indian American community who offered their respects on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.
Oct. 2 is also Gandhi’s birthday and is recognized as the International Day of Non-Violence by the United Nations.
To mark the occasion, Gov. Jay Inslee issued an official proclamation acknowledging the Gandhi bust as a lasting tribute to Gandhi’s teachings and a powerful reminder of the impact of non-violence in driving change. Another special proclamation was also issued by the King County designating Oct. 2 as Mahatma Gandhi Day across all 73 cities of the Greater Seattle area.
Lt. Gen. Brunson addresses the crowd at the unveiling of Gandhi’s bust in Seattle on Oct. 2. (Photo from the Consulate General of India in Seattle)
Dignitaries after the unveiling of Gandhi’s bust in Seattle on Oct. 2. (Photo from the Consulate General of India in Seattle)
Consul General Prakash Gupta presents a Madhubani painting to the Mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell, on Oct. 2. (Photo from the Consulate General of India in Seattle)
Bust of Mahatma Gandhi (Photo from the Consulate General of India in Seattle)