Indians in Aurora celebrated Tuesday the 77th Anniversary of the independence of India.
August 15 is celebrated globally as India Day, marking the country’s independence from Britain in 1947.
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin and Aurora Alderwoman Shweta Baid, the first Indian American elected in the state’s second-largest city, hosted Aurora’s annual Indian Flag Raising Ceremony.
The ceremony featured the hosting of the flag, a mayoral proclamation, cultural performances, and a presentation of awards to youth and adults.
Receiving this year’s Light and Excellence Award are Happy Feet Walkers’ Club, a group for women to focus on physical and mental health; Jasmeet Singh, a leader of Aurora’s Sikh religious community; and Aurora first-year high school students who recently won a national STEM competition sponsored by the US Army, Viraj Vyas, Samil Sharma, and Nidhi Sagarams.
The Indian American and South Asian community is Aurora’s fastest-growing population group.
—City of Aurora government