In a first, Baisakhi celebrated at State Capitol in Washington’s Olympia city

Seattle/New York: Baisakhi was celebrated for the first time at the State Capitol in Olympia, the capital city of Washington state, with special proclamations being issued on the occasion to commemorate the Indian festival.

The Consulate General of India in Seattle hosted the first celebration of Baisakhi at the State Capitol in Olympia Monday. The special celebration was attended by Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson, Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck, Secretary of State Steve Hobbs as well as by State Senators, Legislators from the Washington State Legislature, in addition to prominent members of the Sikh community residing in Washington. The event marks the first such celebration of the festival of Baisakhi at the State Capitol, a press release issued by the Seattle Consulate said.

Addressing the gathering, Ferguson welcomed the contributions of the Indian-American Sikh community in the state of Washington and appreciated the hosting of the Baisakhi celebrations at the State Capitol in Olympia.

In a special gesture, the Governor of Washington also issued a special proclamation on the occasion of Baisakhi. In addition, King County - covering 39 cities of Greater Seattle area, along with Snohomish County, and cities of Kent, Auburn and Marysville also issued special proclamations declaring April 14 as the Baisakhi Day celebration across the Greater Seattle area.

A large number of Indian-American Sikh community members are resident in the State of Washington and engaged in small and medium enterprises and businesses. They also “actively contribute to public service enriching the State’s cultural and economic diversity”, the Consulate said adding that some of the eminent leaders of the community were recognized and felicitated on the occasion for their positive contributions to the Greater Seattle area.