A life-size statue of Mahatma Gandhi has been unveiled in Bismarck, the capital of North Dakota, bringing together Indian-American community members and state officials to celebrate his message of peace and non-violence.

The Consulate General of India in Seattle described the monument as North Dakota’s first Gandhi statue. Officials unveiled it on October 29 at Peace Park in downtown Bismarck.

North Dakota First Lady Kjersti Armstrong, state Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and India’s consul general in Seattle attended the ceremony. Officials from the Bismarck Parks and Recreation District also joined members of the state’s Indian-American community.

The Seattle consulate helped install the statue, while the Indian-American community in North Dakota and the North Dakota Trade Office provided technical support, according to a consulate release.

The ceremony began with the national anthems of the United States and India. School students from North Dakota then performed musical renditions of Gandhi’s favourite hymns.

The programme featured a rendition of “Vaishnav Jan To”, according to captions accompanying photographs released by the consulate. The photographs also showed Armstrong, Goehring and the consul general paying floral tributes to Gandhi.

Addressing the gathering, Goehring highlighted the growing ties between India and North Dakota. He said Gandhi’s message resonated with people across the state, India and the wider world, according to the release.

The agriculture commissioner called the statue a symbol of peace and non-violence and recalled Gandhi’s words, the consulate said.

Armstrong also expressed admiration for Gandhi and described celebrating his legacy as an honour. She said his message carried greater significance today than it had in a very long time, according to the consulate’s account of her remarks.

The statue stands at Peace Park, located at 400 East Front Avenue in central Bismarck. The consulate said the installation would further strengthen cultural and people-to-people ties between India and North Dakota.

The monument marks the fifth Gandhi installation within the Seattle consulate’s jurisdiction.

India has strengthened its engagement with North Dakota through several initiatives. The consul general visited the state in 2024 and 2026 and met the governor, Bismarck’s mayor and leaders from the agriculture, business and education sectors.

The consulate also organised a consular camp in Fargo in February 2026 and hosted International Day of Yoga activities there. Senior representatives of the North Dakota Trade Office also visited India earlier this year, according to the release.

Peace Park emerged shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks. The park already houses a Peace Pole installed by the Gandhi Peace Network of North Dakota, along with several bronze sculptures.

Other Gandhi monuments within the Seattle consulate’s jurisdiction stand at Bellevue Public Library, installed in October 2009; near Seattle’s Space Needle, unveiled in October 2024; at Nebraska’s State Capitol in Lincoln, installed in December 2024; and at the University of Montana’s Mansfield Center in Missoula, installed in March 2026.