'A historic first': Tricolour hoisted at Seattle’s iconic 605-feet-tall Space Needle; watch

In a historic moment, the Tricolour was raised at Seattle’s Space Needle on Independence Day, marking the first time the landmark displayed India’s national flag. The 605-foot tower is among the city’s most recognisable structures. Sharing the moment online, the Indian consulate in Seattle posted, “A historic first in Seattle! India’s tricolour soars the Seattle skyline. Happy 79th Independence Day of India.” The consulate also held a flag-hoisting ceremony earlier in the day, attended by dignitaries and community members, followed by cultural performances.

The Space Needle is one of Seattle’s most famous landmarks, built for the 1962 World’s Fair to showcase aspirations of the Space Age.

Standing 605 feet tall, it features a saucer-shaped observation deck known as the “top house”, which gives visitors sweeping 360-degree views of downtown Seattle, Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, and the surrounding Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges.Celebrations in other parts of USMeanwhile, in New York, Independence Day was marked with iconic sites bathing in India’s colours. The One World Trade Center, Grand Central Terminal, Niagara Falls, and the Kosciuszko Bridge were illuminated in saffron, white, and green. The embassy in Washington, DC, also hosted the main celebrations, with Indian ambassador Vinay Kwatra hoisting the tricolour at India House.