Mayor Zohran Mamdani was seen dancing garba and performing aarti in Queens on Oct 21, 2026, the day after a thwarted mass‑shooting attempt at a Hindu temple in Illinois.
The attack, which targeted a temple in Springfield, was foiled by local police on Oct 11 when Alexandros Paporakis of Palatine was arrested for a terrorist threat and unlawful weapon possession.
Mamdani, who is the first Indian‑American Muslim mayor of New York City, has long attended Hindu celebrations, including Raksha Bandhan at India Home in August.
In his social‑media post he called the gathering an honour and urged New Yorkers to stand together against hate and care for one another, promising to mobilise city resources for community safety.
The mayor also announced a city‑wide anti‑hate pledge that will be rolled out in the coming weeks, signalling a coordinated effort to protect religious minorities in the city.