Despite objections from some US-based organisations, a carnival float featuring Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir was made part of the India Day Parade in New York City on Sunday.

The float depicted the temple of Lord Ram, which was consecrated earlier this year in Ayodhya.

Visuals showed that the float was decorated with garlands while the members of the Indian diaspora, dressed in traditional attire and holding the Indian tricolour in their hands, danced as a mark of celebration in the streets of New York City.

The Ram Mandir float ran into a controversy days before the parade when a number of groups called it anti-Muslim and said it should be removed from the event.

Some organisations wrote a letter to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, calling the float anti-Muslim and saying it glorified the mosque’s takedown.

Among the groups who signed the letter were the Council on American Islamic Relations, the Indian American Muslim Council and Hindus for Human Rights.

“This float’s presence represents these groups’ desire to conflate Hindu nationalist ideology with Indian identity, but India is a secular country”, the letter said.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, which was organising the float, said it represented a Hindu place of worship and aimed to glorify a deity seen as an important part of Indian and Hindu identity. The Hindu American Foundation said it was an exercise of free speech.

The Federation of Indian Associations, which organised Sunday’s event, said the parade represented India’s cultural diversity and would feature floats from a range of communities.

The annual New York City parade takes place three days after India’s Independence Day.