Dozens of pairs of eyes young and old focused on the man and his family approaching the dais. It was a striking image, rippling with the political hopes of the Triangle's Indian-American community.

His hand atop the Bhagavad-Gita and the Bible, Steve Rao spoke the vow to represent the people of Morrisville.

Applause burst forth, celebrating a moment years in the making: Rao is the town's first Asian-American council member.

"This is a groundbreaking activity tonight," said N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall. "As the first woman elected to executive statewide office, I understand the pride of groundbreaking achievements, and tonight was one of those."

Many leaders of the Indian-American community were present, including Swadesh Chatterjee, former national president of the Indian American Forum for Political Education. Hindu Society of North Carolina founders G.D. Sharma and his wife, Saroj, also were there.

The implications of Rao's term in office resonated beyond Morrisville. Prasad Vanguri lives in Cary but was part of the standing-room-only crowd that turned out to see Rao on Tuesday.

"It's a historic moment for our community. It's a beginning," Vanguri said. "We've been trying to put somebody in public office for (the) last six or seven years, and finally we got one in."

While Vanguri is proud of Rao's election, he said, he has no expectation Rao will cater to the Indian-American community.

"At this point, his job is to do the best thing for the town of Morrisville," Vanguri said. "He doesn't have to do anything for the Indian community specifically, but once he gets a good name and he does a good job, a lot of people will follow him."

For some, Rao's election was not just about politics. Dipesh Hada of Morrisville said he saw Rao as a reflection of the Indian community's commitment to contribute.

"It was a great moment for us," said Hada. "As we see there is a lot of development going on and we also like to participate in the growth. Definitely, we are all trying to make this area very rich and prosperous."

The ceremony was no less touching for Rao, 41, a second-generation Indian-American.

"I told my wife I wasn't really expecting anybody to be there," he said. "It was quite a shock. It had much more of an emotional effect than I was anticipating."

Rao credited his parents, the N.C. Indian-American Political Action Committee and the community for helping him win the at-large seat. Rao will serve the remaining two years on the unexpired term of Tom Murry.

Since 2008, the Indian-American PAC has raised about $300,000 for candidates of both major parties, including $3,000 for Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht.

In Morrisville, the Asian-American population has grown from 9 percent in 2000 to 27 percent in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

"For the son of parents who came from India with $8 in their pockets, to reach elected office here shows that, in America, everything is possible," Rao said.

Rao's father grew up in the Indian city of Chennai, and his mother, Nirmala, grew up in Delhi, India. They came to America in 1969, and Rao's father took a job as a physician at Connecticut General Hospital in New London, Conn.

"My parents always taught me to be judged by the content of my character, not my ethnic background, so I very much am driven by how I can excel in life, based on how hard I work," said Rao, who was born in Charleston, W.Va.

"I ran for council because I believed that I had the background, experience and education to be a valuable new member of the Town Council."