Community is invited to attend
The Williams Lake Sikh Community will be celebrating Vaisakhi at Gurdwara Sahib Western Singh Sabha this Sunday, April 30.
“We would like to extend an invitation to the entire Williams Lake community to join us in these celebrations,” says Gian Singh Sandhu spokesperson for the community.
Vaisakhi holds a special historical significance for Sikhs.
It was on this day in 1699 that the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, created the current ceremony through which Sikhs formally adopt the Sikh faith, a ceremony known as the Amrit ceremony, says Sandhu.
Guru Gobind Singh also instituted the Order of the Khalsa on this day, the collective body of the Sikhs.
Vaisakhi is the most widely celebrated of all Sikh occasions.
This Vaisakhi also holds a secondary significance in that it comes only weeks after an act of arson destroyed much of the current Gurdwara building on 3015 Pine Street.
“The Sikh community was determined to not let this tragedy mute its weekly services or impact the Vaisakhi celebrations in any significant way,” says Sandhu.
The community has quickly built a temporary shelter adjacent to the damaged Gurdwara and continued to hold services and plan for the upcoming Vaisakhi celebrations.
Services will formally begin Friday morning and continue through until Sunday morning with a continuous reading of the Sikh scriptures (Guru Granth Sahib). A special cremation ceremony is being held for the partially burnt Guru Granth Sahib on Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m.
Formal Vaisakhi celebrations will begin at around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.
As with all Sikh services, the public is always welcome to attend, and services are immediately followed by Langar, a free community sponsored meal open to all.
Please come and join the festivities and commemorations.
For further information contact Santokh Singh Samra at 305-6325 or Manjit Singh Gill at 267-4455.
Source: Williams Lake Tribune
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