A week of events are planned at the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple on Mackenzie Avenue North to mark Vaisakhi beginning on Monday, April 22 and culminating on Sunday, April 28.
Surinderpal Rathor, who belongs to the temple community, said there will be singing every evening beginning on Monday, April 22 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and free vegetarian dinners Monday to Thursday.
On Friday, April 26, the continual reading of the holy scripture will commence through to Sunday.
“We will be sharing breakfast, lunch and dinnner on Friday and Saturday and on Saturday at 3 p.m. we will have a big celebration and the raising of the flag at 5 p.m.,” Rathor said. “The whole community is more than welcome.”
The temple is located at 3024 Mackenzie Avenue North.
Read More: VIDEO: Flag raised for Vaisakhi in Williams Lake
Vaisakhi celebrates the Sikh new year and commemorates the formation of Khalsa panth of warriors under Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
The Guru Nanak Sikh Temple was completed in 1974 under the leadership of then society president Gurmel Bains.
Former Tribune community editor Gaiel Farrar in an article about the Bains and his wife, Sukhjit leaving Williams Lake after 47 years, said in 1974 stores in Williams Lake did not cater to international tastes so in addition to working at West Fraser, Bains and his family bought a building on First Avenue North and opened S&D Foods.
“The family lived in an apartment upstairs and ran the store downstairs which provided a new resource for fresh produce, spices, basmati rice and other specialty items used in Sikh vegetarian cooking,” Farrar stated.
Read more: Founding member of the Guru Nanak Sikh Temple retires to Surrey
Williams Lake’s other Sikh temple on Pine Street held its Vaisakhi celebration the weekend of April 12.
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