London, October 7, 2013(Shyam Bhatia)-A
gurdwara in West London is expected to be the focal point of celebrations here
on October 9 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Guru Ram Dass. Founded in 1978 and redesigned and expanded in
1992 and 2003, the Sri Guru Singh Sabha gurdwara in Hounslow, close to the
Heathrow airport, is visited by Sikh devotees from the surrounding London
boroughs of Hillingdon, Richmond, Spelthorne Borough and Kingston. It also
attracts Sikhs from the rest of the UK. Head Granthi of the gurdwara Bhai
Karnail Singh said it would be a full day of kirtans, kathas and lectures
on the life of Guru Ram Dass on Wednesday. On Friday, the gurdwara is
organising a 48-hour 'akhand path' for the same purpose.
“The planning of the Harmandar Sahib and the
excavation of the sarovar around it was carried out during his time,” says
UK-based Giani Jaswant Singh Markhandwale. “Before that, the area was simply a
collection of villages. It was the Guru who bought the land and created the
sarovar.”
Giani Jaswant Singh says all the 300 UK-based
gurdwaras, which cater to the spiritual needs of some 4,30,000 Sikhs, would be
celebrating Guru Ram Dass’ birth anniversary, but the Sri Guru Singh Sabha
gurdwara in Hounslow would witness major celebratory activities. The gurdwara
attracts an average of 500 visitors on a week day. The number rises to around
2,000 on Sundays. On special occasions, the gurdwara is known to attract as
many as 8,000 visitors.
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