Vaisakhi in Gravesend – Saturday14 April 2012: Gravesend is in Kent round 20 miles east of London on the River Thames and residential to round 15,000 Sikhs in a inhabitants of simply over 100,000. The primary Gurdwara opened right here in 1956 however in November 2010 a splendid new Gurdwara was opened, the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara. That is mentioned to be the most important Gurdwara in Europe and one of many largest exterior India and value £12 million, financed by donations.
The temple is on a big website round half a mile east of the railway station and I arrived too late to make a tour of the place because the Nagar Kirtan procession was on the point of begin.
I took a brief look inside then went again exterior to {photograph} the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh Scriptures) being carried out ceremonially to be put inside a mannequin of the Golden Temple of Amritsar on one of many floats on the head of the procession.
There have been prolonged prayers exterior the Gurdwara earlier than 5 Khalsa, baptised Sikh males in saffron robes carrying Sikh requirements and 5 extra with raised swords representing the Panj Pyare baptised at Ananpundur in 1699 by the final residing human Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, the founding of the ‘Khalsa’ took their place within the procession behind an open lorry carrying a big Nagara drum and its beaters.
Behind them was the Guru Granth Sahib after which the strolling congregation (Sangat) led by Punjabi College kids, then the ladies and after them males, together with a number of autos carrying the aged.
The Gurdwara additionally has numerous cultural, social and sports activities teams, together with Bhangra music and dance teams, the Guru Nanak Soccer Membership and kids from native major colleges and lorries carrying a few of these made up the tip of the procession.
I hadn’t arrived early sufficient to go to the Langer, however because the procession made its method across the centre of Gravesend there have been quite a lot of stalls handing out free vegetarian foods and drinks. I loved some scrumptious vegetable curry with a powerful mint flavour in addition to some very candy chai and a few vegetable samosas, however there have been additionally loads of treats for the youngsters, lollipops, tender drinks and sweets.
Near the very a lot smaller Shri Guru Ravidass Gurdwara in Brandon Road there was a big crowd ready to see the procession and extra folks handing out free meals. I paid a really temporary go to to see the inside of this temple.
The procession was going again in the direction of the Gurdwara once I waited to see the tip of it go previous earlier than going to catch a practice. The celebrations had been to proceed the next day with a non secular service within the Gurdwara.
Many extra footage at Gravesend Vaisakhi.
Flickr – Fb – My London Diary – Hull Pictures – Lea Valley – Paris
London’s Industrial Heritage – London Pictures
All pictures on this web page are copyright © Peter Marshall.
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Tags: Bhangra, kids, congregation, free vegetarian meals, gravesend, Gurdwara, Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Nanak Darbar, Kent, Khalsa, MEN, Nagar Kirtan, Nagara drum, Nishan Sahib, Panj Pyare, raised swords, saffron robes, Sangat, Shri Guru Ravidass, Sikh requirements, Skhs, Vaisakhi, Vaisakhi prcession, ladies
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