Thousands take part in nagar kirtan procession at Riverside, California

Riverside. LA. California. Nov. 23, 2007
Dr. D. Singh Gill

Gurgaddi Divas Celebration at Sikh Temple Riverside, California on Nov. 22

This year, on the occasion of the second Nagar Kirtan, Bob Buster, Supervisor, First District County of Riverside was invited to the Temple and was honored in the Gurdwara. Parmjit Singh, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, presented Mr. Buster with a plaque acknowledging his support and commitment to the Sikh cause.

Mr. Buster* was very pleased and pledged his continuing support to the Sikh community. Mr. Buster expressed a great deal of interest in the Sikh values and tradition, and members of the management provided him with explanations. He was especially pleased to learn of the many values Sikhs and Americans hold in common, such as equality across race and gender, and of how the Sikh Gurus had sacrificed their lives to uphold religious freedom and how Sikhs in general have stayed at the forefront of protecting human rights. Before he left, Mr. Buster was also treated to a captivating presentation of Sikh martial art. Finally, he cut a ribbon to kick off the procession.

Gurgaddi Divas holds a special place in Sikh Religion. Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Guru of the Sikhs, shortly before leaving for his heavenly abode in 1708, ordained that after his demise the Granth Sahib, the Sikh Holy Scripture, would be the ultimate spiritual authority for the Sikhs. He installed the Granth Sahib as his successor and conferred Guruship on it. The Guru Granth Sahib’s contents, the Shabad (divine instruction), is now the eternal Guru of the Sikhs.

Sikhs celebrate Gurgaddi Divas, the day of installation of the Holy Granth as the eternal Guru of the Sikhs, with a lot of love, devotion, and dedication. As usual, celebration is carried out with the conclusion of Akhand Path of Guru Granth Sahib followed by Gurbani Kirtan, discourses on Sikhism, and Dhadi Vars related to Sikh history.

Recently, the management of the Sikh Temple in Riverside decided to have Nagar Kirtan (religious procession) in the vicinity of the Gurdwara Sahib with a view to:

1. To tell others about the uniqueness of this event
2. Spread the Guru’s universal message of love, equality, brotherhood and an honest living
3. To remove misconceptions due to Sikh appearance (including the turban) and let others know who we are and what we stand for.

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• *Bob Buster has served the 1st District on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors since 1993. A proven community leader for more than 20 years, Bob served on the Riverside City Council for two terms in 1980-1983 and 1990-1992. Bob is currently Chairman of the March Joint Powers Authority.....Read More

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