Cleanup caps off Sikh celebrations
Monday, November 2, 2015: To shield themselves from Monday's rain, Surindert Sahota and her son, Jagjit, covered their heads with plastic bags, then went to work cleaning up trash at the Tierra Buena Road Sikh Temple in Yuba City. Tens of thousands of people attended Sunday's 36th annual Sikh Festival and Parade, according to organizers. With that large of a crowd, there was plenty to clean up.
"I've been here to every one of the parades," said Surinder Sahota, who took a week off from work at the Target Distribution Center in Woodland. "It gives us peace knowing that we're doing our share to help."
Sahota spent a few days ahead of the event cooking food at her Yuba City home and helping in the temple kitchen.
"This is part of our religion and the Seva," said Sahota, referring to a Sanskrit word meaning "selfless service" or work performed without any expectation of reward.
Most sources reported the weekend festival, capped by the Sunday parade with estimates of as many as 80,000 in attendance, went smoothly.
"Aside from the usual traffic congestion and complications from the street closures, it was a fairly quiet day for our staff assigned to the parade," said Yuba City Police Lt. Thomas Tappe in an email. "There were no arrests and no significant disturbances."
Tappe said there were 40 paid staff and 15 volunteers working the parade this year. Sutter County Sheriff's, California Highway Patrol, Sutter County and Yuba City fire departments were also at the parade.
Cleanup seemed to be the biggest issue Monday. Sikh Temple director Tejinder Dosanjh said there were at least 100 people along the parade route and temple getting things back in order.
"We had River Valley High School (the site was used for parking and as a busing stop) cleaned up first and were very glad there was no damage to city, county or private property," said Dosanjh. "There are three backhoes, 15 40-yard Dumpsters, and everyone is working very hard."
Dosanjh, who came to the United States in 1978, has been to every Sikh Parade and has been on the board for 25 years, and said this year's event went smoothly in part due to the support of the community leaders and law enforcement.