Wednesday, March 9: Construction should begin within 3 months
Within a year the local Sikh population will have their own temple where they can worship.
Plans are rapidly moving forward on the first phase of construction of the local Sikh worship center which will eventually include a temple, a multipurpose room and classrooms. Work on the temple could begin in the next three months.
A minor delay developed when the property where the temple will be built, on West North Grand Avenue, was recently annexed into the city. That altered the plans the local congregation had been working on because the requirements by the city are more demanding that what the county requires.
“I’ve been working on it about eight years,” said architect Mark Hillman. “Now it is in the city, so it’s a little more of a headache but the city has worked exceptionally well with us.”
Hillman said the temple itself will be about 4,500 square-feet in size.
The congregation is already meeting at the site in a temporary multi-purpose building, said local doctor Piara Pannu, who is heading up the project.
He said at one time they were planning a temple for the entire county, but since then Tulare, Visalia and Delano have developed their own temples. That has narrowed down the number of local donors who can pay for the complex, he said.
Sikhs are not to be confused with other Middle Eastern religions. It is one of the youngest religions in the world with a following of over 20 million people, according to Sikhs.org.
“Lots of our people wear a turban and have a beard. Many are misidentified as Muslims,” Dr. Pannu said.
“We are not Muslims. We are a peaceful people,” he added. “Every Sunday we pray for peace and the well-being for the entire world.”
According to Sikhs.org, Sikhism preaches a message of devotion and remembrance of God at all times, truthful living, equality of mankind, and social justice, and denounces superstitions and blind rituals. Sikhism is open to all through the teachings of its 10 Gurus enshrined in the Sikh Holy Book and Living Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
It states its philosophy is “There is only One God. He is the same God for all people of all religions.”
Wikipedia states: “Sikhism is based on the spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak, the first Guru,[10] and the ten successive Sikh gurus. After the death of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib became the literal embodiment of the eternal, impersonal Guru, where the scripture’s word serves as the spiritual guide for Sikhs.”
Dr. Pannu said those who are Sikhs locally are from the Punjab region of India where it borders Pakistan.
He said they have between 25 and 30 families and they have a priest who conducts services.