By Balwant Sanghera
India Cultural Centre of Canada (ICCC)’s Gurdwara Nanak Niwas has undergone major renovations recently. In addition to a new and impressive paint job, the spacious lobby has been renovated extensively. Major new attractions in the lobby are the beautiful portraits of the ten Gurus of the Sikh faith. In the centre is the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) as it was in 1833. The newspaper and shoe racks have been placed at the back of the Langar Hall close to the back door entry. The Darbar Hall has been well decorated with brand new chandeliers. The entire Gurdwara has a new look. Not only that, a number of activities have also kept the Gurdwara a busy place.
Nearly every Friday, Saturday and Sunday has been pre-booked for weddings and other religious functions till the fall. In addition to that, a number of other activities have been going on. These include yoga and Punjabi classes. There has been great interest in both of these areas. New students for Punjabi classes are always welcome .The Punjabi classes are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Interested parents should contact the Gurdwara at 604-274-7479 or me at 604-836-8976 for further information in this regard. ICCC has also been providing leadership in many other areas. For example, on Sunday, April 20, Gurdwara Nanak Niwas hosted a very successful Public Education Program focused on Hepatitis B. This free education workshop in Punjabi dealt with prevention, treatment and management of Hepatitis B. This workshop was made possible by SUCCESS with assistance from the provincial government.
Richmond is a very multicultural, multilingual and multi-religious community. Its Highway to Heaven is a unique place that is home to more than twenty places of worship representing every major religion in the world. For the past several years, Gurdwara Nanak Niwas has been hosting inter-faith bridging seminars and bringing our partners on this Highway to Heaven to-gether from time to time. ICCC has also been instrumental in the formation of the Highway to Heaven Association which meets occasionally to discuss issues of common interest. It has been a regular participant in the City of Richmond and Richmond Museum Society sponsored annual Doors Open Program. This year again, ICCC will be actively participating in this initiative scheduled for June 7 and 8. We need more volunteers to act as hosts at the Gurdwara on both days. Interested individuals should contact the Gurdwara or me.
ICCC is a proud partner with a number of other community organizations like SUCCESS, RMCS and health agencies. In this context, it will be hosting a dialogue around the expression of faith in public culture. Facilitated by Richmond Multicultural Community Services (RMCS), with CIVICUS grant, it is a great way to promote intercultural and inter-religious harmony. This dialogue will take place on Tuesday, May 6 at 10 AM at Gurdwara Nanak Niwas. Interested individuals should contact RMCS at 604-248-0433 for registration.
Gurdwara Nanak Niwas has been working with the City of Richmond as well as the Richmond RCMP and our partners along the Highway to Heaven to celebrate our cultural and religious diversity on BC Day. The Gurdwara management welcomes any suggestions from the congregation and the community in order to serve the community the best way it can.
Balwant Sanghera is a Retired School Psychologist and Community activist who is also a member of India Cultural Centre of Canada’s Gurdwara Nanak Niwas in Richmond.
