Guru Nanak Sikh Temple set to gather for Vaisakhi in Williams Lake

Members of the Sikh community are getting set to celebrate Vaisakhi.

The Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Williams Lake will be holding a series of special events in celebration of Vaisakhi, which signals the start of the harvest season and the creation of the Khalsa, the Sikh brotherhood. Vaisakhi is a religious festival and one of the most important events in the Sikh Calendar, celebrated by Sikhs all over the world.

“All the community is invited to attend all the events,” said temple president Harinder Singh Vaid.

The temple is inviting the community to come celebrate Vaisakhi, starting on April 13 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., followed by April 14 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., and then April 15-18 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

On April 19, a continuous reading from start to finish of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, called the Akhand Path Sahib, will take place. There are 1,430 pages and it takes a team of readers more than 48 hours to complete.

There will be the service of Nishan Sahib, in which a triangular flag made of cotton or silk with a tassel at the end is raised, on Saturday, April 20 from 4 p.m. onwards. Free tea and snacks will be served after the flag raising service.

From April 15 to April 21, there will be a Kirtani Jatha, storyteller, from Vancouver.

There will be an uninterrupted service of Guru K Langars, free food, during all Vaisakhi events.

Alexander Vaz, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Williams Lake Tribune