Yuba City Nagar Kirtan
Yuba City, California:(Gurjatinder Randhawa)
The 28th annual Sikh Parade drew a record crowd of 70,000 plus. This event is dedicated to celebrate the coronation day of the Sikh Scripture: Guru Granth Sahib. In 1708 the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh ordained all Sikhs to follow the Granth as their eternal Guru, the divine teacher. Every year, Sikh Americans celebrate this event as Guru Gaddi Divas (coronation day) on the first weekend of November.
The celebratory events started on Friday morning with the commencement of the continuous reading of the Guru Granth Sahib. Fireworks attracted thousands of people of all faiths to Tierra Buena Sikh Temple Gurdwara grounds that evening. On Saturday, there was an open house and seminar in English. The event was attended by many non Sikhs including Lt. Governor of California, Mr. Garmandi and many other elected officials. Key-note speaker Prof Bruce Labrack, Professor of Anthropology at the University of the Pacific (UOP), literally stunned the audience with his great lecture on Sikhs. He said Sikh Americans have been in this country for one century and have faced all kind of discrimination and challenges. He added, despite all odds against them, most are now very successful and among the wealthiest ethnic group in America. He eloquently compared 10 Sikh values with American values. Many elected officials were honored / recognized at the Seminar with plaques. Saturday evening was dedicated to spiritual singing where many devotional singers delighted the audience with classical ragas and a universal teaching of love and compassion as taught in Gurbani. There were over 200,000 free meals or langar served to all guests irrespective their faith or background during the three day celebration.
Sunday, the culmination of the reading of the Guru Granth Sahib was followed by the Nagar Kirtan or the Sikh Parade. Every street in the parade route in Yuba City looked like an ocean of turbans and bright colors. There were fifty floats from Sikh organizations and Gurdwaras from all over the United States and Canada. A Harley-Davidson Motorcycle team (Sikh Motorcycle Club) from British Columbia, Canada, with turbaned Sikhs from Canada also took part in the parade. Local law enforcement gave them special permission to ride their motor bikes with out helmets. There were hundreds of vendors / booths selling books and artifacts. One particular booth from Los Angeles selling DVDs of “Amu”, a movie that was shown at Yuba College on Thursday (Nov. 2) was a hot spot for many Sikhs. This movie deals with the carnage of 1984 in New Delhi.
The spirit of Guru Nanak was felt throughout the weekend, which is: believe one Supreme Being, work hard, live an honest living and share your earnings with your fellow beings.
nitu bains said, November 7, 2007 @ 12:10 pm
thats a great amount of people
it is a great thins
gurjinder singh said, November 18, 2007 @ 1:48 am
dhan - dhan tere sikhi
Mahendar S.Dhillon said, January 15, 2008 @ 9:43 pm
This was our first time at the Gurudwara where Nagar Kirtan started. Thanks to Rulda Sekhon for guiding us there. We felt our life changed after this event. Believing is everything. Sarbat the bhala/Raj Karega Ga Khalsa.
Aneel Maan said, April 9, 2008 @ 9:06 pm
The place was packed but it was really fun there until some kid spilled mango lassi on me lol.
sushil sharma022-28308752 said, June 16, 2008 @ 11:20 am
MERA DHAN DHAN GURU NANAK MEHRAN WALA HAI
LIKHIYAN TAKDEERA MOD DEVE
USNU PAKAD KINARE LAGA DEVE
JISDE BEDI NU RAB DOB DEVE
JO BOLE SO NEHAL
SATT SHRI AKAL
WAHE GURU JI DA KHALSA
SHRI WAHE GURU JI DI FATEH
DEV SINGH SANDHU said, December 3, 2008 @ 12:20 am
Sat-sri-Akal
I am sikh from Malaysia looking at your website iam very impressed
Unfortunately we have only 50 families so we do get this kind of celebration over here
ruby garcha said, March 24, 2009 @ 11:29 pm
I would like to know when is the next nagar kirtan. what’s the date.
daljit said, April 3, 2009 @ 1:55 pm
GREAT KHALSA PANTH
aman said, June 11, 2009 @ 9:46 pm
i am proud to be a sikh girl and i am proud on my sikhi and next nagar kirtan is in november
pardeep singh said, September 21, 2009 @ 4:49 am
I PROUD TO BE A SIKH
Jasbeer Kaur said, October 5, 2009 @ 2:56 pm
Is it late to book stalls for the event in Yuba City 2009? Can someone tell me how do I get one. Btw, I am coming all the way from NY.
Jasbeer Kaur said, October 5, 2009 @ 2:57 pm
please email me at sahni.jasmin@gmail.com
sukhi said, November 1, 2009 @ 11:54 am
i am from a sikh family and i am proud to be a sikh bec i read our history and i believe that i am very lucky that i born in sikh family bec to get sikhy our guru’s had sacrificed a lot even their families to give us a better life and to be proud on our culture in the world.
amarjit sahota said, November 3, 2009 @ 12:36 am
singh betr then king dhan guru ranth sahib ji
Deep said, November 18, 2009 @ 11:44 am
Singh is king
Deep said, November 18, 2009 @ 11:46 am
Sikhi is great