The Guru Nanaksar Gursikh Gurdwara, located on

 Westminster Highway

in eastern Richmond, is an offshoot of the Nanaksar

Movement in India.

The movement was formed in 1943 after the death

of Baba Nand Singh,

 who was revered by many in the Punjab as a saint.

The Guru Nanaksar Gursikh Gurdwara

The Guru Nanaksar Gursikh Gurdwara

The building of this Richmond gurdwara is

 another example of an

Asian religious movement taking steps to

establish itself outside of the continent.

Back then, Baba Mihan Singh, the movement’s new leader,

 began to regularly tour Canada and the U.K.

 He found particularly strong support in the

Vancouver area, and it was

decided to organize the construction of the Richmond temple.

Other temples were constructed in Edmonton, Toronto,

 and Coventry, England. Baba Mihan Singh was also

 highly respected by many people outside of the

Nanaksar tradition.

He died in the Richmond temple in 1994.
 

Continuous reading of the Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib,

occurs 24 hours a day. The community dining hall operates

for most of the day and evening, and as in all Sikh temples,

is free and open to the public.

One of the tenets of the Sikh religion is service to the community.

 Sikh dining halls are meant to be places where any

 member of the community,

be they Sikh or non-Sikh, is welcome to eat in an

 atmosphere of complete equality.

Sikhs believe that there is only one God and that

a sincere seeker of God in any

religion deserves full respect.

People of all faiths are welcome and encouraged to visit

 Sikh temples but there is a protocol.

Shoes are taken off at the entry and before entering the sanctuary

all must cover their heads.

Each temple has a box of simple head scarves at

 the front door for the use of the public.

 Once in the sanctuary, men usually sit on the

right and women on the left.

In terms of architecture,

 the Guru Nanaksar Gursikh Gurdwara

 is considered one of the most traditional-looking

Sikh temples in Greater Vancouver.
 

The Guru Nanaksar Gursikh Gurdwara

Douglas Aitken is the author of the book

 Three Faces of Vancouver.

Every Monday, Faces of Vancouver looks at

 the area’s buildings,

 past and present, with a focus on

Vancouver’s European,

 Asian, and First Nations cultures.

Guru Nanaksar Gursikh Gurdwara

Address~ 18691 Westminster Highway, Richmond.

Their homepage

http://www.worldgurudwara.com/V4/402078.asp

PHONE~ (604) 270-7369

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