1,500 Sikhs parade through Whalley Range and Old Trafford for opening of new Gurdwara
A procession, fireworks and showers of rose petals have marked the opening of Manchester’s biggest new Gurdwara.
Around 1,500 Sikhs took part in a parade through the streets of Whalley Range and Old Trafford to celebrate the opening of the Sri Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara on Upper Chorlton Road.
The £2M purpose-built building also includes an education and cultural centre with facilities open to the whole community.
The event saw Sikhs from across the north of England travel to Manchester to mark the event, with families dressed in their most colourful clothes to join in the party atmosphere.
The temple’s holy book, the Guru Granth Sahb, was carried on a float along with religious leaders and musicians as it made its way down Upper Chorlton Road and back through Old Trafford on a colourful two hour parade this morning.
It was then installed in the new prayer room of the Gurdwara while rosepetals were showered from the roof and fireworks exploded from the building’s walls.
A non-stop three-day reading of the Guru Granth Sahb will now begin as part of the opening celebrations.
The new building, complete with domed roof and balcony, replaces the Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara’s former base in a converted house next door.
Religious leaders hope the new building will become a hub for the community with a gym, sauna and steam room due to be installed which will be open to anyone to use.
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| Views of and from the procession to the new Gurdwara. The building was designed by architect Amar Singh Egan, who has been designing gurdwaras around the UK for over 30 years. | |
Language and religious lessons, plus health and fitness classes will also be held there.
Raghbir Singh, general secretary of the Sri Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara, said: "This new building has totally brought the Sikh community together and everyone has worked really hard to get it ready for today.
"Anyone of any religion is welcome to come here and we hope this building will be a real lift for the community.
"I would like to thank everybody who has worked on it."
The opening of the new building also marks 50 years since the first Sri Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara was opened in 1961 on Rosamund Street, in Hulme.
From there it moved to its former base on Upper Chorlton Road in the 1970s.
Today’s event was also attended by representatives from the nearby Gita Bhavan Hindu Temple also in Whalley Range, members of Manchester’s Muslim community and representatives of the Bishop of Manchester.
Arpan Singh Duggal, 26, from Altrincham, attended the opening with his family.
He said: "The new temple is beautiful. It has taken a lot of time and effort but it is worth it, both for us and future generations to come.
"A lot of projects will take place here for children, young people and the whole community."
The building was designed by architect Amar Singh Egan, who has been designing gurdwaras around the UK for over 30 years.
He said: "Previously Sikhs have bought former churches or warehouses to use as gurdwaras so it is great that this is a purpose built place.
"I’m very pleased with the way the building looks today."