Image from Gur Sikh Temple (Canadian Sikh Heritage)
To celebrate Asian Heritage Month, join us for a unique cultural experience at Abbotsford’s Gur Sikh Temple, a historic landmark that embodies the rich heritage and traditions of the Sikh community in British Columbia, led by historian and EDI Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Sharanjit Kaur Sandhra. This tour event invites you to explore the spiritual and architectural marvel that is the Gur Sikh Temple, offering a unique insight into the Sikh culture, history, and values.
Dr. Sandhra will provide this guided tour through the intricately designed Gur Sikh Temple, the oldest existing Sikh temple in North America. Learn about the fascinating history of the temple, its architectural significance, and the stories behind its construction.
More about the Gur Sikh Temple
A National Historic Site, the Gur Sikh Temple has been a Sikh place of worship since 1912. Built by a community of Sikh settlers, it is known as the oldest existing Sikh Temple in North America. The restored building is managed by the not-for-profit society, The Khalsa Diwan Society, Abbotsford, who run the daily management. On the ground floor is the Sikh Heritage Museum, open to the public. The second floor remains as a prayer room.
Website: https://canadiansikhheritage.ca/
The Temple is an important touchstone to our community’s past. Its preservation also represents one of the first steps in documenting the history of the Sikhs in Canada.
-Khalsa Diwan Society, Abbotsford
EDI Scholar-in-Residence
Dr. Sharanjit Kaur Sandhra (Sharn) is the founder of Belonging Matters Consulting and a sessional faculty in the Department of History at UFV and UBC. Before this, Sharn worked as Coordinator at the South Asian Studies Institute at UFV for more than 12 years and as co-curator and co-manager of the Sikh Heritage Museum, National Historic Site and Gur Sikh Temple (gurdwara). Sharn’s Ph.D. looks at the affective experiences of museum visitors through a critical race theory lens with the dissertation titled “Museums as Spaces of Belonging: Racialized Power in the Margins.” Sharn is a passionate activist, building bridges between community and academia through museum and cultural work.
She is a past member of the BC Museums Association and past Director of the Pacific Canada Heritage Centre – Museum of Migration. Sharn has been featured most recently in the Knowledge Network series “B.C: An Untold History,” is a published author, and has been featured on local, and international podcasts and media. She has lived in Abbotsford with her husband, two boys, and mother-in-law, for more than thirty years.
Location: Gur Sikh Temple (33089 South Fraser Way, Abbotsford, BC)
For more information about this program, please contact Allan Cho, Community Engagement Librarian (Program Services)