This type of architecture is not commonly seen in buildings of worship around here. This is the Sikh Center in Anderson. There is also a Sikh Temple nearby, pictured below. I found this on their website:
“With Waheguru’s grace Dr. Harvinder Singh Birk got a vision of setting up Gurudwara Sahib near Redding CA by donating 8 Acres of Land for this noble cause. This Sikh Center Gurudwara will be the First one in the Redding area, which is about 150 miles North of Sacramento in the foothills of mountains and in the near vicinity of Mount Shasta.
I didn’t know much about the Sikh faith when I started this post, but this information from Wikipedia provided a good overview. Here’s a snippet:
Sikhism believes in one supreme God. The Sikh school of thought started by Guru Nanak teaches gender and race equality, sharing, working hard and honestly, being honest, contentment, selfless service, talking sweetly, worshiping naam, good etiquette, tradition, prayer, meditation, the concept of miri-piri, the concept of the saint-soldier/warrior, remembering God all the time in all actions, keeping in good company, proper sexual conduct, the life of a house person instead of becoming a celibate monk and rejecting the world, compassion, faith, justice, mastery, righteous actions, bravery, courage, love for God, humility, salvation, the afterlife, the law of karma (karam) which is counteracted by dharma (dharam), charity, and good will to humanity.
Sounds like Sikhs have a lot in common with the other faiths that make up the rich tapestry of our local community spirituality. Plus this lovely architecture for the temple, or gurdwara. Again from Wikipedia:
There are no idols, statues, or religious pictures in a Gurdwara, but the essential feature of a gurdwara is the presiding presence of the holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib. The Sikhs hold high respect for the commandments laid down in the Guru Granth Sahib.
It’s ReallyRedding.
