Local temples showing solidarity with a toned-down Diwali celebration
Posted November 10, 2015 4:15 pm.
Last Updated November 10, 2015 4:16 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Local Sikh temples are celebrating Diwali this week, but in a more subdued way.
Gurdwaras are being asked to tone down the celebration in light of religious tensions in India.
There will be no lights up at the Ross St. Temple in Vancouver this year and you won’t hear celebratory fire crackers going off.
Amarjit Rai with the Khalsa Diwan Society says they’ve been asked to keep it quiet over an incident involving the Sikh holy book.
“That has been torn and destroyed by… we don’t really know who has done it…The supreme authority on Sikhism, they have asked us to boycott Diwali this year.”
He says they won’t be doing a full boycott; people are still welcome to come celebrate at the temple.
“We won’t tell them, ‘No, you can’t light lamps or you can’t bring sweets.’ Normally, people bring in a lot of sweets to the gurdwara that day. We’re not going to say no to that.”
Rai says they just want to show some solidarity with the roots of their faith in India.
