‘It's just awesome': Saskatoon celebrates Nagar Kirtan
The Sikh holiday is an opportunity for those in the community to gather, worship, sing, and celebrate their faith.
'We commonly get together, share values. And every person is more than welcome without any cause or creed, and everybody is celebrating this culture,' Balpreet Singh, President of Sikh Temple West, Saskatoon, said.
While the holiday is celebrated across the globe, this particular event has been recurring annually in Saskatoon since 2017.
'It feels great; it's just awesome how people can come together and make this event a success. Everything you see here is volunteer based. All the food stalls are free, and that's an amazing part of it,' Jagmeet Bajwa, one of the event organizers, said.
A major part of the celebration is the Guru Granth Sahib Procession, which features the holy scripture of Sikhism carried on an elaborately decorated float and paraded through the community.
Over 10,000 people made their way to Saskatoon's Lions Century Park on Sunday to celebrate Nagar Kirtan.
(Hallee Mandryk/CTV News)
Bajwa shared that this emphasizes the focus of the day on the core values and beliefs of Sikhism.
'When people go home today, they will take away a memory or lesson, or they will just remember the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib,' Bajwa said.
Singh said this day is something many people in the Sikh community look forward to every year.
'People are very excited. There are religious activities, there are cultural activities... free food served. And everybody enjoys the day; it's a nice summer day today,' Singh said.
Many of those in attendance are far from home. Bajwa added that this is one of the many reasons being able to gather as a community is especially important around the holidays.
'It's important to make them feel at home when they are far away from their dear ones. This is driven by brotherhood, so that's why it's very important,' Bajwa said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Peter Pan always said, ‘Never grow up!' But this statue in Bowring Park is 100 years young
The statue was erected in 1925 in Bowring Park in the west end of St. John's. It's a duplicate of the one in Kensington Gardens in London, England. The CBC's Julia Israel has the story of how it came to be and the sweet story behind it.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Bowring Park celebrates Peter Pan statue's 100th anniversary
The Peter Pan statue in Bowring Park holds memories of childhood, says Gaylynne Gulliver, chair of the Bowring Park Foundation, who helped organize a two-day festival to celebrate the statue's 100th year in the park. "I think it's a part of the memory of everybody who grew up in this area of the province," Gulliver told CBC News. The festival included face painting, crafts, music and storytelling. The statue was first erected in 1925 by Sir Edgar Rennie Bowring. It was dedicated to Bowring's three-year-old granddaughter, Betty Munn, who died on the SS Florizel after in sank in the ocean near Cappahayden in 1918. The statue is a duplicate of the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens in London, England. There are only six other replicas across the world, including the one in St. John's. Gulliver says the statue is about remembrance and love. "It's a symbol of … eternal youth and childhood and the child in all of us," said Gulliver. Local storyteller Dennis Flynn also attended the event and told stories about the park and the statue's history. WATCH | How Peter Pan came to call Bowring Park home a century ago: Peter Pan always said, 'Never grow up!' But this statue in Bowring Park is 100 years young 9 minutes ago The statue was erected in 1925 in Bowring Park in the west end of St. John's. It's a duplicate of the one in Kensington Gardens in London, England. The CBC's Julia Israel has the story of how it came to be and the sweet story behind it. He said his favourite story is about two monkeys named Josephine and Gus that used to live in the park. In 1955, they got away, and Gus was lured back with a bunch of bananas, Flynn said. Flynn says the statue's claim to fame is having two dedications — one to Betty Munn and the other to all the children of Newfoundland and Labrador. And, he says, it was important for people of all ages to come to the park for the event, considering the challenging times in the world.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of) entertains Toronto audiences
Toronto Watch Back by popular demand, the retelling of one of literatures most popular love stories returns to Toronto. CTV's Andria Case reports.
