In a colourful celebration that engages the senses, 琉璃神社鈥檚 Sikh community will this weekend host an event that brings together all races and religions.
The Okanagan Sikh temple is putting on its sixth Vaisakhi parade Saturday, starting at 11 a.m.
It鈥檚 an event that has grown exponentially each year, showing both development in the Sikh community and the bonds being forged with non-Indo Canadians.
鈥淭here are thousands that come,鈥� said Paramjit Philip Patara, president of the temple.
Vaisakhi, he explained, is one of the most significant holidays in the Sikh calendar.
It marks the harvest of winter crops in the Punjab region and the start of a new year. Farmers celebrate the fruits of their labour, give thanks and pray for prosperity in the future.
It鈥檚 also remarkable in the religion as it鈥檚 when the Sikhs gained a distinct identity.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a celebration of human rights鈥攖hat鈥檚 what it鈥檚 about,鈥� said Patara, explaining that religious strife in India hundreds of years ago gave way to the Sikh tenets, which focus on religious freedom.
鈥淭he Sikh community is about defending the defenceless and standing up for your own and other people鈥檚 rights. That鈥檚 the basics behind it. That鈥檚 what the celebration is all about.鈥�
It鈥檚 fitting, then, that so many from such different walks of life have come to embrace the celebration.
鈥淟ast year, my daughter brought her friend who is of Jewish faith and they were both in the parade,鈥� said Coun. Mohini Singh, who has connection to both the Sikh and Hindu communities.
鈥淎nd you should see my fellow councillors. They all come dressed in Indo clothing鈥his is what Canada is about, though.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about coming together in respect and celebration of our cultures.鈥�
Singh has been in Canada for 25 years and she said the changes she has seen have been tremendous.
鈥淥ur buying power has increased, our numbers have increased, families have grown and we now have a generation of Canadian kids who were born here,鈥� she said.
鈥淣ow we are not the new immigrants. Most of us are established we have homes and we are able to live healthy balanced lives. 鈥�
An example of that change can be seen the agricultural community.
When she was a reporter, Singh used to head down to the South Okanagan, where Portuguese families owned many of the farms and orchards.
Now, she said, many farms are held by Indo Canadian families.
鈥淧unjabis have a natural attraction to the land and they love agriculture,鈥� she said, highlighting how the parade fits in with local culture.
鈥淭his parade is significant in that it shows how the community has grown and how we are taking pride in who we are. 鈥�
And many celebrations specific to the holiday will be on display during the Saturday event.
鈥淭here will be a lot of food along the parade, people will have stalls set up in their driveway, where they鈥檒l be giving away lots of things鈥攎ostly food,鈥� Patara said.
They even have an ice-cream truck giving away ice-cream for two hours.
Beyond the food, there鈥檚 also the parade which will feature Bhangra and Gidda dance by men and women respectively. This very popular traditional folk dance is performed in groups on the fast beat of dhol (drum).
Dancers perform everyday farming scenes of sowing, harvesting and gathering of crops through movements of the body to the accompaniment of a ballad.
鈥淓verybody is welcome鈥攅verybody in 琉璃神社,鈥� Patara said.
For more information about road closures caused by the event, check the website kelowna.ca/road report.
