New Future For Sikhs in Reading

East Reading is home to a sizable Sikh community, who first settled in our town around seventy years ago, focused on the gurdwara or temple on Cumberland Road in Newtown. According to the last census, around 0.7% of people identified as Sikh in the town - but this clearly does not include the wider community is adjacent boroughs, in Wokingham around 1.7% of the population identify with the religion.

In a trend that is familiar worldwide, immigrant populations settle in poorer areas (such as Newtown) and as they flourish within the community they move to more affluent areas (such as Earley and Winnersh).

Therefore it is not surprising that there are now advanced plans to open a new, bigger gurdwara at the former Mizuno building in Winersh, next to Halfords. Volunteers and professional builders are already on the site and the plan is to have it open in a year's time for the April 2025 Valsakhi celebrations.

The current gurudwara in Cumberland Road, Newtown

So, inReading took the opportunity of this year's Vaisakhi, the harvest festival, which is a major festive day for Sikhs, to learn more about the religion and its presence in Reading at the parade down Wokingham Road in East Reading. Find out more in Tyler's video report below.

Sikhi (Sikhismis considered performative) is the fifth-largest world religion with over 25 million adherents globally. It originated in the Punjab region, that now straddles the India Pakistan border, during the 15th century. Sikhs believe in one formless God and the teachings of the 10 Sikh gurus, with the final spiritual authority being the sacred scripture Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

Guru Nanak was born in 1469 in the Pakistani town of Nankana Sahib. As a young man, he took a spiritual journey where he was enlightened by God and returned as a preacher promoting a new way of living - neither Hindu nor Muslim, but a distinct process of spiritual enlightenment and social reformation.

Nanak rejected the Hindu caste system, rituals, and the subservient treatment of women. He also dismissed the Islamic priesthood, rituals, and emphasis on fasting. Instead, he promoted the "Ik Onkar" - the formless and omnipresent one God. He advocated equality between all humans regardless of their backgrounds.

Upon his death in 1539, Guru Nanak appointed a successor, launching the line of 10 living Gurus that would build the theological and organizational foundation of the Sikh faith over the next two centuries. The final living Guru, Gobind Singh, inaugurated the Sikh Khalsa order in 1699 and decreed the Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh scripture) would be the spiritual authority going forward.

All initiated Sikhs are part of the Khalsa - the collective body of the faithful. During the initiation, they take the vows of the Five Ks which are distinctive traits of the religion:
- Kesh (uncut hair)
- Kara (iron bracelet)
- Kirpan (sword/dagger)
- Kachehra (short trousers)
- Kangha (comb)

A swordsman performs at Vaisakhi

The uncut hair, covered by a turban, and other articles symbolize a Sikh's devotion to God and rejection of body-alterations. The Kirpan represents a commitment to fighting injustice and oppression.

The Sikh way of life is guided by three fundamental principles:

1) Meditating and remembering God through reciting the Guru Granth Sahib.
2) Earning an honest living through hard work.
3) Sharing with others and performing selfless service (sewa).

The Gurdwara (door to the Guru) is the place where Sikhs congregate for community prayer and to listen to the teachings from the Guru Granth Sahib. The holiest Gurdwara is the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in the Indian city of Amritsar.

Each spring, the northern Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh, along with sikh communities all over the world, including our home town, come alive with vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and red as the major Sikh festival of Vaisakhi approaches. This harvest festival marks the start of the Punjabi New Year and the founding of the Khalsa community of baptized Sikhs in 1699.

The centerpiece of the Vaisakhi festivities is the rambunctious parade called Nagar Kirtan. Devout Sikhs wake up before dawn and congregate at the gurdwara. After reciting sacred verses and offering prayers, they set off on a procession through the streets singing, dancing, and waving brightly-colored Khalsa flags. This year the route saw the procession go down Wokingham Road, which had been closed off for the occassion.

The parade featured men and boys wearing orange turbans and women decked out in vibrant ghagras with the iconic symbols of Sikhism on full display. Groups of singers and musicians play devotional Shabad kirtan hymns. The festivities are punctuated by martial arts like gatka and nagarakirtan sword-fighting demonstrations that commemorate the martial heritage of the Khalsa warriors.

When the procession reaches its destination, usually a historical gurdwara, the holy book is ceremonially installed as commemorative verses are recited. This is followed by the distribution of the special Vaisakhi delicacy kadah prasad, which consists of wheat flour pudding simmered in sugar, ghee, and spices.

While Vaisakhi marks the beginning of the harvest season for Punjabi farmers, the deeper spiritual significance lies in the birth of the Khalsa in 1699. On Vaisakhi day that year, Guru Gobind Singh initiated the first Sikhs into the Khalsa warrior brotherhood. He inaugurated a distinctive identity for the Khalsa through the Five Ks.

Today, the Vaisakhi celebrations are intended to reaffirm the core principles of Sikhi – devotion to God, honest living, service to humanity, and the moral courage to defend truth and protect the defenseless. As Sikhs across the globe take part in this festival of renewal and joy, Vaisakhi reminds the community of its rich heritage of bravery, equality, and spiritual devotion.