On Friday, February 23rd, the Honorable U.S Consul General in Vancouver, Mr. Jim DeHart visited the Gur Sikh Temple for a tour of the Gurdwara hosted by the South Asian Studies Institute. SASI members Annet Holierhoek, Alisa Sohi, Thamilini Jothilingam and Henna Mann welcomed Mr. DeHart to learn about the history of the National Historic Site Gur Sikh Temple and the rich history of the Sikh community in BC.
The SASI team conducted an educational tour of the Sikh monuments and art installations displayed around the exterior of the Gurdwara. Then, they showcased the prayer hall to inform Mr. DeHart about Sikh practices and the teachings of the faith and its traditions. The prayer hall is a space for all Sikhs to come together and learn from the teachings of the scripture, clear one’s mind from external thoughts and focus on meditaton. Lastly, the team introduced the ongoing Marriages & Migration: A Transnational Story of BC exhibit at the Sikh Heritage Museum, housed on the first floor of the Gurdwara. The team shared their experience in presenting the stories behind the Del Monte photo collection from the South Asian Canadian Digital Archive, which presents Punjabi-Sikh marriages in BC from the 1960s-1990s.
We are thankful to the Honourable Mr. Jim DeHart for visiting and paying respect to the National Historic Site Gur Sikh Temple and BC’s Provincial Historic Site Sikh Heritage Museum to learn about the meaningful contributions and history of the Sikh people in BC.
