EULESS, TX (TIP): Sikh-Americans in Euless and the surrounding cities will be marking their annual Vaisakhi festival in a different way this year on April 17th. The program will take place at the location of their new building at 200 W. Euless Blvd. in Euless, starting at 11 am and ending at 3pm to include sharing of the free vegetarian meals provided by the Sikh community. The local dignitaries are expected between 12 noon to 2 pm.

Vaisakhi is important annual Thanks-Giving festival for Sikhs worldwide. In 1699, the tenth Guru (prophet) of the Sikhs converted this long-established harvest festival in the Northern Indian sub-continent to a religious one, with the establishment of a new order of Sikhism called Khalsa, to uphold the ideals of equality & justice.

As the population of Sikhs grew in Tarrant County in the nineties, a need was felt by Sikh families to share their faith with each other and their community – leading to the establishment of Gurudwara Sikh Sangat, currently at 1400 W. Euless Blvd. in Euless, TX, in 2000. One of the cornerstone tenets of Sikhsim is doing selfless service, called Seva. The Congregation has been following this principle in the community, from volunteering and donating at the local food banks to providing blankets for veterans – as well as recently hosting a bike-ride for Euless Police Department and David Hofer, the slain Euless Police Officer – which collected over $5,000 in donations. Sharing the free vegetarian meal, langar, is a continuous tradition included in all religious services at the Euless Gurudwara.

However, as the Congregation has grown, the current building has been insufficient to handle the growth, including community programs and programs for children. Last year, the Congregation started construction of their new, modern building – which will not only serve the members, but also will provide education and programs to the surrounding community. At the Vaisakhi program on April 17th, to be held on the new foundation of the Gurudwara, new initiatives around community participation will be announced – thus furthering the principles of Seva.

The Mayor and the Police Chief of Euless will be attending, along with their teams. People from all faiths are invited to attend the Vaisakhi program and join us for a free vegetarian meal. More information about the program and Sikhism is available at www.DFWSikhSangat.org.