GRAVESEND: Sikhs celebrate anniversary of faith founder's birthday (From News Shopper)

GRAVESEND: Sikhs celebrate anniversary of faith founder's birthday

8:50am Thursday 12th November 2009 in

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THOUSANDS of Sikhs gathered to celebrate the 540th anniversary of the birth of the founder of their faith.

Sikh temple the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara in Clarence Place, Gravesend, hosted a three day service earlier this month to celebrate the anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s birth.

More than 4,000 people attended the service, which the Gurdwara Management Committee’s vice president Swarn Singh says was a wonderful event.

He said: “The service included a 48 hour reading of holy books from beginning to end.

“After that there was prayer and then food and singing, and also the changing of the flag at the gurdwara.”

The 137-year-old building in Clarence Place has been used as a Sikh temple since 1968.

Developer Thamesview Living recently bought it from the gurdwara committee and plans to demolish it and replace it with 19 flats and two houses.

Construction is currently ongoing at a new £11m Sikh temple in Khalsa Avenue.