LIVINGSTON -- A big fire burned outside the Gurdwara Sahib Temple on Peach Avenue on Thursday evening as part of its Lohri celebration.
The festivities, which commonly include bonfires, once were reserved for weddings and births. Although that is still the case for many families, said Councilman Gurpal Samra, the revelry has become an annual event for everyone to take part in when Jan. 13 rolls around.
Samra is a Sikh who frequents the Gurdwara Sahib Temple.
Merced Sun-Star - SUN-STAR PHOTO BY BEA AHBECK Members of the Sikh community celebrate Lohri at the Gurdwara Sahib Temple in Livingston, Calif. Jan. 13, 2011.
Merced Sun-Star - SUN-STAR PHOTO BY BEA AHBECK Jaspal Kaur and Jaswinder Kaur, both of Livingston, watch the fire as they celebrate Lohri at the Gurdwara Sahib Temple in Livingston, Calif. Jan. 13, 2011.
Most Sikhs in Livingston celebrate the festival, Samra said. The Guru Nanak Temple across town on B Street celebrated Wednesday.
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that was founded in India. It has 22 million followers, more than 5 million of them living outside of India.
About 2,550 Sikhs call Livingston home, Samra said. More than 400 were at Thursday's festival.
When Lohri falls on a weeknight, people usually go home about 8 p.m., Samra noted. When it falls on a weekend, the celebration goes well into the night.
The Festival of Lohri marks the beginning of the end of winter and the coming of spring and the new year, according to the Society for the Confluence of Festivals in India. Bonfires are burned because fire is a symbol of transformation and regeneration.
Lohri carries more social than religious significance, according to the society, the light and warmth of the fire encouraging "bonhomie."
The celebration also gives thanks to the gods, said Parminder Deol, a Sikh who's lived in Livingston for 35 years.
"The whole thing is about sharing and caring," she said. "It's a gift from the gods. What I do in the past, what I do in the present and what I do in the future, it's God's will."
Even though it's an Indian holiday, everyone is welcome to join, said Deol, whose father was president of the temple in 1994.
Nearly 20 women hurriedly prepared large bowls of food Thursday afternoon in the temple's kitchen.
As people filed out of the dining hall and headed home about 8:30 p.m., many women were still in the kitchen cleaning, while others enjoyed the bonfire outside.
Despite the hard work, Deol said the women are like sisters and enjoy contributing to the celebration.
Reporter Mike North can be reached at (209) 385-2453 or mnorth@mercedsun-star.com.
E-Mail
Print
