|
The Atlanta Sikh Festival was started as a post-9/11 attempt to give the Atlanta community an opportunity to learn about Sikh culture, according to public relations director Yodha Singh. It is also a way of keeping Sikh children and teenagers interested in religious traditions. |
|
Raminder Bindra, a brand manager for Coca-Cola, takes visitors on a tour of the Gurudwara building. "Sikhs believe in religious freedom and tolerance," said Bindra, "and we are willing to fight for what we believe in." To illustrate the point, he shows pictures of Guru Gobind Sikh, a Sikh leader who was killed in 1708. The guru's entire family was violently executed when he stood up for the rights of oppressed Hindus when India was under Mughul rule. |
|
Young Atlantan Sikhs demonstrate for visitors the sitar (left) and the tabla (right), musical instruments used in weekly prayer services. Their repertoire includes "The Star-Spangled Banner." |
|
A free lunch is served to members and visitors alike: dal (thick lentil soup), curry, rice and fresh baked roti (flatbread). On an ordinary Sunday, after prayer services are over, the entire congregation enjoys a leisurely lunch in the Gurudwara. |
|
The Basi family smiles for the camera outside of the Gurudwara building. Dr. Gulbarg Basi (right) and his wife Rup (left) helped raise money to construct the building in 1990. Their daughter, Hersimren (center), 21, has lived in Atlanta since age three, and is a senior at University of Georgia. |
|
Sikh men and women traditionally do not cut any hair on their body. Men frequently wear a turban to wrap up long hair. At the festival, a visitor pays two dollars for the experience of trying on a turban. |
|
Children run forward, eager to try the "moonwalk." The Festival also includes pony rides, and a miniature train. |
|
In the parking lot, there is evidence of other post-9/11 attempts to assert Sikh American identity. |
