US' most expensive gurdwara opens in San Jose

September 13, 2004

31st Aug 2004

It was a dream come true for many and emotions outpoured as an

imposing Sikh gurdwara, said to be the most expensive in the United

States, was opened amid chants from the Guru Granth Sahib

reverberating the skyline in the Silicon Valley.

The gurdwara, spread across an area of 40 acres and cost around USD 10

million, was opened on Sunday and thousands of devotees in festive

mood gathered for the day-long event, transforming the city into a

riot of colours.

Scores of devotees and some 7000 guests converged to witness the

opening of the Sikh temple, a culmination of many years of dedicated

effort which began in the early 1990s, a media report said.

"I'm very emotional," Amrit Singh Sachdev, a computer engineer said.

"This is bringing back memories for me, when the whole street shuts

down, just like in India," he was quoted as saying by the San

Jose-based Mercury News.

Plans for building the Gurdwara had sparked controversy as neighbours

and residents of the town feared there would be traffic and noise

problems and criticised the magnitude of the project, which was scaled

back to meet some of their concerns.

But, none of the past acrimony was witnessed on Sunday as the event

passed off swiftly with more than 200 volunteers ensuring smooth

parking and controlling the crowd.

Annual donations to the San Jose gurdwara total about USD 1 million

and in the next four to five years, the community hopes to raise

another USD 10 million to build an additional 74,000 square feet for a

permanent prayer hall, a Sunday school and a museum.

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