Khalsa Diwan Society Vancouver, Sikh gurdwara in South Vancouver, Canada
The Khalsa Diwan Society gurdwara stands at Southwest Marine Drive and Ross Street in South Vancouver. Architect Arthur Erickson travelled to Agra and Amritsar for inspiration, and the building was intended to look like a lotus rising from water. Construction began in winter 1969 and was completed in the first week of April 1970.
The organization was founded in 1906 and officially registered in 1909, with the first Sikh temple built at 1866 West 2nd Avenue. The building became an important landmark for the growing Sikh community in the city.
This place serves as a gathering point where people come together to worship and share meals as one community. The langar, a free communal kitchen, welcomes everyone regardless of faith or background, reflecting a core Sikh principle of equality.
The gurdwara stands at the corner of Southwest Marine Drive and Ross Street in South Vancouver; the stretch of Ross Street beside it was alternatively named Khalsa Diwan Road in 2018, with extra signs added in 2019. The langar kitchen serves free meals to all visitors, and the society also runs a homeless shelter. Every March the society holds a celebration of the martyrdom of Mewa Singh Lopoke, which draws Sikhs from California.
In 2018, Vancouver City Council renamed Ross Street to Khalsa Diwan Road to honor the temple's contribution to community development. This name change reflects how much the institution is valued in the city.
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