Nitnem by Dr. Kulwant Singh, with Punjabi ... - Gurbanifiles.org

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GURDWARA SAHIB
A Collective Achievement of Sangat
Construction of the Gurudwara Sahib SACVI - Sikh Association of Central Virginia Inc., 4500 Marty Boulevard,
Chesterfield, Virginia 23234, USA. is a remarkable achievement of the local Sangat and of the philanthropists
from all over the United States and other countries. It was an essential need to have a center to spread the light of
Gurbani: Scriptures. There is no Gurudwara: the Sikh temple, within about one hundred miles all around the town
of Richmond, Virginia, USA. In gratitude to the Gurus – the Sikh Prophets, and God, and dedicated efforts of the
Sangat – congregation, to have this center of the Sikh faith, I avail of this occasion to record the brief history of
the Gurudwara Sahib, as a memoir to the Guru’s another home in the area deprived of Gurbani: the Guru’s Word.
HISTORY OF THE GURDWARA SAHIB
In early seventies there were only a handful of Sikh families in the Greater Richmond area. S. Manmohan Singh
Chawla started having a religious get-together off and on at the homes of the local Sikhs.
In 1975, Col. Surjit Singh Bawa started regular monthly Divans (Congregations) at the West End
Community Center. Local Sikhs as well as Hindus and Christians of Indian Origin attended these.
In 1984, the local Sikh Sangat was officially registered as Sikh Association of Central Virginia Inc
(SACVI), a non-profit religious organization. It began with two trustees, and now we have eight of them. Trustees
were added from time to time to raise funds and to share the responsibilities of this organization.
We started working towards building a Gurudwara Sahib in Richmond in 1984. A parcel of 12 Acres of
wooded land was bought by SACVI in Chesterfield County, in the Bermuda District. The plans were ready to
begin construction, but the Sangat decided to scrap those plans and begin construction at a more central place.
Fortunately, we came across a parcel of land at Chippenham Parkway, and it was bought by SACVI. All
the civil-engineering work including water and sewer facilities, was completed in the due time. With the Grace of
Akal Purakh Waheguru (God), the foundation-stone laying ceremony was performed on the 2 April 2000, Sunday,
and the construction of the Gurudwara Sahib (Sikh Temple) was started.
Office Bearers of the Gurudwara Sahib; 1999-2001
Office Bearers – S. Harpal Singh Malik - President and Treasurer; Dr. Baljit Singh Sidhu - Secretary; Mrs. Jagmohan
Kaur Tiwari – Langar Sewa (service common kitchen), S. Nirmal Singh – Dewan Setting (setting the temple), S.
Gurdeep Singh – Dewan Setting.
Building and Finance Committee – S. Harmohindar Singh Bawa; Dr. Gurpal Singh Bhuller; S. Manmohan Singh
Grewal; S. Manbhupindar Singh Khera; Dr. Kanwalcharan Singh Sahni; Dr. Baljit Singh Sidhu.
Youth Representatives – Miss. Sweetie Kaur Kang; Miss. Puneet Kaur Khokhar; Miss. Aveena Kaur Kochhar.
Gurmatt School – Dr. Balwant Singh Sekhon, S. Gurvindarpal Singh Kochhar.
Interior Decoration – Mrs. Manjit Kaur Grewal; Mrs. Harleen Kaur Sodhi.
Social Activities – Mrs. Barindra Kaur Kochhar; S. HarmohIndar Singh Bawa; S. Manjit Singh Kahlon; Dr. Manmohan
Singh Khokhar.
Panj-Piarae selected by the Sangat to perform the Foundation Laying Ceremony of the Gurudwara Sahib
Building on the 2 April 2000 - Sunday -- Mrs. Jaswant Kaur Kochar.
1. Col. Surjit Singh Bawa.
2. S. Satwant Singh Jhaj.
3. S. Balwant Singh Sekhon.
4. Dr. Kulwant Singh Khokhar.
Office Bearers of the Gurdwara Sahib 2001-2002
Office Bearer – Dr. RavIndar Singh Kohli - President; Dr. Baljit Singh Sidhu – Secretary; Mrs. Barindra Kaur Kochhar
– Treasurer and Langar-Sewa; S. Manjit Singh Kahlon - Dewan-Setting; S. Reetpal Singh Jhaj – Dewan-Setting.
Building and Finance Committee – S. Harmohindar Singh Bawa; Dr. Gurpal Singh Bhuller; S. Manmohan Singh
Grewal; S. Manbhupindar Singh Khera; Dr. Kanwalcharan Singh Sahni; Dr. Baljit Singh Sidhu; S. Sohan Singh Sandhu.
Youth Representatives – Miss. Rana Kaur Sodhi; Miss. Harneet Kaur Kalra; Miss. Mini Kaur Kapoor.
Gurmatt School – Dr. Balwant Singh Sekhon; S. Gurvindarpal Singh Kochhar;
Interior Decoration – Mrs. Manjit Kaur Grewal; Mrs. Harleen Kaur Sodhi.
Baljit Singh Sidhu MD,
Secretary, Gurudwara Sahib Sacvi,
I3801 Allied Road,