WASHINGTON - One gurdwara’s long-term work in the interfaith community has brought Sikh music to the Washington National Cathedral for more than 20 years, but the message of Guru Nanak went unknown this year.

Gurdwara Guru Gobind Singh Foundation, of North Potomac, Md., first became a member of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington in 1987. One of the interfaith group’s more celebrated programs is its annual Interfaith Concert, which brings religious music traditions of different faiths, including Gurbani kirtan, under one grand roof.

This year, the gurdwara invited Bhai Satvinder Singh and Bhai Harvinder Singh of Delhi, accompanied by Bhai Manjeet Singh on tabla, to lead its kirtani jathaa in performing the shabad by Guru Nanak: Vich Duniya Sev Kamayiaye, Taan Darghai Baisan Payeeaye.

With the largest number of instruments and the largest number of performers, 30, their voices carried throughout the large ornate hall of the cathedral.

The only thing missing from the Sikh performance was the meaning of the shabad. It was neither explained in the event booklet nor explained by the announcers.

Still, many in the audience said they just enjoyed the sights and sounds of the evening.

For Brenda Montague of Bethesda, this was “seventh heaven,” she said. “What I like so much is the feeling to get us together; I hope this continues.” This was her fourth time at this event.

For Mpala Sinotheni, a recent immigrant from South Africa, this was her first concert. “It’s wonderful to see all religions,” she said. “This is the way it should be – We are all God’s children.”

The Interfaith Conference has been a labor of love for Amrit Kaur, secretary of the gurdwara for more than 20 years. She became the first Sikh president of the interfaith group in October.

“I love this work in interfaith,” she said. “I love the concept of it, that we can build bridges through knowing each other, create an understanding with each other and respect each other’s faiths.”

While some faith groups have formed umbrella organizations, such as the Association of United Hindu and Jain Temples and the Archdiocese of Washington, to send representatives to the Interfaith Conference, other faith groups have joined individually. The Islamic faith, for example, has five groups represented in the Interfaith Conference. As for the Sikhs, GGSF is the only gurdwara to represent the local Sikh community.

“We do not have any council as such,” Kaur said of gurdwaras in America. “We are all independent here. We (the Sikh community) will have to see how we can all form an umbrella and then approach the Interfaith Conference.” But no other gurdwara has expressed an interest in this interfaith group, she said.

GGSF was involved in interfaith activities long before the tragedies of 9/11 when other gurdwaras realized the need for outreach and networking. Kaur recounted some memorable moments:

In 1992, when a video camera caught Los Angeles policemen dragging Rodney King from his truck and beating him sparked race riots, the Interfaith Conference organized a peace march in Washington. When black church fires raged in the South in 1996, an interfaith service was held at the gurdwara. When Kashmiri Sikhs were massacred in Chittisinghpura during President Clinton’s visit to India in 2000, another interfaith prayer was held at gurdwara.

“I think it is powerful for Sikhs to show what our religion speaks for,” said Gurdarshan Singh, the gurdwara granthee. “The Guru Granth Sahib is a book of interfaith; there is so much we can show.” This was his 22nd year at this event.

This year’s concert, on the evening of Nov. 18, began with a parade of faiths, led by their religious banners.

The liveliest performance came from the St. Anthony’s Catholic Church Music Ministries, which sang the gospel and danced in the black religious tradition. The audience joined in by clapping and swaying to the music.

The Nrityakalpana Hindu Dancers and the Cambodian Temple Buddhist Dancers wore the most mesmerizing costumes as they danced their traditional religious dances.

At the end of the performances, Rev. Clark Lobenstine announced that 1,040 people were in the audience.

This event was an opportunity for “sharing our faith and learning from other faiths,” he said. “It deepens understanding for a world we want for our children and grandchildren.”

For the bhai sahibs from India, the occasion was a great opportunity to sing the words of Guru Nanak on the national stage.

“The Guru has blessed us in giving this opportunity to perform here and send the message of Guru Nanak’s Sikhi,” Satvinder Singh said in Punjabi, after the program. “We could not have asked for anything more… The sangat also did a great job. Never before has a sangat sat with us to do kirtan.”

Satvinder Singh was interviewed by Rajwant Singh, executive director of the gurdwara, who gathered the group onto the stage and interviewed a few of them in front of a Sikh cameraman. The group was eventually asked to leave so that others could take photos on stage.

A handful of Sikhs were also in the audience. Most were regular sangat members of GGSF, like Inderpaul Singh Gadh of Germantown.

“I just enjoy the event,” he said. “So much diversity.” This was his second time at the concert. “I enjoyed the first time too… but this may have been the best (Sikh) performance.”


Note: Top photo: Sikh Kirtani Jatha displays khanda bannar as it proceeds onto the stage of the Washington National Cathedral, along with eight other faith groups.

By Anju Kaur
Sikh News Network staff journalist
anjukaur@sikhnn.com