5/5 Ginou Kaur K. 6 years ago on Google
Waheguru
Stockton
Gurudwara
Sahib
(Sikh
temple),
the
first
Sikh
Gurudwara
ever
raised
in
the
USA.
Beautiful
and
a
very
special
feeling,
very
peaceful,
clean
and
beautiful
flower
garden.
Nice,
small
museum
on
property.
Easy
parking.
Waheguru
Ji
Ka
Khalsa
Waheguru
Ji
Ki
Fateh
From
Sikhiwiki:
The
oldest
existing
Sikh
gurdwara
in
both
the
US
and
Canada
was
founded
in
1912
and
despite
the
fact
that
there
are
bigger
gurdwaras,
it
has
retained
its
pre-eminence
in
the
religious
history
of
North
American
Sikhs.
Whenever
there
is
a
reference
to
the
immigration
of
Sikh
to
these
shores,
a
reference
is
always
made
to
the
Stockton
gurdwara.
Since
a
vast
majority
of
first
immigrants
from
India
were
Sikhs,
the
earliest
immigration
organization
centered
on
Gurdwaras.
The
difficulties
faced
by
the
Sikhs
put
them
in
the
lap
of
revolutionaries.
The
traditional
Sikh
response
against
domination
was
to
fight
back.
The
Gurdwaras
were
the
only
public
places
where
Punjabis
or
other
Indians
could
meet.
They
became
the
strong
centers
of
political
activity.
This
applies
to
this
temple
as
well.
It
was
called,
“Gadari
Babeyan
da
Gurdwara”—(the
gurdwara
founded
by
the
members
of
the
Gadar
Party.)
The
Khlasa
Diwan
Society
and
other
organizations
began
to
publish
tabloids
in
Gurmukhi,
Urdu
and
English
here
in
the
old
days.
Since
1912,
when
the
Stockton
gurdwara
was
established,
until
the
next
gurdwara
came
up
in
West
America,
almost
fifty-five
years
later,
the
Stockton
gurdwara
was
the
only
beacon
of
light
for
all
the
Sikhs
on
the
West
Coast
of
USA.
During
the
early
period
of
immigation
to
the
USA,
if
someone
had
to
go
to
the
gurdwara,
it
had
to
be
to
Stockton.
If
one
wish
to
keep
an
akhand
paath
then
they
had
to
travel
to
this
sacred
shrine
in
Stockton.
In
time,
other
gurdwaras
came
up
in
other
towns,
but
the
Stockton
gurdwara
retains
its
unique
status
of
being
the
oldest
existing
gurdwara
in
North
America.
After
purchasing
the
land
in
South
Granth
Street
in
September
of
1912,
the
small
frame
house
that
was
already
standing
on
the
lot
was
used
as
the
main
building
of
the
Gurdwara.
This
building
still
stands
still
which
is
now
used
for
Akhand
Paths
and
Anand
Karaj.
A
Nishan
Sahib
was
also
hoisted
for
the
first
time
at
the
Gurdwara
in
about
1912.
Baba
Vasakha
Singh
and
Baba
Jawala
Singh
Thathian
of
Amritsar
Sahib
were
appointed
as
the
first
Granthi
(priests)
of
the
Gurdwara.
In
1912,
the
older
building
came
up.
The
Nishan
Sahib
was
raised,
to
mark
it
as
the
house
of
Guru
Nanak
and
the
Guru
Granth
Sahib
was
ceremoniously
installed.
All
the
steps
were
taken
to
have
a
proper
gurdwara
where
a
Sikh
could
pay
obeisance
to
Wahe
Guru.
The
top
black
and
white
photograph
shows
that
first
building,
which
is
now
being
used
for
holding
of
the
akhand
paath
and
Anand
Karaj.
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