Sikh Society Of Harrisburg

Property for Gurudwara

!!Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh!!

We are very pleased to inform the sangat that Sikh Society has signed the contract to buy a property for Gurudwara. Property is conveniently located on good hope road, very close to interstate 81 Wertzville road exit. Property address is 1800 Good hope road, Enola, PA, click on the address for detail about property.

To acquire property and start the Gurudwara we need to raise $300,000 in 60 days. We have started raising the funds and are requesting the Sangat to please donate as much as you can for this noble cause.

We also need people from Sangat who can be part of various committees: Building, Maintenance, Langar, Daily Path & Kirtan, Punjabi Education, Punjabi Culture etc. If you are interested doing seva in anyway please let us know.

Lastly please inform all your family & friends about building a Gurudwara in Harrisburg, PA and encourage them to donate to this noble cause.

Sikh Society
http://www.sikhsocietyhbg.org

http://www.facebook.com/sikhsocietyhbg

July 19^th,08 Punjabi Cultural Event

We would like to inform everyone that our Cultural Committee has organized a Punjabi Cultural Event on Saturday July 19^th,08 at Lebanon Valley Collage.

For more information & tickets please visit http://www.funjabi.org/

First Sikh gives Senate opening prayer

One of the founder of our organization Nirmal Singh ji is the first Sikh to offer Sikh prayers in Pennsylvania Senate. The prayer that traditionally opens sessions of the Pennsylvania Senate was given on June 10^th,08 by Nirmal Singh ji. This is copy of the article published in The Patriot News:

BY MARY WARNER Of The Patriot-News

"Ek onkar satnam. There is but one God," began the prayer that opened the Pennsylvania Senate on Tuesday, as Nirmal Singh of Fairview Twp. became the first Sikh to perform that traditional duty.

"We pray to the one God who created this universe with all its colorful diversity, ranng, as we call it," said Singh, using the Punjabi word.

The Senate's tradition of opening with prayer drew a complaint from a watchdog group last year that the prayers often contain language only a Christian would use -- for example, "in Jesus' name."

Prayers in civic settings are constitutional only when they're nonsectarian, said Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Senate officials said they comply with the law by ensuring prayers come from a variety of faiths, not by monitoring prayers.

Sikhism is a monotheistic religion that developed in India during the 15th century. Singh's prayer included phrases from Sikh scripture.

"Sikh teachings are very universal, and I have tried to structure this prayer around its universality," he said in an e-mail. "My concern obviously was to try and offer an invocation that is universal in spirit and intent but can be traced back to its Sikh linkage."

Drew Crompton, counsel to Senate President Pro Tempore Joseph Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, said he's heard no more from Americans United since an exchange of letters late last year, but a spokesman for the group said the Senate's prayer policy still has a problem.

"We're glad that a handful of religious minorities" have been invited to the Senate, said spokesman Joe Conn, but "many of the prayers still have a sectarian slant."

In recent months, prayers have been given by Jews, a Unitarian, and a Buddhist.

Atheists have asked for an invitation. "I couldn't say fervently no," Crompton said. "But I don't know how atheists pray."

Steve Neubauer of Mount Wolf, president of Pennsylvania Nonbelievers, said he wrote an invocation that opened a York County Commissioners meeting three years ago.

Singh is a retired Indian Army colonel and business executive who has lived in the U.S. since 1987. He belongs to the Blue Mountain Gurdwara in Bethel Twp., Berks County.

MARY WARNER: 255-8267 or mwarner@patriot-news.com

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