On Sunday mornings, around 300 members sit cross-legged on the floor, the traditional style of worship. Afterward they crowd into the same space to enjoy a communal meal of vegetarian dishes.
Work will soon begin on construction of a new and larger gurdwara at 200 E. Euless Blvd., not far from the former bank building the congregation has called home for the past 15 years.
“This new building is a big deal to us,” said longtime member Kulvir Bhogal. “I have a son, and I want him to grow up in our culture.”
His father, Paul Bhogal, said the spring rains delayed the start of the construction, but work is now underway on the parking lot.
The 18,191-square-foot temple will cost around $2.5 million and should be finished in a year. It will have a larger area for worship, with room for over 600 people; living quarters for the priests; a community kitchen; classrooms; and a volleyball court.
Sikhs are migrating to North Texas from California and the East Coast because of the robust economy, said Dr. Pritpal Singh, who lives in Coppell. Sikhs can worship at gurdwaras in Euless, Richardson, Irving and Garland.
Although official numbers are hard to find, Singh said there are about 15,000 Sikhs in North Texas.
Other temples are in Irving, Garland and Richardson.
Besides having more space for worship, one of the most important features of the new gurdwara is the langar, a hall where everyone shares a vegetarian meal after the worship service.
One of the core beliefs of Sikhism is that God is one and people of all races, religions and social classes are equal before God.
For instance, Bhogal said, truck drivers sit with doctors and engineers during the meal.
The new gurdwara will also have a community kitchen and classrooms.
Bhogal said parents want to make sure their children learn the ancient scripts and Punjabi, the language from the northern Indian state of Punjab, where Sikhism began in the 1400s.
Giving back to the community is another belief, and Bhogal said the congregation collected 12,000 cans of food for the Tarrant Area Food Bank and also volunteered with Toys for Tots last Christmas.
Bhogal said one of the Sikh traditions is for men to wear their turbans and have long hair and beards.
He recalled that he was bullied in school because he often wore a turban to classes.
“My parents would come to the schools to talk to the teachers about Sikhism,” he said.
Singh and Bhogal said that it is important to educate people about Sikhs and their beliefs.
“We are lucky to be in the United States because of the freedom of religion and freedom of expression,and we are able to practice our faith,” Singh said.
“We are such a small community, and we’ve had success as doctors and engineers as those opportunities aren’t as prevalent in our country,” Singh said. “We are living the American Dream and we are thankful for that.”
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