Gurdwara Sahib Leamington and Warwick

The Gurdwara Sahib Leamington and Warwick is a Sikh gurdwara located on Tachbrook Drive, Warwick,[1][2] England.[3] It primarily serves the community around Leamington, Warwick and Kenilworth.[4] It opened in 2009, and is the third largest purpose built Sikh gurdwara in the UK.[5] It is therefore one of the most significant buildings associated with Sikhism in the United Kingdom.

The Gurdwara Sahib Leamington and Warwick in 2012

Details

It was built primarily to serve the 7,000 Sikhs living in the Leamington and Warwick area.[5] The £11 million cost of construction was met entirely by the Sikh community.[6] Construction began in March 2008 by the local building contractors AC Lloyd,[5] with building works taking 18 months. It was formally opened on 25 October 2009.[7] Its opening was celebrated by a precession through the streets of Leamington involving up to 7,000 worshippers.[8]

It is a four storey building occupying 44,000 square feet (4,100 m2). It contains three large prayer halls, a multi-purpose assembly room, a communal kitchen, and a number of offices and classrooms.[5]

In February 2015, the gurdwara was visited by the then British Prime Minister David Cameron, in a bid to win support from the Sikh community in the run-up to the 2015 United Kingdom general election.[9] Two months later it was also visited by Ed Miliband, the then leader of the opposition Labour Party.[10]

2016 conflict

In 2013 the BBC reported that Sikh weddings were often disrupted by protesters opposed to mixed faith marriages in gurdwaras.[11] In 2014 the General Assembly of Sikh Council UK, a Sikh organisation that coexists with the Sikh Federation (UK), which is said to be the largest UK Sikh organisation, passed guidelines declaring that temples are encouraged to ensure that both parties to an Anand Karaj wedding are Sikhs.[12]

On 11 September 2016 a group of protesters initially reported to be "in possession of bladed items" disrupted a mixed-faith wedding between a Sikh bride and a Hindu groom at Leamington Spa gurdwara, threatening and intimidating the people inside.[13][14] A trustee of the temple described the protesters as "fanatical extremists". Authorised Firearms Officers responded to the scene, arresting 55 men, and seizing "a significant number of bladed weapons", however all but one of which were kirpans, later determined to be ceremonial rather than functional.[15]

Despite it being forbidden as per the Akal Takht, Gurdwara trustee Jaswat Videe said that the intruders were "absolutely wrong" to think that Sikhism prohibits interfaith marriage.[14][16] The Sikh Council strongly opposes such mixed marriages.

During the Sikh wedding ceremony, Anand Karaj, a couple are making a commitment to live their lives as Sikhs. Many Gurdwara’s worldwide therefore do not allow non Sikhs to partake in the Anand Karaj, but a prayer service like Ardas can be undertaken instead. Similarly, some Christian churches like those of Catholic and other denominations do not allow non practicing Christians to have marriage ceremonies and this is no different with followers of Sikhi. [17]

References
  1. "Gurdwara Sahib, Warwick. Leamington Spa & Warwick Gurdwara Sahib". Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  2. https://stores.sainsburys.co.uk/0503
  3. "Gurdwara contact". Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  4. Wright Hassall Law (5 February 2010). "How The Leamington Gurdwara Was Built". PRLog.org. Retrieved 17 June 2012.
  5. "£11m Sikh temple set to open in Leamington". Coventry Telegraph. 28 August 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  6. "People praised over £11m temple". BBC News. 20 October 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  7. "New Sikh temple officially opens". BBC News. 25 October 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  8. "Procession marks new Sikh temple". BBC News. 18 October 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  9. "PM Cameron Visits Sikh Gurdwara". The London Post. 7 February 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  10. "Ed Miliband visits Sikh Gurwara Sahib in Leamington while on the election campaign trail". Warwickshire World. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  11. Neiyyar, Dil; Khatkar, Perminder (11 March 2013). "Sikh weddings crashed by protesters objecting to mixed faith marriages". BBC News. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  12. Sikh Council UK (25 October 2014). "Sikh Council UK Develops Guidelines of Approach to Inter-Faith Marriages in Gurdwaras". Sikh24.com. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  13. "Weapons seized at Leamington Spa Sikh temple 'ceremonial'". BBC News. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
  14. Booth, Robert (11 September 2016). "Leamington Spa: police arrest intruders who occupied Sikh temple". The Observer. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  15. Robert Booth (11 September 2016). "Leamington Spa: police arrest intruders who occupied Sikh temple". The Observer. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  16. "Sikh 2 Inspire". Facebook. Retrieved 11 September 2016. Facebook discussion and video by a supporter of the Leamington Spa intruders
  17. Sikh Council UK (25 October 2014). "Sikh Council UK Develops Guidelines of Approach to Inter-Faith Marriages in Gurdwaras". Sikh24.com. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
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