Sikhs work toward building church in Las Vegas

By John Przybys
Review-Journal

      The Las Vegas area's small but growing Sikh community is preparing to break ground on what will become the first Sikh church in Southern Nevada.
      Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh is to be built at Torrey Pines Drive and Lone Mountain Road, said Jaspal Sidhu, president of the nonprofit corporation carrying out the project.
      " `Gurdwara' means `a church,' " said Sidhu, and the new church's name honors an 18th century Sikh prophet.
      The nonprofit group has owned the property for about two years, Sidhu said. "This has been in the planning stages for a year now and, actually, we have people in Las Vegas who have been trying to get the church (built) for, I'd say, six years now."
      The first phase of the project calls for construction of a 2,770-square-foot assembly hall that will house worship and community events for the congregation until a larger, 5,200-square-foot building will be completed, Sidhu said.
      The first building then would be used as a dining hall, while worship, ceremonies and gatherings take place in the larger building, Sidhu said.
      About 70 Sikh families live in Southern Nevada, Sidhu noted, and the new church is designed to accommodate about 500 people.
      The Sikh religion dates back to India in the 15th century, at a time when India was ruled by Muslims, Sidhu said. The religion's first prophet, Nanak, was born in 1469, and he would be followed by nine other prophets.
      According to Sidhu, Sikh beliefs reflect both Islam and Hinduism. Sikhs consider their beliefs to represent a restoration of truths that had been lost or adulterated but, also, as "an advancing" of those truths, Sidhu said.
      For example, Sikhs hold women and men to be equal, Sidhu said. "The first prophet even said, `How can you say a woman is bad when she's the one who gives birth to kings?' "
      From its formation, the Sikh religion also rejected India's caste system. For Sikhs, "everybody is equal," Sidhu said. "We don't believe in castes.
      "Our fifth prophet made this church in India, the Golden Temple, and he kept four doors in each direction in that temple, which relates that people from any direction can come to this church and pray and they will be equal."
      However, Sikhs don't proselytize. The prophets, Sikh said, "told us to respect each religion.
      "Basically, what it tells us is everybody has a right to practice whatever religion they want to practice, and Sikhs honor that and even will sacrifice their lives (for that ideal)."
      Sikhs believe in karma, that one's actions in this life will have a bearing on a person's next life, Sidhu said. "Sikhs are not supposed to drink alcohol, not supposed to take tobacco -- chewing tobacco or smoking tobacco -- not to (take) another woman except his wife, and not to cut their hair."
      The goal of a Sikh is to "basically surrender yourself to God," Sidhu said. "That's the whole game: to live the life God wants you to live and to recognize his will."
      The two phases of Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh will cost an estimated total of $600,000 to build, Sidhu said. "At this time, phase one will cost us like $100,000 or $150,000. We already have some donations and some loans.
      "Naturally, when you have the first phase done, it attracts the people more. They see things are happening."
      The group had hoped to break ground Tuesday, the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Sikh religion, Sidhu said. However, the group now hopes to break ground soon.
      The tentative timetable calls for completing the first building in six to eight months, and completing the second building a year or two later, Sidhu said.
      The main building will feature a large space for worshippers. In the front of the space, flanking a stage that will be used by the priest who leads services, are two rooms. One of those rooms will house the Sikh scriptures.
      The church's exterior will feature columns and arched windows, both of which are part of "Sikh church tradition," Sidhu said.
      Sidhu -- an engineer and designer of the building -- said that, in the design, "we have tried to combine architecture from (India) with Western architecture.

Jaspal Sidhu holds a model of Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh, set to become the valley's first Sikh church.
Photo by Ralph Fountain.