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"We had a ‘radioâ€"thon‘ to appeal to the communityâ€"atâ€"large in Greater Toronto in February and raised $70,000," he said. To date, the association has collectâ€" ed $200,000 towards its goal. Since the first Sikh family arrived in Oakville in 1969, the group never had a place of its own for religious meetings. The growing number of families in the community and the The association is raising money to build the temple "by going from house to house" in the Sikh community, according to Roshan. The 5,000 sq. ft. building â€" to be called the Oakville Gurdwara (House of the Lord), will serve the 200 Sikh families now living in Oakville. It will accommodate 150 people with its main floor congregation hall and basement, which will house a dining hall, kitchen, and offices. According to Piara Singh Roshan, president of the Sikh Cultural Association of Oakville, construction of a $750,000 temple on Bronte Rd., close to Hwy. 5, will begin late this summer and he expects it will be comâ€" pleted by December. TRUCK MOUNTED STEAM CLEANING No harsh chemicals, soap or detergents Patented heat process kills up to 92% of existing bacteria Dry for walking within 7 hours Add years to your carpet life Furniture and air duct cleaning also available Estimates and work guaranteed Same day service available GLEN OAKS MEMORIAL GARDENS Mississauga/Oakville Afoan 257â€"1100 "Planning our cemetery ements ahead of time made so much sense. KFor our own peace of mind we made all the important decisions in advance, together, and at our own corwenient time. And we selected a monthly payment plan that suited our budget." "Preâ€"plannung fiemvtded us with the benefit of knowing that the cost of services we select will never be subject to inflation. We eliminated the chance of overspending and reduced the burden on our family members." 5> 4 for the Living and Preâ€"Planning An artist‘s rendering of the Sikh temple â€" the Oakville Gurdwara (House of the Lord) â€" which will be built on Bronte Road, near Highway 5, which is expected to be completed by December. The temple will serve 200 Sikh families now living in Oakville. inconvenience of temporary quarters â€" the association. "We have to carry _ ship at any time." the works of the nine previous gurus as prompted the association to find a site . everything â€" carpets, the Holy Book, "In India, we worship twice a day," _ a guiding light." for a temple. and food, to the meeting place; decoâ€" he added. "Here we worship once a One of the most distinctive characâ€" The congregation has its Dewan â€" _ rate, and afterwards, take it all down." _ month." teristics of the Sikhs is their turban and The congregation has its Dewan â€" or religious meeting â€" the third Sunday of each month at the River Oaks Recreation Centre. "It is very inconvenient," said Baljit Singh Kehal, an executive member of 332â€"6722 561â€"7115 Gives New Life to Carpets and Upholstery Area Carpets Duct Cleaning Total Cleaning Restoration Sikhs sit on carpets to worship, and their Holy Book or Guru Granth Sahib must be placed in an elevated position because the congregation is not allowed to sit at the same level as the book. At present, members of the assoâ€" ciation take turns looking after the Holy Book until it gets a permanent home in the new temple. "The number of our seniors are also increasing," said Roshan, "and they want to have somewhere they can worâ€" Poster® 100% Acid Free Mats Size Regular Glass Wood Frames WE STRETCH FRAME NEEDLEPOINT, CROSSâ€" STITCH WORK, etc.... AL (same day service on minor repairs) 5. Deductible covered up to $500.00 6. IGL‘/;’aranteed the most reasonable rate in the ndust CALL OR STOP BY FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE! L‘MINOR RUST DENTS INCLUDED 199 *Compact $599 Midâ€"Size $699 Full Size $799 175 1. Highest quality refinishing (we have the best painter in North America) 2. State of the art repair requipment (all repairs guaranteed) 3. Convenient Location (next to GO train entrance on Cross Ave.) 4. Fast High Quality Service PAINT YOUR CAR ©599° 13" 11x14 | 14x18 | 16x20 | 20x24 |24x36 | 30x36 499 I 799 | 899 l1199|1399|14! 275 | 375 | 575 I 875 |1175|1275 99 | 1799 | 1999 | 2299 |2499I 2993\ Today, Sikhs do not have a living guru but follow the teachings of their Holy Book. "The tenth master passed this on to us in 1706," said Roshan. "He gave us Sikhs are mainly from the Punjab region in North West India. Sikhism â€" a religion with Islamic and Hindu elements â€" was started by the first of ten Sikh gurus or masters in 1469. Sikhs believe in one God and their religion is open to all. NO NO STOCK | STOCK SIZE SIZE When asked about their ties to the Punjab, Kehal says their ties are the normal ones people have to the place where they were born and educated. "In 1984, when lots of Sikhs were being murdered in and around New Delhi," he said, "we did help those who suffered by sending help through Mother Theresa." The president promises a special event â€" which will demonstrate the Sikh philosophy â€"â€" at the ground breakâ€" Roshan said that the Sikh commuâ€" nity in Oakville is so small that the association must spend its energies helping those who are here. He says his association sponsors local soccer and hockey teams, plays an active role in the Halton Multicultural Council, helps raise funds for the United Way, and puts on performances for visitors to the Town Council and for Canada Day celebraâ€" tions at Coronation Park. The associaâ€" tion has also worked with the Halton Regional Police Service to produce a video about Sikhism for use in police training. Roshan says Sikhs who live here want to do their part in Oakville and become part of the mainstream. Most Sikh men have the name "Singh" which means lion in Punjabi; and Sikh women carry the name "Gaur" which means lioness. These names were assigned to all Sikhs by the tenth guru to create equality in the group and do away with the caste sysâ€" Roshan says wearing a turban is not part of the rules, but it is wom to keep the hair tidy. He adds that all Sikhs who wear turbans are not bapâ€" Following the five symbols of the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, Gurmit Singh must wear Kesh â€" uncut hair; a Kara â€"a steel bangle; a Kangha â€" a comb; Kachha â€" underwear; and a Kirpan â€" a ceremonial sword. Gurmit Singh, secretary of the assoâ€" ciation, has chosen to wear a turban. "It symbolizes what the tenth guru did," he said. Singh has gone through the Amrit ceremony or baptism which means he is committed to a strict code of ethics and very high ideals and discipline in his life. One of the most distinctive characâ€" teristics of the Sikhs is their turban and beards, but not all Sikhs wear turbans. "It is my weakness," said Kehal, who does not wear a turban.