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The
new facilities will be used not only by the area's 12,000 Sikhs,
but by the whole community. The temple's design is inspired by the
famous temples of India.
By 2005 this derelict area will be transformed into a magnicifant
place of workship. There is an artist's impression of what the Sikh
temple will look like. It has a similar resemblance to the Golden
Temple in Amritsar, the holiest of places for over 20 million Sikhs
worldwide.
The
Gurdwara in Gravesend will be able to house 1,200 worshippers. The
plan will include three halls, two dining rooms, each with their
own kitchen. The man who designed it said that the temple will be
unique. It will have two domes with some marble claddings. The entrance
hall is where you can wander around it.
The £8 million development will more than serve the 12,000 strong
Sikh community in Gravesend. The plans boast a car park for 200
cars and four coach spaces.
The
old premises four minutes' walk away is simply too small. Before
its purchase in 1968, Sikhs gathered in each other's homes. 80%
of Sikhs live in the Punjab in north-west India. The religion was
founded by Guru Nanak in the 15th century. Sikhs began settling
in Gravesend at the turn of the 20th century. Their numbers swelled
rapidly in the '50s and '60s. We hope to build on the services we
already have. The building of the Gurdwara began during the festival
of Vaisakhi in April last year.
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