Hollywood Sikh Temple Gets Historic Recognition From LA

LOS ANGELES, CA — When congregants found the young man on the steps of the Hollywood Sikh Temple earlier this summer, he was weeping and carrying only the clothes on his back and a plastic bag full of immigration papers.

The man, Duncan Sachdeva explained at a City Council meeting Wednesday, had just been released from detention by immigration authorities. "He was not weeping outside out of sadness. They were the tears of joy toning that he was safe — he had found a Sikh house of worship and he knew that he was going to be fed, clothed and taken care of ... he was in a sanctuary," said Sachdeva, the public affairs director at the Los Feliz temple.

It's stories like that that speak to the importance of the temple to the Southland Sikh community and the community's contribution to the area, Councilmember Nithya Raman said. That's why the City Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to bestow the Hollywood Sikh Temple with Historic-Cultural Monument status.

Raman, whose district includes the Vermont Avenue temple, said the temple's community embodies service, compassion and inclusivity. Indeed, Sikhs believe that the way to serve God is by serving others, according to the temple.

"Anybody is welcomed. So if you happen to be in Los Feliz and be walking by this big, beautiful white building go inside, this community will greet you, they will welcome you in and they will feed you a home cooked meal — one of the most delicious Indian meals you can have in Los Angeles," Raman said.

When the temple, also known as the Vermont Gurdwara, opened in 1969, it was the first Sikh gurdwara to open in the U.S. after India gained independence from Britain over two decades earlier. That year also marked the 500th anniversary of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak's birth, according to the temple. The current building was completed in 1996.

You can learn more about the gurdwara and Sikhism at the Hollywood Sikh Temple's website.