Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email THE Gurdwara Sahib Bandar Sunway came alive on Aug 31, as some 500 people from the Sikh community gathered to celebrate Merdeka. Inside the premises, a large candy-like cake bearing the Malaysian flag was displayed. The huge cake was made from 700 coconuts. President Jaswant Singh said it took about three days to cook the ingredients and make the cake.
 |
|
Sweet celebration: Visitors marvelling at the giant candy-like cake.
|
According to Jaswant, prayers would also be held for 245 days from Aug 14 to April 14 next year. “The prayers are held around-the-clock, with five different priests taking turns. “We are doing this to raise funds for our Gurdwara Sahib. The holy book takes three days to read, so this would mean 121 sets of prayers. “With every set of prayers, we would have sponsors coming in to make pledges,” said Jaswant. During this period, halal vegetarian food are will also be served around-the-clock for free. “Four meals are cooked and served daily by our volunteers. It’s definitely no easy task to ensure 24-hour service until next April, especially since this is the first time this will be done. He added that the prayer recitation was also meant as a blessing service for the country’s prosperity.
Kelana Jaya MP Loh Seng Kok, who was guest-of-honour, wore a bandana-like headgear as a mark of respect for the Sikh customary tradition. “Irrespective of what religion we are, everyone just wants to bless the country and see that it progresses,” said Loh. “I can see people from all walks of life rejoicing in Merdeka celebrations without needing to be persuaded or forced, and this is what the essence of Merdeka is. “The younger generation, especially, should learn to understand the different religious practices cultures that make Malaysia unique,” he said.
The crowd later indulged in a spread of vegetarian food sponsored by Kohinoor Catering Sunway and visited booths selling a variety of Punjabi sweets. Mugs bearing the Merdeka logo and words were also distributed out to young children.
