YUBA CITY, Calif. — Yuba City welcomes back its annual Nagar Kirtan Sikh festival on Nov. 5, kicking things off with fireworks and ending with a parade on Nov. 7th, wrapping up the festivities. People travel from all over the world to attend the world's largest Sikh festival with over 100,000 members of the Sikh community flocking to Yuba City.
Established in 1949, the 42nd Annual Nagar Kirtan festival of Yuba City commemorates the Guruship of the Sikh's 11th Guru, Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Sikh's Holy Scripture).
Family and friends are all welcome to attend the festivities. A bazaar, free food and a parade are all anticipated, after being canceled last year due to COVID-19.
This weekend's return of festivities will begin kicking off at 8 p.m. with Kirtan Darbar, located at the Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple in Yuba City located at 2468 Tierra Buena Road, followed by a firework show according to their website.
The festivities will continue Saturday morning with a Nishan Sahib Sikh flag-raising ceremony at 8:30 a.m., followed by kirtan. An open house, followed by tours of the gurdwara grounds will be conducted at 2 p.m.
Saturday's festivities will conclude with rain sabaee kirtan (devotional singing and overnight sessions) from 6 p.m. until midnight.
Sikh Temple Board President Sarb Thiara said there could be as many as 100,000 people at the event over the weekend.
Sunday's Nagar Kirtan Annual Sikh Parade will venture through the streets of Yuba City from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m., with floats and devotees led by Guru Granth Sahib, concluding the three-day annual Sikh festival.
What is Nagar Kirtan?
- Nagar Kirtan is a tradition in the Indian religions involving the processional singing of holy hymns by a group in a residential area.
What is the Guruship of the Sikh's 11th Guru, Guru Granth Sahib Ji?
- Instead of priests, Sikhs have custodians of the Guru Granth Sahib (granthi), and any Sikh is free to read the Guru Granth Sahib(Sikh's Holy Scripture) in the Gurdwara (a Sikh temple) or in their home. Priests were abolished by Guru Gobind Singh because the Guru felt they were corrupt and full of ego.
- Community kitchens are available within every Sikh temple, serving meals to people of all faiths
- The basic Sikh principles are service, humility, and equality
What are the philosophies and beliefs of the Sikh religion?
- They believe there is only one God and he is the same for all people and all religions.
- The soul goes through cycles of rebirth before reaching human form. The end goal is to lead an exemplary existence to then merge with God.
- To attain a path of salvation, one should earn an honest living, while avoiding temptations and sins.
- Blind rituals are condemned, to include fasting, superstitions and idol worshipping
- All people, regardless of race, religion or sex, are equal in the eyes of God.
