INDIANAPOLIS, JULY 30 : The Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis is planning a special Interfaith Memorial Service at the Sikh Gurdwara (Acton Road) in Indianapolis on the first anniversary of the massacre of Sikhs at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin last year, on August 8 from 7 to 9 p.m, according to event coordinator Kanwar Prakash Singh.
This tragedy and others in recent years have highlighted the concerns of safety and security in sacred and public spaces.
Prayer Service Program, includes messages from leaders of major faiths and spiritual traditions; remarks by honored guests about community, culture, and safety; music, chanting, and reflections from different faith traditions and sharing of a North Indian vegetarian meal.
Indianapolis Mayor and Mrs. Greg Ballard are planning to join. Representatives from the Jewish, Baptist, Methodist, Native American, Sikh, and other faiths; interfaith and law-enforcement leaders will participate in the Memorial Prayer Service to express solidarity and fellowship; provide a glimpse of faiths that are part of the Hoosier spiritual landscape and a testimony of faiths-at-work to serve Hoosiers.
The event is open to the public. A multi-generational and multi-faith congregation of guests and friends are expected to attend the Prayer Service and share the community dinner.
All guests will cover their heads and remove their shoes during their time in the Sikh Gurdwara. Guests will be seated on a carpeted floor during the prayer service; chairs will be available for those who may need them.
The Sikh Satsang and Sikh Educational and Cultural Society – of Indianapolis are the oldest and the largest Sikh religious and cultural organizations in the state of Indiana. There are 2,500 Sikh families in central Indiana. Sikhism is the fifth largest major faith, with a following of over 35 million worldwide with nearly a million Sikhs in the United States of America.