US teachers in Amritsar to learn about Sikhism

Amritsar, July 4

A 14-member delegation from Columbia University, USA, reached Amritsar to attend a three-week course on Sikhism at Sri Guru Granth Sahib Centre of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) here today.

The SGPC welcomed the delegation at the Golden Temple and expressed hope that their visit to the holy city and subsequent learning about the religion at the university would help in addressing the issue of Sikh identity in America, where the Sikhs were bearing the brunt of hate crimes ever since 9/11. Among the delegations members are 12 schoolteachers from New York, including some women teachers. Dr Balwant Singh Dhillon said it was a unique initiative and if it succeeded, more teachers from the USA would be called here every year so that they could learn more about Sikhism. He said the delegation members would learn Punjabi apart from gaining knowledge about Sikh history, heritage, culture and traditions during the three-week course.

They would also be taken to various Sikh shrines, particularly Anandpur Sahib where the foundation of Khalsa was laid. He said they were holding talks with the US university for the past one year on this initiative. The delegation today paid obeisance at the Golden Temple before starting their course. SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar greeted the delegation.— TNS