Day 282: Hollywood Sikh Temple, Los Angeles, California
📌APIA Every Day (282) - The Hollywood Sikh Temple, originally known as the Vermont Gurdwara, was established in 1969 as the first Sikh temple built in the U.S. following India's independence. The gurdwara’s construction was prompted after the 1947 Partition of India divided the region of Punjab and led to increased Sikh immigration to California. The temple has long since served as a cultural center and religious haven for the Sikh community in the Los Feliz neighborhood and the greater Los Angeles area.
In the 1960s, prior to the temple's establishment, community members would congregate at the home of prominent community leader, Dr. Amarjit Singh Marwah. At the time, the only established gurdwaras in the area were in Stockton (APIA Every Day 89) and El Centro, requiring long commutes for those who lived in L.A. In 1969, Dr. Marwah purchased a small hotel to use as a temple, commemorating the 500th birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder, Guru Nanak. The hotel, originally a small single-family home, was then converted for worship services and community gatherings. In November of that year, Councilman Tom Bradley inaugurated the temple, giving the Los Angeles Sikh community a gurdwara of their own.
As more Sikh refugees arrived in the U.S. during the 1980s and 1990s, fleeing persecution from the Indian government, the community decided in 1986 to build a larger temple on the site. After seven years of fundraising, the current two-story gurdwara opened in 1996, featuring a new worship space, community kitchen, classrooms, and a library. Between 2016 and 2019, supported by Dr. Marwah, the temple underwent renovations to add additional educational spaces and prayer rooms to the existing building.
In 2019, the square outside the gurdwara, at the intersection of Vermont and Finley Avenues, was dedicated to Dr. Marwah for his contributions to the Sikh community and his service to Los Angeles as a city commissioner. Later in 2023, recognizing the longstanding significance of the site to Sikh Americans, the Los Angeles City Council designated the temple as a Historic-Cultural Monument. Since its founding, the temple has continued to be an anchor for the local community: offering prayer services, organizing education programs, and hosting cultural events to preserve Sikh heritage.
Written by Avneet Dhaliwal
LEARN MORE:
Patch: Hollywood Sikh Temple Gets Historic Recognition From LA
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