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UK Solar Power At Sikh Temple

findingmyway

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Aug 17, 2010
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World citizen!
A Sikh temple is harnessing the sun's rays to supply its electricity.
Leicester's Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara, in Evington, has installed 400 solar panels on its roof in what leaders believe is a first for any temple in England.

The £125,000 environmental project has been funded entirely by worshippers and the city's wider Sikh community.

Surinderpal Singh Rai, general secretary of the Gurdwara, in East Park Road, said the temple's spiralling electricity bill had forced them to take action. He said: "It's a huge four-storey building which used to be a shoe warehouse. "Our electricity bill was pushing £1,700 a month and it was becoming a real burden."

The temple welcomes more than 25,000 visitors a week for daily prayers, community meals, after school classes, a day care centre for the elderly and respite care for the families of adults with learning difficulties.

Mr Rai said: "The costs were becoming prohibitive and so when we saw this opportunity we went for it. "The panels will power the whole building and save us about £600,000 over the next 20 years. "They will have paid for themselves within a matter of years and the result is we can use the savings to invest in services for the community. "On top of all that, we are also doing out little bit to help protect our environment."

Mr Rai said he wanted to thank supporters who had helped raise funds.
"We would like to thank the whole community for rallying around us," he said. "We've been taken aback by their enthusiasm and generosity. It is a wonderful achievement and something everyone should be very proud of."

The panels were fitted by Midlands Solar Panels Ltd.
The Gurdwara has been praised by environmental campaigners for setting an example to other organisations and businesses across the city.
Gavin Fletcher, conservation team leader for environmental charity Groundwork Leicester, said: "You often see people who have lots of money invest in solar panels, but for a community to come together and pool their resources in this way is fantastic and a great example of what can be achieved.

"We'd love to feature the temple's story in our Eco-House in Western Park." Rory Palmer, deputy city mayor with responsibility for the environment, said: "I would like to congratulate the Gurdwara for this ambitious and inspiring project, which will reduce their carbon emissions and energy costs. "It's just the sort of action we want to see from organisations in the city as we look to cut our carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2025. The temple is setting a great example."

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/Solar-power-Sikh-temple/story-16647818-detail/story.html
 

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Auzer

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Feb 19, 2012
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What a great initiative....

I hope maintainers of Mosques around the world learn something from their Sikh counterparts...


Mosques need some structural changes , specially in "Wudu Area" ...Those who are Muslims would know what I'm talking about..
 

Gyani Jarnail Singh

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What a great initiative....

I hope maintainers of Mosques around the world learn something from their Sikh counterparts...


Mosques need some structural changes , specially in "Wudu Area" ...Those who are Muslims would know what I'm talking about..

Auzer Ji..

Another Sikh Initiative perhaps Muslims need to follow...

News item about how a GURDWARA was opened to a MUSLIM CONGREGATION to read their EID NAMAAZ in a town in India...
There is no mosque in this town but a substantial Muslim population who read namaaz on an open FIELD. Unfortunate on EID Day, it rained HEAVILY and the Field was flooded...and the gathering of Muslims had no where to go..when the SIKHS found out about this predicament, they decided the Muslims be allowed to USE the GURDWARA to read their Namaaz.

Related item: Guur nanak ji read NAMAAZ in the company of the Gov of Sultan Pur Lodhi because he and his Muslim kazi had challenged Guur Ji to accompany them in namaaz if HE was really fair to Both Hindus and Muslims as He claimed to be. Guru Nanak ji joined them BUT later pointed out that ONLY HE was "present" at the Namaaz. Guru Ji told the KAZI...You were physically here supposedly performing namaaz..BUT Mentally you were in your house, worrying about whether your new born foal was being taken care of or it had fallen into the well....and what about ME asked the Governor...OH YOU..replied Guur Ji..YOU were not here but in Kabul buying the best Arabic Horses which are supposedly arriving today. Both admitted they were NOT at namaaz in SPIRIT..just physically present. A HUGE Gurdwara named Gurdwara ANTARYAMTA SAHIB stands at this place in Sultanpur Lodhi to commemorate this incident in Guru nanak ji life.

2: GURU HARGOBIND SAHIB, the Sixth Sikh GUru built a magnificent MOSQUE for the Muslims of a Town hargobindpura in Punjab. Its called GURU KI MASEET.

3. There is also one or two other such incidents in modern times too where SIKHS took care of and maintained MOSQUES abandoned during the 1947 break up of Punjab...and handed them back to Muslims as soon as there were enough Local Muslims to run them.
 
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