Thousands brave cold for Sikh parade

Thousands of people braved freezing cold temperatures to take part in a parade through Sandwell to celebrate the founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

The procession of around 10,000 people - called a Nagar Kirtan - set off from the Guru Har Rai Gurdwara in West Bromwich yesterday, before visiting four other Gurdwara's in the borough and ending at the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick.

And despite waking up to temperatures hitting -7 degrees, thousands of people turned out, with some members of the parade even taking part barefoot. The parade was organised by the eight Gurdwaras in the borough.

The colourful parade saw a decorated float, full of flower garlands and adorned in orange, yellow and blue, make its way from the High Street Gurdwara, before being met with a 'confetti bomb' as it continued its route through the town before it carried on to Smethwick.

Miss Raj Sandhu, aged 22, from Smethwick, said: "I come every year. It is a spiritual event for Sikhism and very important to me."

Miss Gurjinder Kaur, aged 15, from Freda Road, West Bromwich, said: "I always come because it is important we get together and celebrate our religion. Even though it is really cold."

Mr Harpreet Singh, aged 18, from Holyhead Road, West Bromwich, added: "This is a good way of showing what our religion is about and take it out on the roads, I do it every year.

"Our religion has got quite a lot of history so it is nice to celebrate that."

During the parade route rolling road blocks were in place.

Event organiser and president of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Smethwick, Mr Tarsem Singh, Shokar, said: "There are eight Gurdwaras in Sandwell and they have all got together and along the route we stopped off at five of them and collected more people along the way.

"We hold the event to pay our respects, it is not just a religious event, it is a cultural event and is something historically the Sikh community does."