The Sri Guru Ravidass temple on 16th Street held its annual celebration and parade on Sunday, March 13, 2022.

This is the first time since 2020 that the Sikh community could come together and celebrate with their huge religious parade. Thousands were in attendance and walked the parade route around 16th to G Street to Dry Creek and to Elkhorn Blvd.

Both Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost and myself were honored as invited guests of the temple. The parade is the main event, but the temple grounds feature vendors offering jewelry, carpets, toys, and clothing. The Sikh community also comes together to offer everyone free food, including some of the best Roti and chana masala I’ve ever had. The Sikh are a vegetarian people, and most if not all of the food offered was vegetarian.

The weather couldn’t have been better for a walk around the neighborhood. We caught up with the procession at Dry Creek and G Street in front of the Stop and Shop Market. The parking lot was a designated resting area, where food and refreshments including some amazing chai tea were offered. I was also given the opportunity to be interviewed live on Punjabi TV. I wish I could have been more eloquent, but I hope I was able to communicate how lucky we are to be able to participate in an event that brought everyone together, and made so many people so happy, if just for a short while.

I also communicated how we are so pleased to have the Sikh temple continue to be a part of the Rio Linda/Elverta community.

Thank you so much to Ajay Padwagga who invited us to be a part of the event, Temple President Raj Badhan, and to the rest of the management committee of the temple who humbled us with their hospitality and grace.

Also, a big thanks go out to the Sikh Motorcycle Club. From now on, those are my guys! They were so much fun to be around, answered all my questions about their amazing and beautiful bikes, and put up with all my picture taking, smiling the entire time. I can’t wait to see them all again next year.

Please enjoy the photos. If you have a problem seeing them here, please visit the Google Photos gallery at https://photos.app.goo.gl/2JEwbgzFfqRrKSs1A

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