UN Secretary General Guterres visits Golden Temple
Wednesday - October 3, 2018 10:42 pm ,
Category : INDIA
UN Secretary General Guterres visits Golden Temple
Amritsar Oct 3 (IANS) United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday visited Amritsar s Golden Temple complex where the holiest of Sikh shrines Harmandir Sahib is located.
Guterres the first UN head to have visited the shrine offered prayers at the holy temple.
"I want to express my deep respect for the religion of the Sikh people and this wonderful Golden Temple in which the spirit of peace and tolerance is present. I prayed here as a Catholic but all people from all religions in the world can pray in this holy place " Guterres said.
"There are unfortunately not many temples in the world where this is possible and this makes me feel very happy to be here and very proud to be invited. And at the same time it increases my admiration for the Sikh communities everywhere: the Sikh community in India the Sikh community in my part of the world in Europe in North America everywhere where Sikhs are contributing to the development of our world " he said.
The UN chief who was accompanied by Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri was taken around the shrine complex and the Langar Hall the largest community kitchen in the world.
Guterres who sported a white cloth to cover his head appreciated the work being done at the shrine complex.
"I want to express to my hosts my deep gratitude and wish you all the best - to the wonderful practice that the Golden Temple represents receiving everybody sharing with everybody the food but more than the food sharing this wonderful spirit of peace of harmony of understanding that we badly need in today s world " he said.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) officials accompanied the visiting dignitary.
--IANS js/prs
Guterres the first UN head to have visited the shrine offered prayers at the holy temple.
"I want to express my deep respect for the religion of the Sikh people and this wonderful Golden Temple in which the spirit of peace and tolerance is present. I prayed here as a Catholic but all people from all religions in the world can pray in this holy place " Guterres said.
"There are unfortunately not many temples in the world where this is possible and this makes me feel very happy to be here and very proud to be invited. And at the same time it increases my admiration for the Sikh communities everywhere: the Sikh community in India the Sikh community in my part of the world in Europe in North America everywhere where Sikhs are contributing to the development of our world " he said.
The UN chief who was accompanied by Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri was taken around the shrine complex and the Langar Hall the largest community kitchen in the world.
Guterres who sported a white cloth to cover his head appreciated the work being done at the shrine complex.
"I want to express to my hosts my deep gratitude and wish you all the best - to the wonderful practice that the Golden Temple represents receiving everybody sharing with everybody the food but more than the food sharing this wonderful spirit of peace of harmony of understanding that we badly need in today s world " he said.
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) officials accompanied the visiting dignitary.
--IANS js/prs
