On a cloudy fall day in 2021, about 100 people were praying in the only Sikh temple in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, when smoke suddenly choked the prayer hall.
Worshippers covered their mouths and noses and ran outdoors as flames consumed each room. Amerjit Singh, the president of the Northern Ireland Sikh Association, made sure that everyone was safely outside before running back inside the burning building to rescue the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy scripture.
On April 11, after years of renovations—completed in the spirit of sewa, the Sikh principle of selfless service—the temple, or gurdwara, reopened with a joyful wedding celebration, welcoming worshippers of all faiths and backgrounds once again.
