The Sikh Foundation of Virginia was founded in the early to mid-1970s. At that time, there was no Gurdwara in Virginia, and families used to go to either the Gurdwara on Military Road in Washington, DC, or the Guru Nanak Foundation of America, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Once the number of families in Northern Virginia reached a critical mass, about a dozen like-minded Punjabi families came together to explore the idea of building a gurdwara in Northern Virginia to meet the religious, cultural and social needs of their community. The first meeting was held in Fairfax County Library in Fairfax City in 1978. An Ad hoc Committee was formed and tasked with writing the Constitution and Bylaws of a religious non-profit organization, and looking for a property to build the gurdwara.
Over the next three years, the Committee launched a membership drive, selected and registered the name of the organization as Sikh Foundation of Virginia, and approved its Constitution and Bylaws.
The organization purchased a five acre piece of land in 1981, but design, permits, and fundraising took another 5-6 years. In the meantime, the community started holding kirtan diwan and langar on Sundays at various members’ houses. The groundbreaking for the building was held in 1987, and the present Gurdwara Sahib was inaugurated on Baisakhi day in 1989.
Since then, the Sikh Foundation of Virginia Gurdwara Sahib has been serving the community by holding regular diwans, and catering to various religious, spiritual, and cultural needs of the community. Over time, to keep up with the growth of the congregation and its concomitant demands, the original building has been renovated and upgraded by enlarging stairs, expanding kitchen, adding lobby/ patio/Porch, and building an additional room upstairs for Akhand Paths.
The Sikh Foundation of Virginia Gurdwara Sahib has the distinction of being the oldest Gurdwara established in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Bhai Satpal Singh Ji has been with SFV since April, 2013. Well qualified in Gurbani and Sikh religious traditions and practices. He is a graduate of Khalsa College Higher Secondary School (Amritsar), as well as of Shaheed Sikh Missionary College Amritsar. He performed Kirtan Seva at Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha (Malwia Nagar) New Delhi, for seven years after, In addition, he has performed Kirtan Sevas at various Gurdwaras in Australia and Canada before joining the Sikh Foundation of Virginia.
Bhai Onkar Singh has been with SFV since January of 2014. He has over 20 years of Kirtan experience at various Gurdwaras in India, England, Canada and the USA. He is a graduate of Sangeet Visharad Pratham Khand, Chandigarh.
Bhai Karam Singh has been at SFV since December, 2014. He has over 24 years of Kirtan Sevas at various Gurdwaras in India, England, Canada and the USA. He has Vocal and Tabla Certificates from Paryag Sangit Samiti Allahabad, as well as five years training and certificates from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Vidya Kendar,Paonta Sahib.
Name | Title | Phone |
---|---|---|
Surjeet Singh Sidhu | Chairman | (703) 690-4870 |
Sarbjit Singh Kochhar | Secretary | (703) 625-6818 |
Devinder Singh Behniwal | Treasurer | (703) 690-4870 |
Harmohinder Singh Chahal | Public Relations Officer | (703) 362-3239 |
Harjit Singh Chawla | Member | (703) 590-5170 |
Randhir S. Chhatwal | Member | (978) 884-8333 |
Sukhbir Singh Sekhon | Member | (571) 213-0827 |
Name | Title | Phone |
---|---|---|
Hakam Singh Saund | Construction | (202) 438-3774 |
Harjit Singh Chawla | IT/Audio Visual | (703) 590-5170 |
Sukhbir Singh Sekhon | Langar | (571) 213-0827 |
Harpal Singh Sambe | Maintenance | (703) 930-2323 |
Amarjit Sign Riat | Membership/Bylaws | (703) 754-9169 |
Ajaib Singh | Security | (540) 720-5755 |
Paramjit Singh Sachdeva | Yourth/Education | (703) 927-0752 |
Manjit Singh Taneja | Sikh Affairs/Library/Health | (703) 585-1078 |
Sikh Foundation of Virginia's current version of the Constitution and Bylaws are dated July 17, 2020. A signed copy is available below for downloaded.