Our Bureau
Pomona, CA
Darbar-E-Khalsa (DEK) is the biggest annual event in southern California, attended by more than 15,000 devotees every year. This year’s Darbar-e-Khalsa was held on December 25th, 2023, at LA Fairgrounds, Pomona, CA attended by thousands of devotees.
On December 25th, the Sikh Community of California and neighboring states came together with deep love and devotion to celebrate the lives of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj and the Chaar Sahibzaade at Darbar-E-Khalsa! This year it’s the 357th Birthday of the Tenth Great Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
The event allowed people to reconnect, sing God’s praises, perform seva (selfless service), and get to know and understand the Khalsa spirit. Local Sikhs participated wholeheartedly in this annual function allowing them to get together and remember Sri Guru Gobind Singh who created the Khalsa community hundreds of years ago.
Darbar-E-Khalsa is celebrated with such an unparalleled mix of reverence, pomp, grandeur, punctuality, devotion, and feasting that the number of attendees has grown from 700+ in 1986 to 15,000+ in the last 35 years or so.
The International Institute of Gurmat Studies (IIGS) has been organizing DEK since 1986 with support from local gurdwaras and Sikh organizations of Southern California. The event includes melodious Asa di Var and kirtan, poems, awards, a sumptuous breakfast, Khalsa bazar and parade, and Guru ka langar.
