iNDICA NEWS BUREAU–
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti paid a visit to the iconic Golden Temple in Amritsar recently. Ambassador Garcetti said he shared a deep personal desire to visit the Golden Temple, saying, “It’s been a dream of mine to come to the Golden Temple ever since I was a little boy.”
He said his parents had visited the Sikh shrine in their 20s soon after they got married, and had shared, painting vivid pictures of the temple’s beauty and significance to him as a child.
“My mother and father visited the Golden Temple when they were just married in their 20s,” Garcetti said. “And as a child, they told me stories of coming to this beautiful place, a place where not only you could feel its beauty, but you could see its beauty.”
He said the Golden Temple has held a cherished place in his heart since childhood, nurturing a long-standing dream that finally found fulfilment during his recent visit. “Today, that dream came true,” he said.
During his time at the temple, Ambassador Garcetti immersed himself in its spiritual ambience, participating in acts of service such as washing dishes alongside Sikh devotees and volunteers.
“I was happy to wash some dishes alongside my brothers, to be able to see the kitchen, which feeds so many people,” the US Ambassador told news agency ANI.
Ambassador Garcetti emphasized the Golden Temple’s role as a beacon of peace and harmony. He stated, “I want to thank Mr. President and the host that I’ve had here, who welcomed me not just as a friend of the Sikh community, of the Punjabi community, but just as a friend of humanity, and who showed me that this place isn’t just a sacred spot because of what it represents, not just because of the history of the past, but because of the way that it makes service and beauty come alive now.”
He added, “I grew up going to the Gurdwara with my father. I’ve always had a very close relationship with the Sikh community.”
The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, which runs the Golden Temple operations said, “Ambassador of United States of America (USA) to India Eric Garcetti today paid obeisance at Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib along with his wife Amy Wakeland and a family member. During this time, Ambassador Garcetti visited Langar Sri Guru Ramdas Ji while doing Parikarama (circumambulation) and performed Sewa (voluntary service) with his own hands. Later, he went to Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib to pay obeisance, where he was given a garland of flowers and Patasha prasad by the Hazuri Singhs. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami honored Ambassador Garcetti and his family members with a golden model of Sachkhand Sri Harmandar Sahib, books and shawls at the information center of Sri Darbar Sahib.”
It added, “Talking to the Ambassador, SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami asked him to start a direct flights from the USA to Sri Guru Ramdas Ji International Airport in Amritsar. The Ambassador responded positively to this. About his visit, Ambassador Garcetti wrote in visitor book that, “There are a few places in the world that are truly sacred — this Golden Temple is right there at the top of that list. You feel not only the holiness of this place but how the generous service of the people define not only the world as it is but as it can be. May the deep friendships between the United States and Sikhism always bring peace to our world. With deep respect and friendships.”