Sikhs Re-open Oak Creek Temple Amid Prayers and Pain

The Sikh temple where a half-dozen people were killed eight days ago has re-opened. Ceremonies were held Sunday in the Milwaukee suburb of Oak Creek.

As hundreds of people prayed and sang, a new Sikh holy flag was installed outside the temple. Inside, worshippers completed two days of reading scripture. Kanwardeep Singh Kaleka is a nephew of the temple president, who died when a gunman opened fire on August 5th. Kaleka says the end of the formal mourning process is an important religious time: “This really signifies the symbolic notion of them moving on to a peaceful place, or their souls finding peace.”

Kaleka says some Sikhs may hesitate to return to the temple where the killings occurred, but he says additional security measures are in place.