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Beneath it, a group of Irish builders stand, necks craned upward, as it drifts slowly towards its destination – a giant golden dome 40 metres above the ground. The bell has a hole, just 100mm wide, and the top of the dome has a pole – just 80mm wide. Getting the two to meet, with […]

Beneath it, a group of Irish builders stand, necks craned upward, as it drifts slowly towards its destination – a giant golden dome 40 metres above the ground.

The bell has a hole, just 100mm wide, and the top of the dome has a pole – just 80mm wide.

Getting the two to meet, with just 2cm to spare, is proving something of an aerial ballet.

Silence from the ground.

A few gentle pirouettes from the bell.

And with surprising grace and little fuss, Glasgow’s Gurdwara accepts her crown.

It has the combined weight of a small elephant, but the glistening dome atop what will be Scotland’s largest Sikh temple is finally in place.

“It’s an exciting moment for us,” said Surjit Singh Chowdhary, president of the Gurdwara committee.

“The dome went on yesterday and looked wonderful glinting in the sun. It has completely changed Glasgow’s skyline.”

Along with several other members of the Singh Sabha Gurdwara committee, retired businessman Mr Chowdhary has spent the last two days with his eyes on the sky as the golden structure has taken shape.

With a combined estimated weight of four tonnes, it has been carefully constructed out of glass-reinforced plastic and rests on a throne purposely built to provide a community for the 10,000 Sikhs currently living Scotland.

“We believe in hard work and we believe in giving,” said Mr Chowdhary, who has been involved in the build since the outset.

“Our community has raised the funds needed and it has already exceeded what I dreamed it would look like.”

The £15 million Singh Sabha Gurdwara will be Scotland’s only purpose built Gurdwara, eventually able to accommodate 1500 worshippers.

With intricate carvings on its walls and windows of delicate stone stars, the building is set to be finished by the end of the year.

But when its dark wooden doors finally swing open, they will welcome not just the Sikh community, but anyone who wishes to enter.

“This is for everyone,” said Mr Chowdhary.

“We want everyone to come and visit us.”

A final gold-leaf spire is set to be erected on the dome early next week before the builders get to work on making the building wind and water tight.

“When it is finished you will be able to see the dome glow across the Glasgow skyline,” said Mr Chowdhary.

“This Gurdwara is our legacy for generations to come.”

~ Source: http://glasgow.stv.tv/