The Sikh Center of San Francisco Bay Area (also known as Gurdwara Sahib of El Sobrante) is a Sikh gurdwara in the hills of unincorporated El Sobrante, California, in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Shrine’s History
Near San Francisco and at the north end of Berkeley Hills tucked in the low hills of the El Sobrante Valley you can find the most magnificent Gurdwara Sahib of North America. The gold-domed Gurdwara Sahib and the fluttering saffron Nishan Sahib can be seen from all over the valley and in particular driving on Interstate 80 and Richmond Parkway. Perched half way up the hill and given its unique architecture, the Gurudwara Sahib not only attracts many visitors but also had been the home for many wedding ceremonies for couples as far away as Hongkong. Large darbar hall windows and the surrounding huge deck on the north side offers a breathtaking view of the El Sobrante Valley and San Pablo Bay. In summer when the fog rolls in over the low hills into the valley and in the winter when low clouds move in, it is the most beautiful sight. Parade winding its way Down the Hill, fr. singhsrus.blogspot.com It was around the mid-1960s that a few Sikhs in the San Francisco Bay Area started discussing their vision of establishing a gurudwara in their area, a vision that gave birth to an organisation called The Sikh Center of San Francisco Bay Area, with its headquarters in Berkeley.
In the year 1976, approximately 5 acres of a hillside in El Sobrante was purchased to house the envisioned gurudwara. The access road and the parking lots were completed in 1977, marked with a Nishan Sahib installation. The first phase of the building was completed in May 1979. The present langar hall was used for prayer services and the present lobby, for serving langar. The building as seen today was completed in June 1992, becoming one of the most magnificent gurudwara in the North America.
