Don't Rain On My (Nagar Kirtan) Parade

On the morning of November 7, 2010, I opened my eyes in the wee dark hours to the sound of rain drops. "Don't rain on my parade," I spoke aloud, only to hear the rain fall harder. Rain or shine I had made up mind, nothing could keep me from attending the 2010 Yuba City 31st Annual Parade. An estimated "200,000 meals" were expected to be prepared and served during the 2010 event. Though I had been to previous Nagar Kirtan parades during wet weather, and had witnessed the generosity of people serving free food and drinks along the way, nothing could have prepared me for what lay ahead. Undaunted by the rain, floats covered with plastic canopies wound through the streets to honor the Guru Gadee inauguration anniversary of Guru Granth Sahib. Rows of langar tents filled the gurdwara parking lot and lined the entire parade route. Thousands of Sikhs poured through flooded streets. They carried umbrellas, wore rain ponchos, black plastic bags, and inverted plastic sacks covered their turbans.