Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab @ Institute of Texan Cultures

February 21 through October 18 2015

The Institute of Texan Cultures will host the traveling exhibit, “Sikhs: Legacy of the Punjab,” developed by the Smithsonian Institution and sponsored by the Sikh Heritage Foundation.

Sikhs, a unique culture and religion, originate in the Punjab region of India, straddling the India-Pakistan border. Male Sikhs are easily recognized by their turbans and untrimmed beards. The community and its leaders have been working with the museum to continue educating about their culture, which has experienced discrimination and suspicion in a post-9/11 society. In San Antonio, the Sikh community has grown to nearly 300 families.

The exhibit features a collection of traditional Sikh art, information on the culture’s history and beliefs, artifacts such as ceremonial weapons and armor, and a model of the Golden Temple, one of the sacred sites of the Sikh religion.

$8 adult admission is to the museum; the exhibit itself is free once you’re inside. The Institute of Texan Cultures is free to all the 2nd Sunday of every month.