Source: The Times of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Sikh_NRIs_celebrate_Khalsa_festival/articleshow/1986482.cms

TORONTO: The Sikh community here celebrated the Toronto Khalsa festival, intended to educate other Canadians about the Sikh faith and ensure that their culture is kept alive by new generation Canadian-born Sikhs.

An estimated 40,000 people participated in the parade held on Monday, which featured bands, floats and Sikh men brandishing swords.

The mayor of Toronto proclaimed the day as Khalsa Day and praised the Sikh objectives of peace and respect.

Thousands of people were given free meals after the colourful parade, which was dominated by the orange and blue colours of the Sikh religion, the Star newspaper reported.

This year, Varinder S. Gill, a homeopathic doctor here, brought out a brochure explaining the Sikh religion and the use of the turban.