Members of the Sikh temple of Wisconsin wash items as they return for the first time in Oak Creek, Wis., Thursday, Aug 9, 2012. The mass shooting last Sunday claimed six members of the temple. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)DINESH RAMDE
OAK CREEK, Wis. (AP) – Thousands of mourners were expected to gather Friday morning to pay their final respects to the six worshippers gunned down by a white supremacist at their Sikh temple over the weekend.
Organizers initially allocated two hours for a wake and visitation at a nearby high school. But they added two hours to accommodate both mourners from around the world and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder as a last-minute speaker.
The service will include prayers and hymns. Afterward mourners plan to return to the temple and begin a traditional rite called “akhand path,” a ceremony that involves a series of priests reading their holy book aloud from cover to cover. The process, which takes 48 hours, is intended to honor the memories of the six victims.
“We want to pay homage to the spirits who are still in there,” said Harpreet Singh, the nephew of one of the victims.