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Sikhism in Singapore has its roots in the military and policing forces of the
was built to commemorate the 518th anniversary of
Visit Singapore Sikhism in Singapore, {{Singapore-stub
Sikhism in Singapore has its roots in the military and policing forces of the British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
. Currently, there are 12,000-15,000 Sikhs in Singapore. There are 7 Sikh Temples along with a missionary society, a welfare society, two youth organizations and two sports clubs.
History
The first Sikh to migrate toSingapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
was Maharaj Singh in 1849; he was sent there as a political prisoner by the British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...
after the Second Anglo-Sikh War
The Second Anglo-Sikh War was a military conflict between the Sikh Empire and the British East India Company that took place in 1848 and 1849. It resulted in the fall of the Sikh Empire, and the annexation of the Punjab and what subsequently ...
. The Central Sikh Templewas built to commemorate the 518th anniversary of
Guru Nanak
Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated w ...
, the first Sikh guru. The temple boasts a skilful blend of modern and traditional architecture. The Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
, or holy book, is enshrined in a magnificent prayer hall which has a 13-metre wide dome.
Singapore was part of Malaya under British rule and Sikhs migrated there as policemen. Some Sikhs in Singapore are immigrants from India (mainly from the Punjab region in India). Others are the descendants of Sikh prisoners from British India who were sent to Singapore by the British Army for protesting, attacking or killing British Soldiers, attacks; assaults; and vandalism of British buildings and property. They lived in British prisons in Singapore. Sikh migration to Singapore was popularized by the demand of Sikh police officers and guards in British colonial Malaya. A substantial amount of Sikhs in Singapore are also descendants of Indian Sikh Businessmen who immigrated to Singapore. Most Sikhs today are from the Jat community.
Prominent Sikhs
The Sikh Foundation and The Punjabi Foundation of Singapore are prominent associations that are promoting Sikh heritage and Punjabi language there. Some prominent Sikhs who earned name in public life are: *Choor Singh
Choor Singh Sidhu (19 January 1911 – 31 March 2009), known professionally as Choor Singh, was a Singaporean lawyer who served as a judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore and, particularly after his retirement from the bench, a philanthropi ...
, first Sikh Judge of Supreme Court
* Kanwaljit Soin
Dr Kanwaljit Soin is a consultant orthopaedic & hand surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore.
Education
Soin studied in Tanjong Katong Girls' School for her secondary education and Victoria School for her pre-university education, and ...
, first female Nominated Member of Parliament, orthopaedic surgeon and co-founder of AWARE
* Jaswant Singh Gill, first commander of Singapore Navy
* Kartar Singh Thakral, founder of Thakral Corporation Ltd
* Major-General Ravinder Singh, former chief of the Singapore Army
* Inderjit Singh, former PAP MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC
The Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the north eastern region of Singapore. The constituency encompasses the majority of Ang Mo Kio (Teck Ghee, Cheng San-Seletar, porti ...
* Davinder Singh, former PAP MP for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC
* Pritam Singh, WP MP for Aljunied GRC
The Aljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency (GRC) in the north-eastern and eastern region of Singapore. The GRC consists of five divisions: Eunos, Bedok Reservoir-Punggol, Kaki Bukit, Sera ...
and Leader of the Opposition
See also
* Jainism in Southeast Asia *Hinduism in Southeast Asia
Hinduism in Southeast Asia had a profound impact on the region's cultural development and its history. As the Indic scripts were introduced from India, people of Southeast Asia entered the historical period by producing their earliest inscrip ...
References
External links
Visit Singapore Sikhism in Singapore, {{Singapore-stub