Sikhs in South Africa

[S1ngh]

The bold part is of my dad's news.. :D I was there and i remember all these guys..

News taken from : http://www.suntimes.co.za/2003/03/30/news/...rban/ndbn07.asp

-------

SA Sikhs realise temple dream

SUTHENTIRA GOVENDER

HOLY PLACE: Resident priest Puran Singh and Sunny Singh, secretary of the Sikh Council of SA, inside the country's first Sikh temple Picture: RICHARD SHOREY

AFTER years of fundraising, a Sikh family's dream of building a temple has been realised.

South Africa's first Gurwarain will officially open in April, but already Sikhs from around the world - including Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh and the parents of some Miss India Worldwide contestants - have flocked to the temple in Croftdene, Chatsworth.

Sunny Singh, secretary of the Sikh Council of South Africa, whose family has headed the R1.6-million project, said hard work and determination had reaped rewards .

"There are only about 40 to 50 families in South Africa who practise Sikhism. We are a relatively unknown community in South Africa," he said.

"There have been Sikhs who followed Hinduism after marrying Hindus, but this temple gives them an opportunity to return to their roots."

Singh said he was encouraged to revive Sik

hism in South Africa by an engineer from India, Lakwinder Singh, who was working on a project in Umbogintwini on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast in the early 1990s.

"After interacting with the Sikh community in Botswana, I was inspired to return to my roots."

He set up a Sikh shrine at his Silverglen home where members of the Sikh community gathered on Sundays for prayer.

"Initially we had no money. But relatives and I were determined to get this project off the ground, so we dug deep into our pockets."

The family raised R10 000, and in 1998 the construction of the temple started without the project being approved by the Durban municipality.

"The council dragged its feet in giving us the land, and the matter was transferred from one department to another.

Eventually, the building inspector passed the plan after shacks started sprouting on the land."

Once the project got off the ground, funds from Sikhs in other countries, including Botswana, England and the United States, began trickling in.

"It's God's house, so there is nothing that is second hand. We spared no costs in terms of the interior of the temple. "

Resident priest Puran Singh from New Delhi, said the temple was a beacon of hope and would bring the Sikh community closer together. "It will encourage Sikhs to return to their roots," he said.

[Balait_da_Sher]

He set up a Sikh shrine at his Silverglen home where members of the Sikh community gathered on Sundays for prayer.

Guru ka Dwara at its best

[Deep Singh]

:D )

Vicky Bhaji....is Lakwinder Singh ji your father....

WOW! now i understand why you are a Singh... :D

GREAT NEWS!!!

[simran_kaur]

waheguru

[nanosecond]

wonderful :

[Guest mehtab]

Now i know why u sooooo scared of your dad :D )

Your dad knows big ppl, and so if u mess around u'll be in deep trouble

muhuhuhuhahahahahaha :D

Nothing makes me happier than to see u scared Mr Vicky Singh

LOL LOL LOL :D

juz kidding

[S1ngh]

Now i know why u sooooo scared of your dad 

lol.. haha.. nah he is very easy going dad on this planet.. no wonder why my room is always full of mess.. B) hanjee deep jee he is my pop.. :D but most of sikhi i learned is thru internet.. :nihungsmile:

[simran_kaur]

hehehe.. internet...

respect for internet