Page 23 - shikhar_v2_n1_20

RELIGION
Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji
550th Anniversary Celebrations
Singapore has a vibrant Sikh
community of about 12,000
members. Sikhs are known to
have started coming to Singapore in
the 19th century. They have made an
enormous contribution to public life,
economy, culture and diverse profes-
sions in Singapore. Community organ-
isations like Singapore Khalsa Associa-
tion (SKA), Young Khalsa Association,
Young Sikh Association and Shri Guru
Singh Sabha sustain and nurture the
community, cultural and spiritual life
of the Sikhs. They support the work of
statutory bodies Sikh Advisory Board
and the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board.
The 550th birthday celebrations of
first Guru and founder of Sikhism, Shri sary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji culminated
Guru Nanak Dev Ji, was organized
by the Sikh community in Singapore
through various events from Novem-
ber 2018 to November 2019.
A Sikh Heritage Day and exhibition
was organised in June 2019, which
was inaugurated by Her Excellency
Mdm Halimah Yacob, President
of Singapore.
Singapore Khalsa Association and Shri
Guru Singh Sabha, Singapore organ-
ised the Sikh Community Harmony
Walk on 17th August 2019 to pro-
mote inter-racial harmony. Different
groups of about 500 participants,
including the aged and physically
challenged, walked concurrently from
several different places of worship in
((Top left): Singpore President Halimah Yacob launched Sikh Heritage Day and exhibition which also
shone a spotlight on local Sikh pioneers. (Photos above): Deputy Prime Minster Heng Swee Keat was
the Chief Guest at the culmination of the 550th Anniversary of Guru Nanak celebrations in Singapore
Singapore to SKA Headquarters in bution of Sikhs in Singaporean history
Little India. and praised their spirit of Seva (service)
and particularly the fact that the small
Volunteer Service Goal community had, over the past year,
performed more than 500,000 hours of
As part of the 550th Birth Anniversary seva. The High Commissioner attended
celebrations the Sikh community had the event and also performed Seva
set a goal to collectively clock 550,000 at the Langar. Other officials from the
hours of volunteer service till Novem- Mission attended various programmes
ber 2019 which was exceeded before held in conjugation with the event.
the deadline.
Other events included Senior Citi-
The year-long celebrations on the zen outing, daily evening Divans,
occasion of the 550th Birth Anniver- Nankana Sahib float, Gurbani talks,
Nishan Sahib Salami, Shabad Jaap,
on 10 November 2019 at the Central Shri Akhand Paath Sahib and health
Sikh Gurdwara, Singapore. The Chief checkup camps.
Guest at the event was Deputy Prime
Minister and Finance Minister of The Singapore Sikh Community also
Singapore Mr Heng Swee Keat. The held a Singapore Premiere of an excel-
event featured the Shabad Jaap, fol- lent documentary “The Saint Soldier”
lowed by a speech by the DPM and in December 2019. It depicts the story
communal eating at the langar. In his of the 1st Sikh to arrive in Singapore,
speech the DPM recounted the contri- Bhai Maharaj Singh, in 1850.
Shikhar Vol. 2 No. 1 2020 21