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Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji & Gurdwara Sahib Silat Road Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji & Gurdwara Sahib Silat Road A HISTORICAL JOURNEY ISBN : 978-981-09-5343-0 First Edition 2006 Revised Second Edition 2015 Revised Second Edition Compiled & Edited By: S. Gurdip Singh Usma & S. Dilbagh Singh Copyright Reserved No portion of this book may be copied or printed without the express permission of the publisher. Publisher CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD 2 Towner Road, Singapore 327804 Tel: 65 – 6327-2004 Fax: 65 – 6327-2009 www.sikhs.org.sg Printer KHALSA PRINTERS PTE LTD Singapore ii CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD, SINGApORE Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji The First Edition of this book was launched by the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board in July 2006 to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji. The 150th Anniversary Logo above depicts Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji at the entrance to the Bhai Maharaj Singh Memorial, Singapore. The Revised Second Edition of this book was launched by the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board in July 2015 to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Independence of Singapore (SG50). CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD, SINGApORE iii Acknowledgements The Central Sikh Gurdwara Board express their heartfelt thanks to the following Sikhs without whose support this book would not have been possible. Dr. Choor Singh Sidhu for allowing the adaptation of a significant portion of the material in this book from articles and books written by him and his contribution towards documenting the history and development of the Sikhs in Singapore. Dr. Choor Singh was a Justice in the Supreme Court of Singapore. He was a very prominent Sikh community leader and also the Founder, Trustee and Patron of Singapore Khalsa Association. Thakral Parwar for sponsoring the publishing of this book. S. Sarjit Singh s/o Niranjan Singh for his contribution of some of the maps and photographs used in this book. iv CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD, SINGApORE Contents FOREWORD 1 Kartar Singh Thakral CHAPTER I 3 Early Life of Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji CHAPTER II 7 Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji - The Saint Soldier CHAPTER III 25 Bhai Maharaj Singh Memorial CHAPTER IV 41 Singapore Sikh Police Contingents CHAPTER V 49 Singapore Sikh Police Gurdwaras CHAPTER VI 55 Gurdwara Sahib Silat Road CHAPTER VII 69 Gurdwara Silat Road Sikh Centre CHAPTER VIII 85 Major Celebrations at Gurdwara Sahib Silat Road Complex CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD, SINGApORE v Kartar Singh Thakral doing the honours at the Official Opening of Gurdwara Sahib Silat Road in October 1995 vi CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD, SINGApORE Foreword A large number of Sikhs and some non-Sikhs hold Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji in great admiration and reverence. They visit the Gurdwara built in his memory at Silat Road many times a week to recite Gurbani in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib for blessings. Indeed, Guru Ji has showered blessings on all those who have prayed with devotion and sincerity at the Memorial Gurdwara. This 2 revisions of the book “Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji & Gurdwara Sahib Silat Road” are very apt to commemorate and celebrate first, the 150th Anniversary of Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji in 2006 and second, the 50th Anniversary of the independence of Singapore in 2015. Chapter 1 depicts Bhai Ji’s earlier life immersed totally in Nam Simran (meditation) and Sewa (service to community). The 2nd and 3rd chapters based on the well researched book on Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji by Retd Justice Dr. Choor Singh Sidhu gives very succinct and detailed account of Bhai Ji’s struggle for independence of Punjab from the British rule. In addition, the chapters give a thorough description of Bhai Ji’s arrest by the British, his exile from Punjab and his life in Singapore. The reader also gets a good understanding of the path taken by Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji to be a saint soldier and when the time came, he stood firm and fought for freedom. The 2nd part of the book traces the history of Gurdwara Sahib Silat Road. This Gurdwara Sahib was built by the Singapore Sikh Police, which later came under the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board together with the Central Sikh Temple. In 2000, Gurdwara Silat Road Sikh Centre, a 7-storey building was added to the Gurdwara to provide additional social and educational services. The reader will acquire a good understanding of the history of the Gurdwara and services it provides now to Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike in Singapore. This publication is very timely for Sikhs and particularly for youths to understand Sikh history and Sikh heritage. I commend and congratulate the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board for compiling and publishing this book in conjunction with the celebrations of 150th Anniversary of Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji in 2006 and the 50th Anniversary of Singapore in 2015. Kartar Singh Thakral CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD, SINGApORE 1 CHAPTER 1 Early Life of Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji A Saint Soldier 1770 -1856 2 CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD, SINGApORE CHAPTER 1 Early Life of Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji CHAPTER I Early Life of Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji holding court Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji was born in the village of Rabbon in Ludhiana district on 3rd BJanuary (Lohri day), 1770. His father, Sardar Gurmukh Singh, named him Nihal Singh. He had two brothers, Gurdial Singh and Gurbakhash Singh. His father sent him to a religious school to learn Gurmukhi and Gurbani. The school Head noticed Nihal Singh’s great interest in religion and spirituality and sent him to Saint Tota Singh Thikirawala. There he acquired higher religious education. He studied Vedas and Guru Granth Sahib. Together with the religious knowledge, he advanced spiritually by reciting the name of God (Nam Simran) day and night. CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD, SINGApORE 3 CHAPTER 1 Early Life of Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji Whilst Bhaiji was completing his studies with Saint Tota Singh, a well- known saint of the time, Bhai Bir Singh Ji came to his village. Nihal Singh was in the large congregation that listened to the discourse by Bhai Bir Singh Ji. Nihal Singh was so impressed with the discourse that he decided to be a disciple of Bhai Bir Singh Ji. He followed Bhai Bir Singh Ji to his ‘Dera’ in Nourangabad. There Nihal Singh did great seva in the langgar for many years, took Amrit at the hands of Bhai Bir Singh and became his chela. Upon taking Amrit he was given the name of Bhagwan Singh. The story goes that Nihal Singh would bring water daily without fail for Bhai Bir Singh Ji to take a bath. After Bhai Bir Singh Ji had taken his bath, Nihal Singh would take charge of preparing Guru Ka Langgar (food) for the morning congregation. When the prayer sessions were in progress, Nihal Singh would clean the shoes of the members of the congregation while reciting God’s name (Naam Simran). It was well known at the time that the Guru Ka Langgar Bhai Ji’s interest in Gurbani started early in life (food) prepared by Nihal Singh never ran short no matter how big the congregation was. Occasionally there were as many as 10,000 people in the congregation. Bhai Nihal Singh did his sewa (service) with love and dedication while reciting God’s name. While serving people, he would call everyone Maharaj Ji and in turn he become to be known as Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji. There is a story that circulated about Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji. One day, he was at the big hot plate making chapattis. He heard another Sewadar (volunteer) calling him to attend to a big pot of lentils boiling over. He rushed to the pot and put his arm into the pot to stir and stop it from boiling over. The lentils thus stopped overflowing however there was no sign of any burn on the arm of Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji. Bhai Bir Singh Ji heard about the incident and called Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji. Bhai Bir Singh Ji told him that the Sikhs are prohibited 4 CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD, SINGApORE CHAPTER 1 Early Life of Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji from showing off their spiritual power. Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji replied that he was not aware of what he did. At that time he was fully absorbed in the name of God. Nevertheless, Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji apologised and promised that it would not happen again. Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji devoted his early life to service to humanity and to ‘Nam Simran’. Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji’s Slotter at his Dera in Amritsar CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD, SINGApORE 5 CHAPTER 2 Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji The Saint Soldier Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji in one of his “freedom” battles with the British 6 CENTRAL SIKH GURDWARA BOARD, SINGApORE CHAPTER 2 Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji The Saint Soldier CHAPTER II Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji The Saint Soldier Adapted from Dr Choor Singh Sidhu’s book “Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji, Martyr of the Sikh Faith” Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji in his Darbar ikhs started coming to Singapore on their own in the fourth quarter of the nineteenth Scentury. Before that, in the middle of that century, when Singapore served as the Government of India’s penal settlement, some prisoners were sent here to serve long terms of imprisonment. Some of these prisoners are believed to have been Sikhs but no records are available to verify their names or their number. There is, however, evidence of a very important political prisoner by the name of Bhai Maharaj Singh and his chela (disciple) Khurruck Singh having been deported to Singapore by the British in 1850 and Bhai Maharaj Singh is recorded to have died in prison in Singapore in 1856.
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