Sikh history a century strong in Saanich

Rajwant Singh takes his place on the raised platform housing the Sikh holy book and launches into the first page of the 1,430-page Guru Granth Sahib.

Singh chants the words, written in Punjabi, and his lyrical voice is broadcast throughout the two-storey gurdwara, or temple. It's Friday morning, and he is the first of about 14 people who will each take a two-hour shift in order to read the sacred text over a 48 hour period.

The ceremony marks the birth date of the religion's founder, Guru Nanak, who lived in the Punjab district of India and Pakistan.

By Sunday morning, thousands from the Sikh community will congregate at the temple, fast approaching its 100th anniversary in Victoria.

For now, however, only about 40 people, mainly retirees and parents with small children, gather round the speaker, sitting quietly, cross-legged on the floor.

The women, dressed in colourful salwar kameez and head scarves, sit on one side of the room. The men, wearing turbins, sit on the other.

Anyone can take a turn reading the holy book, explains Nidi Sehmi. Male and female, everyone is created equal in Sikhism – a profound message back in the 16th Century, he points out.

Downstairs is where the action is.

A handful of women prepare great cauldrons of rice, dal (curried lentils) and aloo gobi (curried potatoes and cauliflower). On the table sits an enormous lump of dough. Soon the women's adept hands will flatten countless small mounds into round, roti bread.

The kitchen will stay open 24 hours a day over the ceremony and will serve thousands of free meals to anyone who walks through the door.

The open kitchen is a central tenet of Sikhism, explains Bhagwan Singh Bandechha.

If you need food or shelter, any gurdwara in the world will provide these necessities, he said, adding the Victoria homeless community come to the temple for meals.

The Sikhs of Greater Victoria have been providing food and shelter to those in need for roughly 100 years.

The accounts of the first settlers, told through the narration of their descendants, were published in 2005 by Manmohan Singh Wirk.

A History of the Sikhs of Victoria recounts the first Punjabi immigrants who arrived in Victoria on boats shared with the Chinese.

Many settled around Tod Inlet to work at the Tod Creek Cement Works and shopped at the Prospect Lake Store.

Between 15 and 20 men would share a house, appointing one as the cook.

The policy of the time was to feed and house any visitor for one month for free.

Later, the temple would take on this role.

The first Sikh temple opened on 623 Herald Street in 1909 in a rented room.

The community raised $15,000 to buy the property at its current location, 1210 Topaz Avenue, but ran into difficulties.

Facing racism at Victoria's city hall, they could not secure the building permit so they took the matter to the Supreme Court and won.

On Oct. 6, 1912, Sikh leaders paraded from downtown to the new temple on horse back, transporting their holy book in a type of chariot. The procession attracted quite a crowd, as reported by Victoria's Daily Colonist.

By this time, the Sikh population was about 250 on Vancouver Island, but the new Exclusionary Immigration Act curtailed further settlers.

Today, the Sikh population in Greater Victoria is around 8,000. The Sikh temple was rebuilt in 1962, and is one of the two oldest temples in Canada still standing on its original site.

rholmen@saanichnews.com

Watch for this:

Sparked by the Manmohan Singh Wirk's history of Sikh immigration, a film company has produced a documentary on the subject. Searching for the Sikhs of Tod Inlet debuted in Toronto but will be aired for the first time on Omni TV in the new year. For more information, visit www.mountainstudios.ca.

Three pillars of Sikhism

Nam Simran: Think about God. Listening to the name gives truth, holy wisdom and contentment.

Kirt Kaara: Live a normal life and earn a living through honest means and hard work.

Wand Chhako: Share with the needy whatever you can spare.