Putrajaya gurdwara all set for 8 Dec launch

By Asia Samachar Team | MALAYSIA |

Two decades after operating as the administrative capital of Malaysia, Putrajaya is set to see the launch of a gurdwara on Sunday (8 Dec 2019).

The historic launch of the ‘national’ gurdwara has been timed for 11.11am.

“We are a national gurdwara in the sense that our membership is open to all Malaysians,” Gurdwara Sahib Putrajaya (GSP) management committee president Major (Rtd) Jagindar Singh told Asia Samachar. “We will also promote the history of gurdwaras in Malaysia.”

In the spirit of the 550th anniversary of Guru Nanak’s birth, the GSP team is targeting to register 550 pioneer members of the gurdwara, which todays stands at 206. There will also be a membership registration corner during the Sunday event which is being called ‘The Sikh Road to Putrajaya’.

“Once we reach 550, we will register them as Putrajaya Pioneers,” he said.

Putrajaya is a planned city and the federal administrative centre of Malaysia. The seat of government was shifted from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya in 1999.

GSP membership is open to all Malaysian Sikhs, including those living abroad. However, voting is limited to members living within a 50km radius of the gurdwara, which includes the Klang Valley which is home to the largest Sikh community in Malaysia. Life membership is fixed at RM101.

In a letter shared with Asia Samachar, the key officials of GSP noted that its neighbours in the ‘prime locality’, who are faith-based religious societies, have already begun construction of their respective prayer houses.

“Therefore, it is imperative that we commence ours too, failing which we the Sikhs may end up losing the precious ground allocated to us. As such, it is in our present and future interest to develop GSP as soon as possible,” read the letter signed by Jagindar along with the GSP committee deputy president Paramjit Singh Pertap Singh Dr Sangeeta Kaur Darshan Singh.

Paramjit, an airline captain who formerly with Malaysia Airlines, also chairs the building committee. Dr Sangeeta heads GSP secretariat and communication.

On the plans for the launch, Jagindar said in an invite sent out via the social media: “We are expecting a very colorful event with hopefully 55 Malaysian Sikh big bikers escorting Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj from KL to Putrajaya. We also have the helicopter showering the flowers at Putrajaya site with pipe band in attendance.

“Guru Maharaj will be arriving at the site at 9:00am and I hope all the Sanggat can join in the Parkash Ardaas. The Kirtan Darbar will start at 9:30am, with a break at 10:45am for the foundation ceremony and the whole programme will end at 13:13 hours. Breakfast and lunch will be served.”

If all goes to plan, Putrajaya will have a partially-functioning gurdwara towards the end of 2021 that is hoped to attract visitors to Malaysia’s administrative capital.

The gurdwara is located at the intersection of Precincts 5 and 20, bordering Dengkil. It is about five-minutes drive from the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC).

The proposed gurdwara complex – a single-story building with a circular darbar sahib – is expected to cost about RM3 million. The land size allocated for the gurdwara is about 30,000 sq ft, slightly less than an acre.

“Once we are established and operational, we will apply for membership of Malaysian Gurdwara Council (MGC),” he said. The gurdwara is operating under the registered society of Gurdwara Sahib Putrajaya Society (GSPS).

For location, set your Waze for Taman Cabaran Putrajaya.