45,000 Sikhs honour a saint on his 36th death anniversary

Malacca, May 26 : About 45,000 Sikhs from Europe, Australia, United States and elsewhere made the pilgrimage to Gurdwara Sahib Malacca in Jalan Temenggong here to commemorate the 36th death anniversary of Sant Baba Sohan Singh Ji.

The temple grounds were converted into a meal hall for the event, which was held from May 22 to 25. Food was prepared and served round the clock for the visitors, who were also treated to the continuous recital of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, reports the New Strait Times.

Former Malacca Sikh Temple committee president Balbir Singh said preparations for the event swung into motion three months ago to cope with the anticipated influx of devotees.

Singaporeans Harbans Kaur, 60, and Lily Goh, 57, were among the visitors who volunteered after meditating in the prayer hall.

Goh said she had first heard of Barsi from her friend, Harbans, and was attracted by the concept of selfless service.

About 200 volunteers work in rotation, preparing up to 300kg of rice, 150kg of chapatti and other dishes to serve a 20,000-strong crowd per meal. Food is procured through offerings to the temple, or is bought by the temple using donations.

The late Sant Sohan Singh was an eminent Sikh priest who was born in Punjab in 1902. He had dedicated his life to spreading Sikhism in Malaysia and Singapore and was declared a saint after his death in Malacca in 1972. In honour of his memory, a two-year project was carried out which saw people from around the world being interviewed for a glimpse into Sant Sohan Singh's life.

The project culminated in his biography, which was available for purchase at the temple.

ANI