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<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<title>Sikh Temple Makindu</title>
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<div class="main-menu stuck">
<ul>
<li class="active"><a href="history.html">History</a></li>
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<a href="events.html">Events</a>
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<li><a href="#">Past</a></li>
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<h1>Our History</h1>
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<p>The origins of the 'Sikh Temple Makindu' in Kenya can be traced back to the early 1900s, when the British built the Uganda Railway to open up the interior of East Africa.</p>
<p>The train running out of Mombasa had its first major stop at Voi and then Makindu, where an encampment was established which soon blossomed into a robust and bustling town by the 1920s. It was the days of steam locomotives chugging along where the lions reigned supreme just as the famous elephants of Tsavo. The steam engines got timber fuel and water at Makindu railway station.</p>
<p>Among the many Indians that were recruited by the British authorities to come and construct the railway line there were many pioneering Sikhs, who became part of the larger history of the Sikh contribution to the overall development of Kenya.</p>
<p>They were great men of clear vision, farsightedness and iron will. Many of them were lost in the tropical wilderness or picked up by the man-eating lions of Tsavo forest.</p>
<p>A place of shelter and service was the only answer to provide help and relief to one and all. It is believed those early Sikhs would gather under a tree near the railway station every weekend to offer their prayers and thanks to Waheguru. And to those humble and hardy Sikhs to set up a Gurudwara was within their limits of strength and savings. Their desire to establish a Gurudwara was seen as establishing a church by their bosses and colonial rulers. The British not only gave green light but also gave the Sikhs a piece of land near the station. The Sikhs were more than happy and together with their non-Sikh fellows, suppliers, contractors and rich community members laid the foundation of Makindu Sikh Temple.</p>
<p>With the installation of one of the original versions of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the doors of the new Temple were opened in 1926 and ever since then this Sikh place of worship has continued to be mystical inspiration to many visitors.</p>
<p>Makindu thus became an important stop for Sikhs and other Indian train passengers, who would especially come off the train to pay their respects to the house of God. Among the founder fathers of the Temple were Bhai Tara Singh Ahluwalia, a shed master at Makindu and Bhai Lachman Das, commonly known as 'Dipti'. S Teja Singh, a guard with the Railways, performed the opening ceremony of the Temple.</p>
<p>The Sikh Temple Makindu continued to serve the public for nearly 20 years. However, in the 40s, following the Second World War, it became ineffective. With technological changes, the steam locomotive gave way to diesel engines; thus reducing Makindu's importance as a refuelling and water station.</p>
<p>Even the Sikhs living at Makindu left the place, closing the Temple and leaving an African called 'Gwalo' as caretaker. A window was, however, left open so that travellers between Nairobi and Mombasa could stop and pay their respects to Sir Guru Granth Sahib through the opening.</p>
<p>In the early 50s a fire broke out and destroyed the main temple building, leaving only the Sri Guru Granth Sahib intact. At another time a plague of deadly ants ravaged the buildings, but again Sri Guru Granth Sahib remained untouched. Then one day Gwalo saw a miracle. He went and told a Sikh farmer in the area, known as Dhanna Singh that he had seen some Sikhs on horseback riding from the sky down towards the Temple. Gwalo saw a painting of Sri Guru Gobind Ji at Dhanna Singh's place and said he saw a person like that come down from the sky on a horses back. Dhanna Singh came to Nairobi and related Gwalo's story to other Sikhs. The community was shaken by Gwalo's story and felt the urge to do something to revive the Temple.</p>
<p>At the same time in the late 50s, but quite independently, Sant Baba Puran Singh Ji resident in Kericho, also received some divine message from Waheguru that the Makindu Temple had been left untended for months.</p>
<p>He implored Sikhs in Nairobi to travel to Makindu on weekends and to restore the Temple and to clean and wash the 'Asthaan' with milk. The place thus began to be lively again with kirtan/diwans and recitation of gurbani once a month, when Sikhs from Nairobi began to visit Makindu.</p>
<h2>Location of Makindu</h2>
<p>The name 'Makindu' is borrowed from the palms that grow along the crystal clear streams from the volcanic hills nearby Chyulu Hills and Mount Kilimanjaro. Makindu is located about 170km (105 miles) south east of Nairobi on the highway to Mombasa, within Makueni County Council which covers a large rural area. The County Council is now responsible for planning of the Township and for delivery of local services.</p>
<p>The central government has a District Officer based in Makindu, who deals with all local administration and security matters. The Township is served by a police station, a government District Hospital and both primary and secondary schools.</p>
<p>The railway line still functions with passenger trains running between Nairobi and Mombasa only about four times a week. People mostly fly to Mombasa, but vehicular traffic on the highway has also increased tremendously in the recent years. As a result, the highway is being reconstructed to international standards.</p>
<p>The highway runs right in front of the gate of the Sikh Temple, giving it easy and convenient access at all times. Following recent reconstruction of this highway, the journey from Nairobi to Makindu takes only about two hours.</p>
<p>In the Mid 1960s the temple rose to a new glory and significance when S Sampuran Singh Bassan and a few other dedicated Nairobi Sikhs took over the management and introduced the 'Langar' Service, which institution had been started by Guru Nanak Dev Ji to bring equality between all human beings.</p>
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<address>Sikh Temple Makindu - Mombasa Road, Makindu, Kenya</address>
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<div class="details">Sikh Temple Makindu, Mombasa Road<br/>P.O. Box 43-90138, Makindu, Kenya</div>
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