Wadda Gurudwara Sahib Jalan Kampung, Kuala Lumpur

This Gurdwara Sahib was first established in 1905 by Sikh cattle and bullock cart owners. The first site of this Gurdwara was in Imbi Road. At a later period, this Gurdwara Sahib was shifted to Cochrane Road. The Gurdwara Sahib building was a single storey structure made of wooden planks with an attap roof, which was later changed to zinc. The Sikh government employees living in Imbi Road, Peel Road and Cochrane Road also used to congregate at to this Gurdwara Sahib. Gradually, the management of this Gurdwara was taken over by the Sikh government staff. It thus later came to be referred to as "Babuah Wala Gurdwara". In 1961, the Government decided to build the Cochrane Road Secondary School on the site of the Gurdwara Sahib premises. An appeal was made to the District Officer Kuala Lumpur to allocate another suitable piece of land to construct the new Gurdwara Sahib building. Finally, a one acre piece of land was allocated in Jalan Kampung Pandan vide Selangor Government Gazette Number 188 / 52 dated 16th December 1961. With the assistance of the first Prime Minister, YTM Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the Social and Welfare Lotteries Board donated RM50,000.00 towards the cost of the new Gurdwara building. Another RM10,000.00 was raised through donations from the Sikh sangat and various other Gurdwaras. The cost of the building was RM48,000.00. Sant Baba Sohan Singh Ji laid the foundation stone of this Gurdwara on 23rd August 1963 (1Bhadron Samvat 2020). On 1st March 1964, the Sikh Holy Book, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, was very respectfully carried from the previous Gurdwara premises to the new Gurdwara Sahib in Jalan Kampung Pandan in a procession. This new Gurdwara Sahib was officially declared open by Sant Baba Sohan Singh Ji on 3' May 1964. The Management Committee comprises of the President, Secretary, Treasurer and their assistants as well as eleven committee members. This Gurdwara Sahib has an Assistant Registrar of Marriages who officiates at the Sikh marriage ceremony when called upon to do so. The actual marriage ceremony is conducted by the Granthi in accordance with Sikh religious rites. Presently there are 80 students who study Gurmukhi once a week on Saturdays. There are about 200 families who participate in the religious activities in this Gurdwara Sahib. The normal weekly prayers are held on Sunday mornings from 7.00a.m. to 9.30a.m. Note : The committee has drawn up plans to build a new Gurdwara Sahib on the present site. The estimated cost of the project is around RM1,500,000.00. Construction of the new Gurdwara Sahib building is expected to commence once sufficient funds are available. Courtesy: Sikh Gurudwaras in Malaysia&Singapore Saran Singh Sidhu AMN,PNM,FRNS