Sikhism in New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Sikhs in New Zealand
make up 0.3% of the population.
, and Gujarat. Most Indians settled in Auckland
, Wellington
, or Christchurch
. Indians are often stereotyped as owning convenience stores known as 'Dairy's in New Zealand. Also there are a large number of Indian Restaurants in New Zealand. Since 2003 Diwali
is also now celebrated in New Zealand as a big festival that is held in Auckland City.
With the Sikh community in New Zealand increasing The New Zealand Sikh Society was developed in 1964, and the first New Zealand Sikh Temple was built in Hamilton
in 1977 and another in 1986 in Otahuhu
. With the increasing number of Sikhs in New Zealand an increasing number of gurudwaras are being built.
The number of Indians are increasing rapidly in New Zealand as seen in the 2006 census compared with the 2001 census, over the five years there was a 68.2% increase in the number of Indians in New Zealand.
In the 2006 census there were 9507 Sikhs in New Zealand.
In the 1980s and early 90s, in the absence of a common place like a Gurdwara, regular congregations were conducted at the homes of individual members of the sangat. On the occasion of Vaisakhi every year, a hall would be hired and a large scale programme arranged where Sikhs from Wellington and the neighbouring areas would attend. Gradually an idea was floated to purchase land and building for a Gurdwara when the New Zealand Sikh Society (Wellington) Incorporated was formed in 1992.
Once the Society was formed, it provided impetus towards collecting the funds for the purchase of a Gurdwara building. Initially, a suggestion was also made that all New Zealand Gurdwaras should be under one committee – this was to be the New Zealand Sikh Society set up in Hamilton. This proposal was favoured by Professor Pritam Singh. However, the Wellington sangat agreed to remain autonomous. It was felt that independent integrity was needed so that there is a safeguard from the creeping in of malpractices not aligned with Sikh Rehat Maryada. Sardar Dya Singh (from Adelaide, Australia) also commented during his visit to Wellington that it was a good simple example of managing a Gurdwara that should be emulated. Similar sentiments were also expressed during his visit to Wellington by Sardar Sant Singh Maskeen. During all those years the Society executive has kept the management of Gurdwara separate from mechanical rituals. This has been instrumental towards better understanding of Aad Guru Granth Sahib
ji.
When Narinder Singh came to Wellington in 2000 he made a very good and strong contribution to the Gurdwara and the sangat. He was the first employed Granthi. Meanwhile, the Punjabi Cultural Society also helped the Gurdwara on occasions and assisted with promoting Punjabi culture, language and youth camps.
The New Zealand Sikh Society (Wellington) Incorporated is the first Sikh organisation that started participating in the ANZAC Day programmes in New Zealand to commemorate New Zealanders killed in war and to honour returned servicemen and women.
The landing of troops at Gallipoli is equally important from a Sikh perspective.
s (the Sikh place of worship) in New Zealand. Most recently the Greenhill gurdwara
was opened. .
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
make up 0.3% of the population.
Sikh communities
Indians started arriving in New Zealand at the end of the 19th century, most immigrants arrived from PunjabPunjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
, and Gujarat. Most Indians settled in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, or Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
. Indians are often stereotyped as owning convenience stores known as 'Dairy's in New Zealand. Also there are a large number of Indian Restaurants in New Zealand. Since 2003 Diwali
Diwali
Diwali or DeepavaliThe name of the festival in various regional languages include:, , , , , , , , , , , , , popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October and mid-December for different reasons...
is also now celebrated in New Zealand as a big festival that is held in Auckland City.
With the Sikh community in New Zealand increasing The New Zealand Sikh Society was developed in 1964, and the first New Zealand Sikh Temple was built in Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
in 1977 and another in 1986 in Otahuhu
Otahuhu
Otahuhu is a suburb of Auckland. It is located to the southeast of the city centre, on a narrow isthmus between an arm of the Manukau Harbour to the west and the Tamaki River estuary to the east...
. With the increasing number of Sikhs in New Zealand an increasing number of gurudwaras are being built.
The number of Indians are increasing rapidly in New Zealand as seen in the 2006 census compared with the 2001 census, over the five years there was a 68.2% increase in the number of Indians in New Zealand.
In the 2006 census there were 9507 Sikhs in New Zealand.
Wellington Gurdwara: a historical brief
Sikhs migrating to Wellington have been smaller in numbers when compared historically to other cities and towns of New Zealand. However, their presence in Wellington is quite inspiring. The reason behind this is the unique work environment of Wellington as a capital city with not a large industrial base.In the 1980s and early 90s, in the absence of a common place like a Gurdwara, regular congregations were conducted at the homes of individual members of the sangat. On the occasion of Vaisakhi every year, a hall would be hired and a large scale programme arranged where Sikhs from Wellington and the neighbouring areas would attend. Gradually an idea was floated to purchase land and building for a Gurdwara when the New Zealand Sikh Society (Wellington) Incorporated was formed in 1992.
Once the Society was formed, it provided impetus towards collecting the funds for the purchase of a Gurdwara building. Initially, a suggestion was also made that all New Zealand Gurdwaras should be under one committee – this was to be the New Zealand Sikh Society set up in Hamilton. This proposal was favoured by Professor Pritam Singh. However, the Wellington sangat agreed to remain autonomous. It was felt that independent integrity was needed so that there is a safeguard from the creeping in of malpractices not aligned with Sikh Rehat Maryada. Sardar Dya Singh (from Adelaide, Australia) also commented during his visit to Wellington that it was a good simple example of managing a Gurdwara that should be emulated. Similar sentiments were also expressed during his visit to Wellington by Sardar Sant Singh Maskeen. During all those years the Society executive has kept the management of Gurdwara separate from mechanical rituals. This has been instrumental towards better understanding of Aad Guru Granth Sahib
Guru Granth Sahib
Sri Guru Granth Sahib , or Adi Granth, is the religious text of Sikhism. It is the final and eternal guru of the Sikhs. It is a voluminous text of 1430 angs, compiled and composed during the period of Sikh gurus, from 1469 to 1708...
ji.
When Narinder Singh came to Wellington in 2000 he made a very good and strong contribution to the Gurdwara and the sangat. He was the first employed Granthi. Meanwhile, the Punjabi Cultural Society also helped the Gurdwara on occasions and assisted with promoting Punjabi culture, language and youth camps.
The New Zealand Sikh Society (Wellington) Incorporated is the first Sikh organisation that started participating in the ANZAC Day programmes in New Zealand to commemorate New Zealanders killed in war and to honour returned servicemen and women.
The landing of troops at Gallipoli is equally important from a Sikh perspective.
- During the First World War 1914, there were six Sikh battalions that were a part of the British Army.
- These battalions were 14th Sikhs, 15th Sikhs, 35th Sikhs, 36th Sikhs, 45th Sikhs and 47th Sikhs.
- 14th Sikhs was despatched to Gallipoli to help 2nd Royal Fusiliers who faced a tough resistance from the Turks.
- 14th Sikhs wrote a glorious chapter in this battle when they captured two Turkish Trench lines named as J-11 and J-13. (Two photographs of Sikh troops with captured Turkish troops are available at Alexander Turnbull Library. ref: F 77922-1/2 and F 140147-1/2)
Gurdwaras
There are thirteen gurdwaraGurdwara
A Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
s (the Sikh place of worship) in New Zealand. Most recently the Greenhill gurdwara
Gurdwara
A Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
was opened. .
| Name | Location | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Gurudwara Sri Guru Harkrishan Sahib | New Lynn New Lynn, New Zealand New Lynn is a residential suburb, located in the former Waitakere City, one of the four main urbanised regions that have since become the city of Auckland, in northern New Zealand.The population was 15,510 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 1,446 from 2001.... , Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... |
www.gurudwara.co.nz |
| Sri Guru Nanak Dev Sikh Sangat Gurudwara Sahib Ji | Otahuhu Otahuhu Otahuhu is a suburb of Auckland. It is located to the southeast of the city centre, on a narrow isthmus between an arm of the Manukau Harbour to the west and the Tamaki River estuary to the east... , Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... |
|
| Gurudwara Sri Kalgidhar Sahib | Takanini Takanini Takanini is a suburb of Auckland, and until 2010 is under authority of the Papakura District Council, in northern New Zealand. Located on the shores of the Pahurehure Inlet, it is located at , 28 kilometres southeast of the Auckland CBD.... , Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... |
|
| Shri Guru Singh Sabha | Papatoetoe Papatoetoe Papatoetoe is a suburb in the Auckland conurbation in northern New Zealand. One of the larger suburbs of the area commonly known as South Auckland, it is located to the northwest of central Manukau, and 18 kilometres southeast of Auckland city centre.... , Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... |
|
| Shri Dashmesh Darbar | Papatoetoe Papatoetoe Papatoetoe is a suburb in the Auckland conurbation in northern New Zealand. One of the larger suburbs of the area commonly known as South Auckland, it is located to the northwest of central Manukau, and 18 kilometres southeast of Auckland city centre.... , Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... |
|
| Nanaksar Thath Isher Darbar (Gursikh Temple) | Manurewa Manurewa Manurewa is the southernmost major suburb of Manukau City, one of the four cities that make up the metropolitan area of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located 6km south of the Manukau City Centre, and 26km southeast of the Auckland CBD.... , Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... |
|
| Shri Guru Ravidas Temple | Bombay Hills | |
| Tauranga Gurdwara | Oropi Oropi Oropi is a rural district located in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is located between Greerton on the outskirts of the city of Tauranga and Rotorua... , Tauranga Tauranga Tauranga is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963... , Bay of Plenty Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name... |
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| Bay Of Plenty Gurdwara | Te Puke Te Puke Te Puke is a town located 28 kilometres southeast of Tauranga in the Western Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. It is particularly famous for the cultivation of kiwifruit... , Bay Of Plenty Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name... |
|
| New Zealand Sikh Society | Hastings Hastings Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900.... , Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay is a region of New Zealand. Hawke's Bay is recognised on the world stage for its award-winning wines. The regional council sits in both the cities of Napier and Hastings.-Geography:... |
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| Sikh Temple Palmerston North | Palmerston North Palmerston North Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank... , Manawatu-Wanganui Manawatu-Wanganui Manawatu-Wanganui is a region in the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand, around the cities of Palmerston North and Whanganui. It is administered by the Horizons Regional Council.-Administration:... |
|
| Greenhill Gurdwara | Hamilton Hamilton, New Zealand Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland... , Waikato Waikato The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District... |
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| Wellington Gurdwara | Waitangirua Waitangirua Waitangirua is a suburb of Porirua City approximately 22km north of Wellington in New Zealand.Waitangirua was established during the 1960s, almost exclusively as a Government housing development for New Zealand's burgeoning working class immigrant population... , Porirua Porirua Porirua is a city in the Wellington Region of New Zealand, immediately north of the city of Wellington, with their central business districts 20 km apart. A large proportion of the population commutes to Wellington, so it may be considered a satellite city. It almost completely surrounds... , Wellington Wellington Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range... |
sikhs.wellington.net.nz |
| Nelson Nelson, New Zealand Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island.... |
Notable Sikhs
- Verpal SinghVerpal SinghVerpal Singh heads The Sikh Centre, a not-for-profit organisation engaged in promoting greater interaction between Sikhs and the wider New Zealand community. He also runs a small publishing company specialising in niche areas. He is a writer, with a novel and a book of analytical essays in the...
- a Sikh Scholar - Sukhi TurnerSukhi TurnerDame Sukhinder "Sukhi" Kaur Gill Turner, DNZM was the Mayor of Dunedin, New Zealand, from 1995 until her retirement from the position in 2004. She was notable as the first Green Party mayor in New Zealand...
- a former mayor of Dunedin - Kanwal Singh BakshiKanwal Singh BakshiKanwaljit Singh Bakshi is a New Zealand politician and a member of the National Party. He was elected into the 49th New Zealand Parliament in 2008 by way of the party list.-Member of Parliament:...
- a National Party MP
See also
- Sikh diasporaSikh diasporaThe Sikh diaspora is a relatively recent term used to describe the phenomenon of Punjabi Sikh migration from the traditional area of the Punjab region. Sikhism is an ethnic religion but welcomes converts, the Punjab region being the historic homeland of Sikhism...
- Sikhism by countrySikhism by countrySikhism can be found predominantly in the Punjab region of India but Sikh communities exist on every inhabited continent, with the largest emigrant population being Indian Britons in the United Kingdom...
- Religion in New ZealandReligion in New ZealandReligion in New Zealand is dominated demographically by Christianity, at just over half of the population at the 2006 New Zealand Census although regular church attendance is probably closer to 15%...