{"id":617,"date":"2023-03-31T07:37:14","date_gmt":"2023-03-31T07:37:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gsy.org.sg\/?page_id=617"},"modified":"2023-04-14T02:11:00","modified_gmt":"2023-04-14T02:11:00","slug":"our-history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gsy.org.sg\/our-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Our History"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
Gurdwara Sahib Yishun was built in Yishun New Town in 1995. Unlike the other Gurdwaras in Singapore, it sits on state land with a 30 year lease commencing from 1992, and now awaiting extension for\u00a0 another 30 years commencing from 2023 onwards.\u00a0<\/p>
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While to many it may appear to be the youngest and newest compared to the 6 other Gurdwaras in Singapore, its history is as old as any of them. Its origins go back to the colonial interwar years, where 3 Gurdwaras\u00a0 existed\u00a0 in Northern Singapore during the British days,\u00a0 and over time got merged into one.\u00a0<\/p>
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The origins of Gurdwara Sahib Yishun can be traced to British policy after the First World War, when Britain became rather concerned over the safety of its numerous territories in Asia, including India, Burma, Malaya and Hong Kong, as well as Australia and New Zealand, all of which Britain wanted to protect from any Japanese threat in the Pacific.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t In 1919 Singapore, which is strategically located in the Strait of Malacca between the Pacific and Indian oceans, was chosen as the site of a major British naval base and an air base close by, both of which were located in Northern Singapore. The construction of the Naval Base in Sembawang began in 1923 and that of the Seletar Air Base in Jalan Kayu area shortly later.\u00a0<\/p> The security of the two bases was initially undertaken by Sikh watchmen (later converted into Policemen) and it was only natural that the first thing that the Sikhs would do was to build their Gurdwaras in these places to meet their spiritual needs, where they could gather to hear the spiritual discourse and sing religious hymns in the praise of Waheguru.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t