I N H U M B L E G R A T I T U D E

AS WE COMMEMORATEAN HISTORIC EVENT,THE SIKHS OF KENYA

EXPRESS THEIRHEARTFELT GRATITUDETO THE REPUBLIC ANDPEOPLES OF KENYA FOR

HELPING MAKE OURSELVESA PART OF

THIS BEAUTIFUL ANDGOD-BLESSED COUNTRY.

WE THANK OUR PRESIDENT,HIS EXCELLENCYMWAI KIBAKI

& PRIME MINISTER,HON. RAILA ODINGA

FOR THEIR SUPPORT TOWARDSTHE PEACEFUL COHESION OFOUR MYRIAD COMMUNITIES

AND FAITHS.

THE SIKHS PRAY FOR THECONTINUED PEACE,

PROSPERITY, UNITY ANDGENERAL WELBEING OF OURLEADERS AND PEOPLES OF

KENYA.

IT IS NOT AN UNCOMMON FOR A LINE TOOPEN UP A COUNTRY, BUT THIS LINELITERALLY CREATED A COUNTRY.

S I R C H A R L E S E L L I O T

06 11

16 21

F O R E W O R D

Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh JiChairman and Spiritual Leader,

GURU NANAK NISHKAM SEWAK JATHA

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

It is an immense pleasure to welcome you all to this celebration of past achievements and theplanting of hopes and visions for beloved Kenya, through a unique collaboration between Sikhs,Kenyans and the Rift Valley Railway authorities.

Sacred Travel for Peace, Prosperity and Unity is a journey ofmany kinds, where a specially prepared train will make amomentous journey from Kisumu to Makindu - to assist in therevival of the railway. It is graced by the presence of a unique,honoured Guru – Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the sacred scripturewhich Sikhs revere since 1708 as a living sovereign, with aloving, interfaith message for all humanity. A magnificentsaroop, or copy of the scripture, is making a return journey aftermany years to Makindu Gurudwara, the most renowned andfirst Sikh gurudwara in East Africa, which was its originalhome on Kenyan soil.

Sikhs have a long history in Kenya and this event promises to bea remarkable chapter in that narrative. During the building ofthe Kenya-Uganda railway from Mombasa to Kampala, many Sikh pioneers worked as skilledlabourers. This journey is an opportunity to remember those Sikhs and to celebrate the myriadcontributions of the community in the development of Kenya for more than a century. It is also anopportunity for modern day Sikhs to contribute in new ways, through prayer and service as the‘Guru’s Court on the train’ makes its journey, with special programmes (akhand paaths, or 48 hourrecitation of the scripture) at the landmark gurudwaras in Kericho and Makindu. As the train stopsat various stations along the way, uncooked groceries will be distributed, trees planted, along withother activities to promote benevolence, community spirit and collaboration, and all the non-materialingredients which are just as vital for Kenya’s regeneration.

The Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha is honoured to play a role in this story because its founder,Sant Baba Puran Singh Ji, was the holy man of Kericho, who became one of the most renowned Sikh‘saints’ of the twentieth century. Baba Ji’s life was one imbued with a deep spirituality which touchedevery single person who came into contact with him, regardless of religion or race. His legacy is thatof industrious work and service to both the Sikh and wider community, inspired by the Sikh ideal ofloving the Creator through loving and serving creation. Whilst GNNSJ continues its work globally,Kenya forever has a special place in our hearts.

We are honoured for you to join us in the celebration of a shared past and paving the way for a sharedfuture. With God’s blessings, may this be a rewarding experience for us all. Please accept myheartiest welcome and thank you for your participation.

In God’s service

Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh

THIS JOURNEY IS ANOPPORTUNITY TO REMEMBER

THOSE SIKHS AND TOCELEBRATE THE MYRIADCONTRIBUTIONS OF THECOMMUNITY IN THE

DEVELOPMENT OF KENYA FORMORE THAN A CENTURY.

H I S T O R I C A L B A C K G R O U N D

LEGEND OF KALASINGHAEvery Sikh of Kenya is a Kalasingha - why does thisparticular appellation have no counterpart anywhere elsein the World? It is due entirely to the impact which anexceptional personality can make - as the result of whichhis own name comes to be allotted to the wholecommunity.

Sardar Kala Singh has the most felicitous introductionto this brief sketch because he also came from the Stateof Patiala. He came to Kenya in 1896 as a lad of sixteen,

but eschewing any type of sedentary work he foundedalong with Mr Munshiram – the firm of MunshiramKalasingh and Company, and became engaged in verywide spread business activities. At the time when roads,trucks and even footpaths were sketchy and scarce KalaSingh penetrated into the most forbidding Masai reserve,and opened it up for modern trade. He led an extremelyadventurous and dangerous life, but neither fear norundue comfort could detract him from his choseninclination. Kala Singh of course was "Kalasingha", to theAfricans and due to his having travelled wider earlier andmore frequently than any of his co-religionist his namehas become attached to all the Sikhs.

IN AN EFFORT TO SECUREPOLITICAL AND

ECONOMIC CONTROL OFTHE LAND, THE BRITISH

PLANNED THECONSTRUCTION OF AN

EXTENSIVE RAIL SYSTEM.

THE MEANS OF TRAVELFOR ALL THESE PEOPLEFROM THE SHORES OFINDIA WAS BY THE USEOF WOODEN DHOWS,PROPELLED BY WIND-

FILLED SAILS.

HALF WAY BETWEENMOMBASA AND KISUMU

WAS THE CITY OFNAIROBI THAT WASFOUNDED AS A RAIL

DEPOT OF THE RAILWAY.

THERE WAS NODEPARTMENT WITHIN THEPIONEERING RAILWAYINDUSTRY WITHOUT

SIKHS.

THE RAILWAY WAS AHUGE LOGISTICALACHIEVEMENT AND

BECAME STRETEGICALLYAND ECONOMICALLYVITAL FOR BOTH KENYA

AND UGANDA.

A G U R U D W A R A F O R A L L

THE ORIGINS OF'GURUDWARA MAKINDU'CAN BE TRACED BACK TOTHE EARLY 1900S, WHENTHE BRITISH BUILT THEKENYA-UGANDA RAILWAY.

THE HIGHWAY RUNSRIGHT IN FRONT OF THEGATE OF THE MAKINDUGURUDWARA, ALLOWINGVISITORS EASY AND

CONVENIENT ACCESS ATALL TIMES.

ONLY THE GURU GRANTHSAHIB REMAINEDUNTOUCHED -

EVERYTHING ELSEAROUND HAD BEENBURNT TO CINDERS.

MAKINDU GURUDWARAIS A MASTERPIECE OFCRAFTSMANSHIP,

LARGELY THANKS TO THESKILLS OF MASTER

CRAFTSMAN HARI SINGHBANSAL (ABOVE).

ONE BACHAN WHICH ICAN VIVIDLY RECALL ISBABA JI’S DESCRIPTIONOF THE SAROOP OF GURUGRANTH SAHIB JI INMAKINDU AS A

‘BAKHSHISH WALASAROOP’ – A VERY

BLESSED COPY OF THESCRIPTURE.

BHAI SAHIB MOHINDER SINGH JI

L I V I N G T H E M E S S A G E O F N A N A K

GNNSJ ENDEAVOURS TOBUILD ON BABA PURANSINGH JI’S LEGACY, OFREVIVING SPIRITUALITYAMONGST SIKHS SETTLEDAROUND THE WORLD ANDWORKING TOWARDS THE

COMMON GOOD.

BHAI SAHIB MOHINDERSINGH WAS CALLED UPONTO FULFIL THIS LIFELONG

VOLUNTARY ROLE,FOLLOWING A FORMER

HIGH PROFILE CAREER ASA CIVIL ENGINEER IN

ZAMBIA.

GNNJ’S WORK IS BASEDON THE CONVICTION THAT

WE CANNOT MEETGLOBAL CHALLENGES,

SUCH AS THEACHIEVEMENT OF THEUNITED NATION’SMILLENNIUM

DEVELOPMENT GOALS.

NSPSI HAS TAKEN DUECOGNIZANCE OF THECOLLECTIVE NEED TO

REALISE THEMILLENNIUM GOALSTHROUGH FORMALTRAINING OF

PROFESSIONALS.

NSPSI HAS ESTABLISHEDA BURSARY FUND TO

ASSIST NEEDY STUDENTS.THE FUND IS SUPPORTED

BY LOCAL ANDINTERNATIONAL WELL-

WISHERS.

GNNSJ WITH ITS NSPSIINITIATIVE, HAS TAKENTHE FIRST STEP TO

ENGAGE INPARTNERSHIPS TO ASSISTTHE LOCAL POPULATIONOF KERICHO DISTRICT INWORKING IN SOME LITTLEMEASURE TOWARDS THEDELIVERY OF THE MDGS.

R O Y A L R A I L T O T H E R O O T S

THIS ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME TRAIN JOURNEYIS A DEFINING MOMENTIN HISTORY AS THEORIGINAL SAROOP OFGURU GRANTH SAHIB JIRETURNS TO MAKINDU

SAHIB.

DAILY DARSHAN OF THEHISTORIC SAROOPS

2 FEB KERICHO - GNNSJ GURUDWARA 1030 HRS3 FEB KISUMU RAILWAY STATION 1230 HRS3 FEB NAKURU RAILWAY STATION 0930 HRS4 FEB NAIROBI RAILWAY STATION 0530 HRS5 FEB MAKINDU RAILWAY STATION 0230 HRS

IN HISTORY, A SPECIAL‘ROYAL COACH’ WOULDMAKE THIS JOURNEY;NOW THE SIKHS OFFER

THEIR SUPREMESOVEREIGN, THE GURUGRANTH SAHIB JI, TO

GRACE IT AND BLESS THEOCCASION.

‘LIVING GURU’ ALSOMEANS THAT THE

SCRIPTURE KEEPS ALIVEA MESSAGE OF TIMELESSWISDOM. WHENEVER THESACRED VERSES ARESUNG, READ ANDRECITED, THEY ARE

CONSIDERED A LIVINGFORCE WHICHNOURISHES ANDTRANSFORMS THEHUMAN SPIRIT

DWAR MEANS DOORWAYOR GATEWAY, SO THE

‘GURU-DWARA’ IS WHERETHE GURU GRANTH SAHIB

RESIDES.

ESSENTIAL TO EVERYGURUDWARA IS THELANGAR, WHERE

VEGETARIAN FOOD ISPREPARED, BLESSED ANDSERVED TO ALL VISITORS,

IRRESPECTIVE OFBACKGROUND.