Makindu Sikh Temple
Sikh Temple Makindu is located about 100 miles (160km) from Nairobi on the main Nairobi to Mombasa Road. It was built in 1926 by the Sikhs who were working on the construction of the railway line from the coast (Mombasa) inland to Lake Victoria and beyond to Uganda. Today, all types of people visit this Gurdwara everyday and it is a 'must-see' Gurdwara for any Sikh travelling to Kenya and East Africa. It provides a peaceful atmosphere where one can meditate and calm ones mind before proceeding to join the "rat-race" again. The Gurdwara complex is very large and has facilities for langar around the clock and living accommodation for travellers.
Set in the forest off the main road, the Makindu Gurdwara is the only convenient rest stop for weary motorists on this busy and long road to and from Mombasa. So the Sikh community of Kenya has done something special by building such a beautiful edifice and campus where anyone of any religion or of no religion can withdraw from the mundane and reflect on the spiritual. This large complex houses a huge dining facility which provides free langar 24 hours a day as determined by their founder Guru, Guru Nanak Dev.
Rooms with beds - several with attached bathrooms - are available for tourists to stay for up to two nights. Everyone in Kenya seems to know of it and most tourists stay to rest and eat. Most are non-Sikhs. There is no charge for this service, but most people donate to the Gurdwara. Apparently it is run by a consortium of the Nairobi Gurdwaras. The aura at Makindu would calm the most tormented mind; one automatically drifts away from the mundane and towards the spiritual and peaceful.
History
Acc. to research of Harpal Singh Kasoor on Gurus travelling Far West and Far East of India, he claims that :
Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibber has given very important reference, when he discusses the dialogue between Satguru Hargobind Sahib and Mata Nanaki Ji. Mata Ji asked Almighty Satguru that instead of son, the grandson has been given Gurgaddi.Almighty Satguru told her it is the arrangement of the elders and not his`` Dharam Kraey Karm Dhuron Phurmaya----`` Holy Page No. 1280 of SGGS.
When the time come, He (Teg Bahadur) would get the Gurgaddi of Satguru Nanak Sahib, and many more things and places will come into existance. Makindu Sahib was declared to the world in 1896, when the Railway Line was laid in Kenya.(ref``Bansawalinama``, by Kesar Singh Chhibber(1785).
In 1790, another historian, Sarup Singh Kaushish, had given another reference, He wrote the family tree of Baba Makhan Shah Lubana. He said----Baba Makhan Shah LubanaS/O Dasa S/O Artha S/O Banna S/O Bhoru S/O Sawana. Dear congregation, who is this Sawana.
According to History of Lubanas, this Sawna is Diwan Sawan Mal.
The third historian, Bhai Rattan Singh Bhangu has given yet another important reference. He talks about ``Desey Wa``.These Desay Wa are the west of India, and some parts of them are in the sea, that is they are islands. These Desay Wa, are no other than Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, which speak Swahili. Wa is the word of Swahili language. Diwan Sawan Mal has three where -houses, one at Lamu, the second one in Malindi and third one in Mariakani. All these were rented. (ref.History of Malindi Museum).
Almighty Satguru Nanak Sahib and Bhai Sahib Mardana Ji visited the place, Makindu in 1519 and stayed a couple of weeks here. In Nakowe near Lamu, Bhai Dasa worthy father of Makhan Shah Lubana presented horses to Satguru Hargobind Sahib and 50 Sikhs, including himself. Satguru and Sikhs visted Witu and stayed there for the night. In the next evening, the reached Malindi on horses. Next morning the whole caravan left for Mariakani. They held the Diwan of Rehras and Sri Asa Di War next morning. After the Diwan of Asa Di War, they reached Voi and then to Kibwezi. Next morning they reached Makindu Sahib and stayed there for two days.They Left for Lamu via Athi River and reached Timau, where a few indian traders were living. The villagers had difficulty of water. They used to collect water from the rain. Satguru Hargobind Sahib blessed them with a spring. About that spring, you can read in details in my article `` Satguru Hargobind Sahib in Timau (Kenya). From Timau, they reached Embu via Meru. They held night diwan at Embu, Garissa and finally at Lamu. They left the horses for the Sangat of Kenya and left Lamu by boat (dhow) to the port of Karachi. They stayed at the Gurdwara Nanak Da Chashma, in Karachi.
Article by Lakhvir Singh, Nairobi
Background
Sikh Temple Makindu was built in 1926, though its roots are believed to have been present way before then. When the Uganda Railway was completed in 1902 at Port Florence (which is now Kisumu, Kenya), Makindu played a prominent role as a service point on the railway's advance from Mombasa. Dozens of artisans and train drivers were Sikhs and the station at Makindu became a place of religious fervour. Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims would gather together in the evenings and sing the praises of God. They did so under a tree, the spot where the current Gurudwara now stands. It is also believed that the Gurudwara was funded by non-Sikhs along with Sikhs.
In the years before 1926, the Gurudwara was a tin-roof little hut where the Sikhs used to pray everyday, and the Guru Guru Granth Sahib was housed there. But when the Railway moved on from Makindu, the service point went into disuse and became unimportant. The Sikhs naturally moved along too, leaving the tiny Gurudwara behind, under the watchful eye of an African servant who would clean the Gurudwara. Sikh devotees who passed along the Gurudwara would leave offerings of money by dropping it through the locked Gurudwara's window.
....article continued after the photo gallery
Photo section
Click on the photo to see them enlarged
Shows the door leading to the main darbar hall (circa 1972) 
Shows the main entrance into the Gurdwara from the Nairobi-Mombasa Road (circa 1972) 
Another photo showing the main entrance into the Gurdwara from the Nairobi-Mombasa Road. (circa 1990's) 
Makindu Gurdwara from the Nairobi-Mombasa Road. (circa 2005) 
One of the domes of Makindu Sahib. (circa 2005) 
The Nishan Sahibs of Makindu Gurdwara. The smaller Nishan Sahib is changed anytime someone wishes to do the sewa. The big Nishan Sahib is changed on Vaisakhi.(circa 2007) 
The big Nishan Sahib at Makindu Sahib. (circa 2007) 
Main Darbar Sahib at Makindu Gurdwara. (circa 2007) 
Main Darbar Sahib at Makindu Gurdwara. (circa 2005) 
Darbar Sahib at Makindu. (circa 2002) 
Main Darbar Sahib as seen thru the arches of the Gurdwara Sahib from atop the entrance roof. (circa 2007) 
Sikhi To The Max at Makindu Sahib. Amazing to see technology in the middle of the African Savannah. (circa 2007) 
Some of the African sewadars at the Gurdwara Sahib. (circa 2007) 
The "shamba" or farm behind the Gurdwara Sahib. Langar is prepared with this fresh produce. Notice the distinct regional red mud in which everything is grown. (circa 2007) 
One of the peacocks that freely roams the Gurdwara Sahib complex. (circa 2007) 
Main Gurdwara Sahib Building (circa 2002) 
Main Gurdwara Sahib Building (circa 2002) 
Smaller Darbar on the ground floor (circa 2002) 
The entrance to the Gurdwara Sahib (circa 2002) 
A view of Makindu Sahib Deaori/Enterance (circa 2002) 
Makindu Sahib Langar Hall. Open to all travlers on the Nairobi-Mombasa Road so long as people pay their respects to SGGS. (circa 2002) 
Nishan Sahib Thru Trees. This Nishan Sahib is changed anytime someone wishes to do the sewa. (circa 2002) 
The big Nishan Sahib at Makindu Sahib (circa 2002) 
Makindu Sahib Nishan Sahibs. The smaller Nishan Sahib is changed anytime someone wishes to do the sewa. The big Nishan Sahib is changed on Vaisakhi. (circa 2002) 
The Apartment style free accomodations built at the Gurdwara for any Sangat members wishing to stay overnight at the Gurdwara. (circa 2002) 
Nishan Sahib at Sunset (circa 2002) 
Architecture of Makindu Sahib (circa 2002) 
A free Hospital at Makindu Sahib for the local people of village (circa 2002) 
The Khanda sign outside the Gurdwara Sahib. This sign has been here since the earliest days of the Gurdwara. (circa 2002) 
The Road to Makindu Sahib. Nairobi-Mombasa Road. (circa 2002) 
Satellite Imaging of Gurdwara Sahib (Google Earth 2007) 
Entrance to the new Gurdwara complex 
Google Earth view of Makindu Gurdwara Sahib. The photo is a bit dated.
History
As the years rolled on and the Railway was complete, many of the Sikhs who had came to Africa to work on it settled in Kenya. Slowly, they began to contemplate the idea of reviving the small Gurudwara in Makindu. Akhand Paaths began to be organised on regular weekends, with families travelling 200 miles or so, in rough murram red-soil earth. There, they would gather and pray, prepare langar and socialise. Over the years, the Gurudwara began to be developed. It was in 1926 that a solid foundation was laid. The Gurudwara then became a fully-functional one - with a langar hall, prayer hall and tiny rooms of accommodation for the gyanis and sevadaars of the Gurudwara. It also began to provide free food and rest for weary travellers who would stop by at the Gurudwara for a night or two on their journeys to and from Nairobi and Mombasa.
Legends have been connected to this magnificent Gurudwara. It has truly been referred to as the 'Harmandir Sahib' of Africa. It is so amazing that even now, as i pen these lines, an electric current runs through me, just thinking about the power of that Gurudwara.
A copy of the Guru Granth Sahib that survived a mysterious fire which burnt down the whole Gurudwara (probably before 1926) is still there today. I was fortunate to obtain the darshan of the Guru Granth Sahib at a Sikh's residence in Mombasa. On it's first page, the then - Granthi of the Gurudwara recorded, in his own handwriting, exactly what had happened that day, and how miraculously, the Guru Granth Sahib was untouched by the tragedy to the Gurudwara.
Miracles?
An African sevadar of the Gurudwara once claimed that he saw, in the night awoken from his sleep, a figure on a white horse. The horseman approached him and spoke to him, telling him not to speak to anyone about the incident of his visit. The startled and shaken man could not believe his eyes and was so scared that he he told the first person he saw the following morning. Asked who the man on the horse was, the African man pointed to a painting of Guru Gobind Singh which was displayed in the Gurudwara and said, 'That was him! He was exactly like the man is there and so was his white horse!'
The news of the man's vision spread through the Sikh community like wild fire and soon people began to come more often to the Gurudwara, regardless of the miles that separated them from it. The incident also prompted the Sant Baba Puran Singh Kerichowale (founder, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha) to lead Gursikhs to gather at the Gurudwara regularly, and serve it by prayer, langar and cleaning. The Gurudwara had been almost forgotten and neglected when Guru Gobind Singh's incident occurred.
That was not the only incident of the darshan of Guru Gobind Singh at Makindu Sahib. People claim to have have heard, in the silent of night, to have heard the approach of horses, just outside the Gurudwara. The sounds were akin to an army, stopping for the night. They claimed that they heard sounds of a kitchen being put in place, like langar was being prepared. Evidently, the incident was believed to be another darshan of the Guru, stopping by the shrine.
In yet another event, an amazing first-time encounter happened with a member of the Istri Sabha during the early years of the Gurudwara. A lady who was reading the Guru Granth Sahib in the night, by the light of a kerosene lamp (there was no electricity there at the time), witnessed in the flickering light a moving shadow which fell across the pages of the Guru Granth Sahib. The figure, she recalled, was of someone doing the 'chaur' over the Sikh Scriptures. The figure was, by description, none other than Guru Gobind Singh.
Most Unique and beautiful
The Gurudwara today is among one of the most unique and beautiful ones outside India. Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike describe the same feeling when they step into the Gurudwara - that of peace. It is an indescribable peace and bliss. An aging European stranger i met at an art exhibition just the other day, began talking to me about the Gurudwara when she saw me wearing a branded jacket of the Gurudwara. 'Oh, I've been there,' she told me, 'a beautiful temple, i must say.' She explained how a decade ago, she had stopped there for the night on her journey from Mombasa back to Nairobi, and said she had never felt so peaceful in her life before. She even felt the presence of someone seated in the passenger seat as she prepared to drive on the following morning. 'I'm not sure who that was, but I am certain there was someone there,' she explained. 'I didn't get scared, though, I took it as a good omen, like someone was keeping a protective watch over me as i embarked on my journey.'
Like this lady, there are thousands of people who stop by the Gurudwara on their journeys along the busy Mombasa Highway. The Gurudwara attracts people of all races and colour - Hindus, Muslims and Christians. They all drive in like it was home. They always find a meal waiting for them and accommodation to take rest in. They feel no discrimination, or even the slightest hesitation that they are walking through a Sikh temple. It's a power there, I believe, that brings them here - a power that sees no differences. All feel the same bliss, as though they are visiting a Sikh Temple, but walking through God's very own garden.
A favoured shrine
As for the Sikhs, it is a favoured Gurudwara. Politics have not touched this Gurudwara. Here, even the Managing Committees have been known to be part of the sangat and sevadaars. Every weekend, there is someone or the other, making their journey to pay their homage to the Gurudwara, or simply to be at one with the Guru. Whole families travel there, unlike witnessed in Nairobi. Sikhs from not only all over Kenya, but from as far as Uganda and Tanzania who make regular trips to this beautiful Gurudwara, built on the common African soil.
It is to be believed by the individual, and there are plenty of testimonies, that whatever one asks for at this Gurudwara, it is granted. Wishes have come true, prayers have been answered, if you come with a clean heart, cloaked in humility. Akhand Paths are regularly done there, and requests come from as far away as Europe and Australia where ex-Kenya Sikhs are now settled, who yet remember the beloved Gurudwara they had to leave behind. Had it been in their power, they surely would have taken it with them!
The setting of this Gurudwara is indeed a wonder. It is set in the wilderness, deep in the wild. Settlement has only recently sprang up around the Gurudwara. It is about 200 kilometers from Nairobi and yet you will find Sikhs gathering at the Gurudwara almost every weekend. Here they spend the whole day, resting, praying and simply witnessing the still air in its extremely well-kept gardens. Right across the road is the new Sikh Hospital - Mata Veera Kaur Hospital - which is a community establishment, serving the locals who have no immediate professional health care for hundreds of miles around.
On my most recent visit there in 2001, I could see the Gurudwara through the thorn bushes at the Railway Station. The sight was one to behold. There, right before you was a white structure, in the midst of all the browns and greens of the wilderness, standing tall, yet humble. The Gurudwara stands like a lotus flower, unbelievably beauty that grows out of the mud of murky waters. The only way to describe the sight when I saw it was 'Bliss in the Bush'.
A note to make here is that there's not a single Sikh family resident in Makindu and yet the Gurudwara continues to flourish, through the goodwill of non-Sikhs, the devotion on it by Sikhs and the abundant blessings of the Guru, who ceaselessly watches over this shrine that was built on a foundation of sincere faith, love and dedication to the WORD of GOD. And yes, do visit this Gurudwara, no matter what part of the world you come from, and you will experience all that we have, and who knows, the Guru awaits you too!
Lakhvir Singh, NAIROBI, KENYA. Read the full article: www.sikhnet.com
Spiritual Safari
.....Among the Gurdwaras in Kenya, the pièce de résistance is the one in Makindu, about two hours drive from Nairobi on the road to Mombasa. It deserves attention for many reasons. When the British colonized Kenya, the railroad was built by Indian workers, primarily Sikh. Makindu was halfway to Mombasa and became a center for railroad workers. A Gurdwara was built at the turn of the century, which later went into disuse and disrepair. In 1926 the site was rediscovered and a permanent place built. It is now more than a Gurdwara.
Set in the forest off the main road, the Makindu Gurdwara is the only rest stop for weary motorists on the road to Mombasa. So the Sikh community of Kenya did something special. They built a beautiful edifice and campus. Attached to it is a huge dining facility which provides free langar 24 hours a day. Rooms with beds - several with attached bathrooms - are available for tourists to stay for up to two nights. Everyone in Kenya seems to know of it and most tourists stop here, often going out of their way, just to soak in the fabled ambience of the site, take a few days rest and enjoy the Gurdwara's wholesome food. Most are non-Sikhs. There is no charge for this service, but people often donate. Apparently it is run by a consortium of the Nairobi Gurdwaras. How I wish the Gurdwaras in New York too could cooperate in a like manner for a common cause. Now the Sikhs at the Makindu Gurdwara are planning to build an adjoining hospital. The atmosperic aura of Makindu would calm the most tormented mind; one automatically drifts away from the mundane and towards the spiritual and peaceful.
At the Makindu Gurdwara another thought came to mind. No matter where you go in this world the Christian Gideon Society has placed a Bible in almost every hotel room room. The Makindu Gurdwara gives its visitors no information on the religion of those who provide this unique facility to rest and recuperate. I am sure visitors would appreciate a small booklet which could present:
- 1) a brief history of the Makindu Gurdwara
- 2) something on the Sikh presence in Africa and their contributions to Kenya
- 3) a brief account of the Sikh religion.
Such a booklet becoming available to all tourists who stop there would surely serve the Sikhs of Kenya.
And why not a similar Phamplet at all Gurdwaras?
While Sikhs might never feel comfortable with placing a free copy of the SGGS in the many thousands of rooms available to tourists and pilgrims around the world in Sikh Gurdwaras, why couldn't such a small phamplet be put together? Currently in many Gurdwaras the method of introducing non-Sikh visitors to the Gurdwaras and Sikh History are the paintings of historic events of Sikhi, in the same manner as was common in Europe in ancient Christian Cathedrals when the religion's followers were largely illiterate. (thoughts added by a sikhiwiki user)
Read the full article by I.J. Singh at: www.sikhreview.org
Contact
- Makindu Sikh Temple, P. O. Box 43, Makindu. Phone: 11
In the News/Other articles
The open temple of Makindu
Published on 22/08/2009 By Dauti Kahura
In the dusty plains of Makindu, a rural outpost along Nairobi-Mombasa highway, stands a landmark that has shaped the history of an otherwise forlorn and obscure settlement.
Located about 170km from Nairobi, Makindu Sikh Temple is a conflation of historical and religious events that date back 100 years.
And it is because of the temple that many know Makindu as a pilgrims’ sojourn.
The temple’s mast, a trademark for all Sikh temples worldwide, stands out from a far. Draped in yellow cloth, the 151ft mast can be spotted by motorists on the highway from a distance.
Makindu Temple is revered by the Sikhs world over. Amristar Golden Temple — the shrine on the border of India and Pakistan — is the holiest.
The temple is half bedecked with pure gold. Just like Amristar, there is a mystical ambience about Makindu Gurdwara (temple in Punjabi). About 10 priests, spotting white kaftans, run the temple. They move in rhythmic motion and maintain a studious silence only broken when they are consulting workers, who are about 60.
The presence of two peacocks parading their majestic feathers adds a mystical denouement to the Gurdwara. It is only in this temple that priests carry kirpan, the Sikh sword. Ideally, the kirpan should be carried by all Sikhs, a people considered to have a warrior heritage.
Mr Man Mohan Singh, 65, is the longest-serving priest at the temple, having arrived there in 1974.
"Makindu holds a special place in the spiritual world of the Sikhs. We believe Guru Gobind Singh Ji resides in Makindu and that is why Sikhs from all over the world come to seek his indulgence, guidance, wisdom and offer prayer requests," says Mohan.
When The Standard on Saturday visited the temple, Mr Boaz Oyoyo, 60, welcomed the team.
Culture fusion
Oyoyo is from Vihiga District and has worked in the temple since 1979. Over time, he acquired the name Black Kalasinga (the black Sikh). He spots a white turban and keeps a greying beard.
"When I first came to work at the temple, all these buildings were not there. We used to eat there (points at a Malindi palm tree) because that is where the kitchen was. Today, the dining hall and the kitchen have capacity for more than 100 people a sitting," he explains.
He speaks Punjabi fluently and can recite Sikh prayers like a master. Yet, it is his mastery of Kikamba and Sikh culture that has set him aside.
"The Kalasingas (Kiswahili for Sikhs) have been good to me. In the many years I have worked with them, we have forged a lasting friendship and a deeper understanding of each other," he says.
Although his long stay in Makindu has made him sort of a celebrity in the area, he still travels to his rural home in Vihiga.
He is currently overseeing the construction of a prayer hall, which will be spruced up by a water fountain. Also under construction are cottages for invalids and old pilgrims. A one-stop lift to ferry the pilgrims to the upper shrine will also be built.
From a makeshift structure that was the temple in the early years of its existence, it now has more than 200 hotel-class rooms that host guests for free.
And one does not have to be an adherent of Sikhism to stay at the temple. From local and foreign tourists to children on a school trip, all are welcome.
"The Sikh encourage travellers to stop by to relax, eat and enjoy the serenity and if they are too tired, they can sleep the night over," says Oyoyo.
The temple can host up to 4,000 people. "When we have such a large number, it is the very old and children who sleep in the rooms. Others sleep in their cars or pitch tent in the compound," he says. Mr Augustino Mwange, the chief chef, has worked at the temple for the past 10 years and has become a Sikh cuisine expert. "There are travellers who stop by at midnight, and when they come to the dining hall, they will always find something hot," says Mwange, who hails from Machakos.
"I’ve been coming here since I was five," says Mr Tony Kosgey, 36.
When The Standard on Saturday met Kosgey, who was on his way to Taita Hills, he was accompanied by his nine-year-old son. "It is a tradition that runs through my family and I want my son also to experience and keep it."
Mr Amin Premji, 52, has also kept the tradition. "The philosophy of Makindu Temple is that all races come together to experience the sanctity of humanity in a holy sanctuary. Over time, that is what I have learnt from my coming here".
The temple runs purely on donations from well-wishers, mostly local businessmen.
Mr Billay Singh Kalsi, 59, travelled from Leicester, UK, to visit the temple. "We came purposely to Kenya to visit the temple," said Kalsi, who was accompanied by wife and daughter.
Yet others come to the temple for thanksgiving after a milestone in their life. For instance, Harjeet Singh Manku is at the temple because his daughter’s wedding has been a success. "When I arrive at Makindu, I experience sublime peace and calmness," he says.
Prominent persons
Mr Vic Tyson, a tourist from Vancouver, Canada, says a visit to Kenya would be incomplete without stopping by the temple.
Across the road, the management has put up a hospital to serve locals. "The hospital charges Sh50 for any treatment, but we have never chased anybody away due to lack of money," says Dr David Kimani, an ophthalmologist at the hospital.
Among personalities who would never miss a chance to pass by the temple was founding President Jomo Kenyatta, says Makindu Temple Committee chairman Mohinder Singh Vohra.
External Links
- The Open Temple of Makindu by DAUTI KAHURA
- codecrafter.net
- sikh-heritage.co.uk
