Photographs by Melissa Chia
Located in the corner of Mandurriao,Western Visayas, the Sikh temple of Iloilo -'Nanark Darbur'- is one of the very few non-Catholic/ Christian establishments in the province, and has stood for 50 years. With an incense-infused scent upon entrance, you are introduced to a completely new side of Iloilo- away from the countless churches and Dinagyang festival fever to a little touch of India. Initially, we were greeted by the devotees who were already present for their daily prayers, who instructed us to wear headscarves before entering. We were then directed towards the prayer chamber, where we all sat respectfully before the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book.
While sitting on the floor, Granthi Amrik Singh, the current ceremonial reader of the Guru Granth Sahib at the temple came in wearing
white robes with a black turban and a belt with a small dagger on it. He immediately performed a ritual with the chaur (a type of fan) to show respect to the Guru Granth Sahib- a custom usually performed by devotees. Despite not being able to speak very fluent English,
a devotee who was also present aided us in translating Punjabi into Tagalog, and Granthi greeted us with a warm smile and welcomed us not as strangers but as
friends. He has been the Granthi for five years in Iloilo at this particular Sikh
temple. We were curious to know why and how Sikhism arrived in Iloilo in the
first place, considering the widespread Catholicism in the city. The answer
was simple, however - fifty years ago, a Sikh lady who was quite regular in
attending temples in Manila realised that making a trip all the way was too
troublesome and instead resorted to building a temple in Iloilo to cater for
the rest of the community.
Three-way translations: English, Hindi and Hiligaynon
When asked about the Sikh community itself, Granthi stated that the Sikhs
originally arrived in Western Visayas due to the scarce economic opportunities
and unfavorable living conditions in India but presently 'have assimilated well
into Iloilo culture without any issue'. Although they may not
participate in or attend the Dinagyang festival itself, one thing he was proud
to say on behalf of the community was that they do feel a sense of belonging and do not face any discrimination from the
locals. As one devotee (name witheld) present at our session stated, "My wife is
Filipino and a convert following Sikhism, both our families and friends are
very accepting."
Granthi explained the importance of the Guru Granth Sahib to us
Additionally, the travellers were more curious to find out exactly what they do
in Iloilo - in what area of work they deal with specifically, and it seems that
they are bankers or money lenders. From what we understood, they are economically comfortable in Iloilo. They lend money to
the locals on the basis of a '5-6 method' - this meant that, for instance, if
one borrows 500 pesos today one would pay 600 pesos tomorrow. The devotee said that this is how the Sikh
community put their children through school and is their main source of income.
Granthi explained to us that
in the Sikh temple both women and men pray together, but on two different sides of the prayer room. He went on to show
us pictures of the origin of the religion, depicting the torture and struggles of early Sikhs who were condemned and
burned by Muslim rulers in India. He emphasized that the Sikh
religion respects all other religions, and therefore everyone is welcome to the
temple. After approximately an hour of questions and answers, we were now able
to understand the presence of the Sikh community in Iloilo. Although
the existence of a Sikh temple in Iloilo is very unexpected, it goes to show how accepting the
city is of the many religions.
The obligatory group shot with Granthi Amrik Singh
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Kushmin is currently in her final semester at Monash and is terrified of what is yet to come! Despite worrying about her very scary yet exciting future beyond Monash, she enjoys travelling, coffee runs and the beach! Upon graduation she wishes to pursue the area of International Relations.
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