ESTABLISHMENT

Under the British colonial rule, Singapore was a richly diverse society comprising of many Asian diasporic communities settled within their ethnic enclaves. On 13^th March 1921, a group of forward-looking men gathered at the residence of the late Dr. Mangal Chotta Singh and discussed matters pertaining to the cultural and humanitarian needs of North Indian Hindus. With Antyesti being a critical concern, the late Pandit Mangla Prasad Chowbey proposed to establish an Association that assists to perform Vedic funeral rites for unclaimed Hindu bodies, regardless of ethnicity, and seek to contact the family of the deceased. The first constitution was drafted with eleven members present.

The late Mr. Sakaldeo Rai, appointed as Secretary, corresponded with the Straits Settlement’s Colonial Secretariat office. With exceptional teamwork and a high level of peer justice, The North Indian Hindu Funeral Association was officially established on 20^th April 1921.

PIONEER ACTIVITIES

Without delay, the Association communicated with the Office of Principal Civil Medical Officer (Straits Settlement) to procure unclaimed bodies of Hindus from the local hospitals and the lunatic asylum to perform the necessary customary cremation practices. On 25^th June 1922, the Association held its first Annual General Meeting at the Krishna Temple in Waterloo Street. A few alterations were drafted into its Constitution: annual election of an Auditor, withdrawal from the Government Saving Bank only permitted when signed by at least 15 members and smoking strictly prohibited in meeting rooms.

FORMATION OF BHARTIYA BHAWAN

With rising waves of immigration from India and an expanding role of the Association, it was necessary to anchor at a permanent site. Operating from various locations such as the meeting rooms of Waterloo Street’s Krishna Temple, N0. 4 Bras Basah Road (former Bras Basah Convict Jail) and the residences of its members appeared to be inconvenient and confusing.

A Bhartiya Bhawan Fund was set up in 1926 with the intent of purchasing a decent premise at a good locality. The premise will function as a temporary lodging for Indians who transit Singapore, house a rich library in various Indian languages and a spacious lecture hall.

Under the auspices of The North Indian Hindu Front, an organisation that performed crowd-pleasing Hindustani plays such as “Bhakta Ajameel” and “Kalidas” in aid of raising donations for disaster-stricken countries, the momentum for fund collection picked up expeditiously. Besides, many members of this Union were also the founding members and committee members of the Association.

Those who subscribed to the Bhartiya Bhawan Fund, a receipt was issued. Donors had the option to send their donations either to an account with the local International Banking Corporation or to Messrs. Gokulchand Radharam at 159 New Bridge Road, Sepoy Lines. Messrs. Gokulchand Radharam was the initial largest donor with a generous contribution of $501.

On 10^th July 1931, the Association purchases its freehold premise at 47 Cuff Road from Banque de l’ Indochine. The first trustees were Mr. Gokulchand, Mr. Sakaldeo Rai, Mr. Ram Nath Singh and Mr. Mangla Prasad Chowbey.

EARLY STEPS OF LEADING CHANGE

Bhartiya Bhawan’s permanent abode allowed community members to identify with a shared common vision and its objectives, comfortably.  An unwavering desire to strengthen the bond and faith in the community empowered leading members to acquire a plot of land (Lot NO. 45-3, in the District of Rochor in the Government Grant NO. 146) now known as NO. 5 Chander Road on the 13^th of June 1932. This land was managed and administered by Bhartiya Bhawan for the purpose of erecting a Shiv Temple, then. The late Mr. Raghubir Singh and the late Baboo Ram Nath Singh were part the first trustees of this land.

The late Dr. Mangal Chotta Singh (a philanthropist and the founder of Ramakrishna Sangeetha Sabha) steered the Association through the tumultuous period of World War II as its President. Last but not least, the official registration of its new name with the Colonial Secretariat Office in 1947 as “The North Indian Hindu Association” which was designed in 1939.

The North Indian Hindu Association was a “newer version” which had a strong degree of optimism in the moral and social upliftment of Hindus in Singapore. Regular feeding services at various premises such as Ramakrishna Mission, Seletar Tamil Association and at its own premises was a sincere initiative to contribute to the underprivileged of all communities and nationalities, in society.

On 25^th October 1961, the Association was rebranded as “The Singapore North Indian Hindu Association” with the Registry of Societies, Singapore. It strongly advocated the intellectual, social, and moral welfare of its Indian community in a legitimate manner.

The late Mr. Sakaldeo Rai, who was also a member of the Hindu Advisory Board, succeeded in the appeal for a public Holiday on Deepavali and had also prepared a report for the government to recognize the registration of Hindu marriages in accordance with customary Hindu practices.

The Association continued to cultivate the spirit of union and cooperation by strengthening relationships with other Associations (Singapore After Care Association for the rehabilitation of discharged prisoners, Bengali Association Singapore, Singapore Indian Development Association, Singapore Indian Association to name a few), many local Indian organizations (The Hindu Centre Singapore, Sri Ruthra Kaliamman Temple, Sree Aandal Amman Temple, Arya Samaj Singapore, Krishna Our Guide, Ramakrishna Mission, Shree Lakshminarayan Temple to name a few) and international Hindu organizations (The Mauritius Sanatan Dharma Temples Federation, Hindu Dharma Sabha-Thailand, Vishva Hindu Parishad – India). Moreover, it remained closely associated with The Indian High Commission (Singapore) which was one of the largest contributors to the Bhawan’s library repertoire. In 1975, the Association obtained permission from the Hindu Advisory Board for immersion of ashes at sea after cremation to uphold anti-pollution laws.

 THE EVOLUTION OF BHARTIYA BHAWAN

NOW ALSO KNOWN AS Shree Shiv Durga Mandir

1. Sthaphana & Praan Pratishtha of Goddess Durga, Goddess Laxmi, Goddess Saraswati and Lord Ganesha

In February 2011, the consecration ceremony of Goddess Durga, Goddess Laxmi, Goddess Saraswati and Lord Ganesha took place in Bhartiya Bhawan. It was a grand ceremony over a period of 5 days from 4^th February to 8^th February 2011. A renowned priest by the name of Acharya Lalit Mohan Vyas from Bangkok’s Dev Mandir was called alongside with four other priests to carry out the grand prayers. The Murthis of the abovementioned deities were specially designed and crafted in Rajasthan and transported to the Bhawan with extreme caution to avoid any damage.

The Praan Pratishtha ceremony of the deities was an eye-opener for many as it was a first-time experience witnessing such a grand consecration ceremony. During the consecration, many devotees came forward to contribute in whatever ways possible. It is believed that praying to Goddess Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati brings purity to the mind and provides strength. This was an enchanting moment in the history of the Association, and it was known as the Shree Durga Mandir among its patrons.

2. Sthaphana & Praan Pratishtha of Shiv Panchayatan and Lord Hanuman

The consecration ceremony of Shiv Panchayatan and Lord Hanuman took place from 22^nd of June to 27^th of June 2017. Shiv Panchayatan architecture is rare and symbolic as its worship is considered the “Smarta” denomination in Hinduism. The Smarta Sampradaya expresses that Supreme Brahman (Ultimate Reality) can be approached as both Nirgun-Brahman (formless) or Saguna-Brahman (with form). There are very few such architectures with such detail to its geometic arrangement and presently it is the only one in Singpore. The deities comprising of Lord Ganesh, Lord Surya, Lord Vishnu and Goddess Gauri are positioned in a quincunx pattern with the main presiding deity, a Shivling, situated in the centre of the structure. Praying to Shiv Panchayatan reaps all the benefits of eternal bliss and wisdom.

Sankat Mochan Hanuman Ji, the name established by 16^th century Saint – Goswami Tulsidas, is a depiction of Lord Hanuman to relieve one from all troubles.  In Bhartiya Bhawan, the ritual of ‘Sindoor Lepan’ is conducted regularly. The ‘sindoor’ (vermillion) is smeared all over the deity of Lord Hanuman. This ritual takes place daily and is a beautiful ceremony. 

The Murthis were designed and transported from Ujjain. The consecration ceremony of the abovementioned deities garnered a lot of support and contributions by numerous devotees. It is now known as the Shree Shiv Durga Mandir in Bhartiya Bhawan specifically for serving the community at large.