Sikhs are a religious minority in Trinidad and Tobago. There is estimated to be no more than 300 Sikhs living in Trinidad and Tobago, with most residing in Port of Spain.[1]
The first Sikh to arrive in Trinidad was Hem Raj Singh, a former British Army soldier who came as an indentured labourer after the Indian Rebellion of 1857. [2] Later, in the 1860s, more Sikh soldiers arrived in Trinidad and Tobago, and by 1877, they had established the first Sikh Gurdwara in the region, marking it as the first Gurdwara in the Western Hemisphere.[3]
Hem Raj Singh, who became a Sikh leader was soon followed by other Sikh members Bhuta Singh, Sarwan Singh, Lal Singh and Jogie Singh.
In 1880, a Sikh Gurdwara was built on the Orange Grove Estate in the Eastern Main Tunapuna.
In 1883, further Sikhs arrived in Trinidad on the SS Jura ship.
In 2009, Gursharan Kaur visited the Trinidad Gurdwara with her daughter. [4]