Skip to content

First gurdwara in Surrey 'means everything'

Julia Moore
BBC News, Camberley
BBC/Julia Moore The main prayer room in the Gurdwara in Camberley. White room, plush carpets and arches with white and gold. Featuring men and women sitting and watching musicians and a religious leader dressed in robes with a large white feather.BBC/Julia Moore
The Diwan Hall at the first gurdwara in Surrey
Rena Annobil
BBC News, Camberley

Surrey's first gurdwara has been officially opened in Camberley.

About 1,000 people enjoyed a festival of prayers, music, Punjabi writing classes, food, martial arts displays, talks and the unveiling of a new work of art from Amandeep Singh, the artist known as Inkquisitive, on Saturday.

For two decades, Surrey's Sikhs had taken trains to Southampton or driven an hour into London to mark important events like weddings and funerals.

Fundraiser Deepak Singh Udassi told BBC's Rena Annobil that getting a local place to worship meant "everything".

BBC/Julia Moore Woman with a flowery headscarf and cream dress, standing alongside a man in a black suit with red hankerchief and red turban.BBC/Julia Moore
Fundraiser and organiser Deepak Singh Udassi with BBC South and South East presenter Rena Annobil

The Gura Nanak Gurdwara Camberley charity raised £1.5m to transform an ex-military base in London Road into a place of worship.

Trustee Dr Narinder Kaur Gill said that "an outpouring of love renovated the building" because people gave up their time to work on transforming it.

After the group moved in five months ago, Dr Kaur Gill said everything was done by the community, including designing and making the goldwork and images.

BBC/Julia Moore Women from the Guru Nanak Gurdwara Camberley cooking and serving food to all attendeesBBC/Julia Moore
The community kitchen provided lunch to all attendees at the official opening

As well as a place for worship, the team said they were providing a place for the wider community too.

They will offer food to anyone in need, as well as yoga, sports, martial arts and fitness classes and opportunities to learn Gurmukhi and Punjabi.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.

Related stories