Page 200 - รวมเล่มศาสนาในประเทศไทย ภาคภาษาอังกฤษ

The new masonry row buildings were first constructed Besides Phahurat and Chakphet areas, the Sikhs also
on one side of the road of Phahurat. To their back remained the settled in Ban Moh, Ratchawongse Road and nearby communities.
older traditionally built wooden houses with dried grass roofs and The increasing number of Sikhs in Bangkok led to the founding of
bamboo wickerwork houses. In 1904, when these wooden structures the first religious place on Ban Mo Street in 1912.They rented a
5
close to the new buildings caught fire, a new regulation was made one-room wooden house and furnished it for use as an appropriate
to restrict wooden construction in this area. From then on, new religious site. However, for certain ritual ceremonies, they had to
buildings must built in the modern masonry style, which added to conduct religious practice on their own once a week.
the area’s modern image and made Phahurat become very popular
As the community grew larger, the Sikhs relocated their
as the commercial and community center of Bangkok. The effect is
religious location to a new site by renting a bigger house on the corner
recorded in the book “Nirat Bangkok,” in the chapter on “The Visit
of Phahurat and Chakraphet Roads. Decorations were installed for
to Sampheng Market”, by Nai Butsaya, written during 1912-1921.
the proper religious activities before the Holy Book of the Sri Guru
The poem reflects the prosperity of the businesses and describes the
Granth Sahib was enshrined as the main object of veneration. Daily
crowds of people on the streets of Chakraphet, Phahurat, Saphan Han,
prayers have been held seven days a week since 1913.
Sampheng including the area of Wat Ko (Wat Samphanthawong.) It
recounts various shops displaying merchandise of textiles, imported Due to the highly populated community of the Sikhs
fruits, both Thai and Chinese drugstores, glassware and ceramics, which kept growing, they saw the necessity of finding a permanent
canned food, leather goods and spices, among others. religious site instead of continuing to rent. In 1932, funds were raised
with the purpose of buying land for the construction of their own
Because Phahurat became a successful business
religious temple, called a Gurdwara. The original three-storeyed
center, it further stirred up interest of more Sikhs to open their
structure was named the “Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha.”
business and came to settle in the area. Some examples of early Sikh
However, when Phahurat was badly damaged in an Allied bomb
business registrations are:
attack during World War II, the Sikh temple was partly destroyed
1. The Kia Pa Singh Arma Singh, registered on the such that many activities could no longer be conducted there. They
th
25 of October, 1917 to sell textiles. raised funds to build the new 6-storeyed building on the former site
th under the cooperation of the Sikh community and the Siri Guru Singh
2. The Jah Pa Singh Maketaram, registered on the 16
Sabha. Completed in 1981, it is the center of the Sikhs’ community
of November, 1920 to sell textiles.
in Thailand today.
th
3. The R. S. Balby Singh, registered on the 26 of
The two organizations of Sikhism that are certified by
March, 1926 to sell textiles.
the Department of Religious Affairs are:
Evidence has showed that some Sikh businessmen had
accumulated enough capital to apply for the ownership of land and 1. The Siri Guru Singh Sabha
house originally owned by Thais with the intention to settle there 2. Namdhari Sangat Association of Thailand
permanently. This proved that they had been residing in Thailand
for at least ten years earlier. In compliance with the Thai Property
Ownership Laws pertaining to the selling of land to foreigners en-
acted in the reign of King Mongkut, Rama IV, ownership of land
inside the city wall as well as within an 8-kilometer radius outside
the city wall could not be transferred through sale to foreigners
who had resided in the Kingdom for a period of less than ten years.

5 The Sikhs temple, called a Gurdwara, means the Gate of the Path to the Prophet.

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