“About 175 years ago, the then Prime Minister of the princely state of Hyderabad asked the third Nizam to request Maharaja Ranjit Singh for help. He anticipated a religious riot and said that only the Sikhs could help them. That’s when about 14,000 Sikhs came all the way from Lahore to Hyderabad on horses. It took them 45 days. While some decided to go back, others continued to live here in different parts of the state, to serve. Some of them also joined the police force, fighting bravely. Looking at the dedication, the Nizam offered the Sikhs 14 cantonments in the then Hyderabad state. The bond between the Nizams and the Sikhs only grew following that. Soon a Gurudwara was also built in Nanded, part of the Hyderabad state, commissioned by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, with the support of the Nizams- this is a story that has been passed on from one generation to another.
That was the time when the Ameerpet Gurudwara, in current Hyderabad, was being constructed. It was much smaller. After school, we would run around and play there. I also remember serving in the Gurudwara. Back then, college and graduation wasn’t really a thing. My father was in the police and my brother took the same path. But I chose to serve the Gurudwara. Since then, I have been associated with this holy place. Every Sunday, we conduct a huge langar which more than 1,500 people from different religions attend. It’s not about which God you worship or what your beliefs are – it’s about humanity and equality. Those are the preachings we believe in and stand by.”

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