The Wadda Gurdwara Sahib or Gurudwara Sahib Khalsa Dharmak Jatha on Jalan Gurdwara (@ Brick Kiln Road) is one of the few gurdwaras or Sikh Temple in Penang. A gurdwara, which means "doorway to the guru", is the place of worship of those embracing the Sikh faith, and can be translated as a Sikh temple. Within a gurdwara one can find the Sikh holy book, called the Guru Granth Sahib, and a triangular orange flag, called the Nishan Sahib.
The whitewashed Sheikh Omar Basheer Mausoleum at Jalan Kampung Melayu, Ayer Itam, Penang.
The Wadda Gurdwara in Penang was also called the Diamond Jubilee Sikh Temple, because the land on which it stands was given over to the Sikh community in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. When it was completed in 1899, the gurdwara was the largest in Southeast Asia. Funding for the project came from Sikh members of the Malay States Guides who each donated a month's salary.
Visitors can visit the gurdward to see how prayers, called nitnam, are performed. One has to be up early though, as the prayers are conducted at 4am in the morning.
In recognition of the contribution of the Sikh Community in Penang, Brick Kiln Road - originally named after the brick kilns that stand on the site of today's incinerators - was renamed Jalan Gurdwara.
How to go to the Wadda Gurdwara Sahib
The Wadda Gurdwara Sahib can be approached from the direction of Komtar. From Jalan Magazine, turn left into Jalan Gurdwara, and park along Jalan Gurdwara. The Wadda Gurdwara Sahib is located on the right side of the road.
Exploring the Mosques in Penang
There are several mosques and Muslim heritage structures in Penang worth exploring. Click to view a list of some that have been documented in AsiaExplorers.
Penang Overview
Get to know Penang and explore its many fascinating sights!
Penang Travel Tips
A new website created to provide travel tips to people planning a visit to Penang!
Penang Travel Map
Detail map pointing out all the tourist attractions in Penang!
Thank you, thank you, thank you, for the opportunity to explore the world, to document, to photograph, and to share the information with you. My name is Tim, I'm the writer of this website, and I want to tell you how grateful I am for your visit. This is one of over a dozen websites that I write - you can click my thumbnail photo above to randomly visit any one of them. All my photos are available for commercial printing - find out the photo usage rights here. If you wish to share you photos on this website, upload them to www.panoramio.com and send the URL to me for consideration. And, if you'd like to correspond with me, send your mails to my address as shown below:
About the Author: AsiaExplorers is researched and written by Timothy Tye. We take reasonable care to check and verify the accuracy of the content. However, we disclaim any responsibility for any inconvenience, mishap, injury or death resulting from following the advice provided directly or indirectly by AsiaExplorers and the comments on its pages. All the photographs in AsiaExplorers are available for publication. Please contact AsiaExplorers at the following email address for your enquiries:
