Priest who was one of the founders of Derby’s first Sikh temple has died, aged 102.
Amarjit Singh Banga helped raise money to establish the Guru Arjan Dev Ji Gurdwara, which opened in Shaftesbury Street in 1969. He was also a devoted family man who had four sons, two daughters, 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
His grandson, Rajdeep Banga, said he became a “prominent figure” in the community during the 1960s by sharing his vast knowledge of Sikhism.
Rajdeep, 18, of Bramble-wick Drive, Heatherton, said: “He taught many how to read our holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and about the incredible history of the Sikhs.
“All of this was initially done from his home at the time, on Molineux Street.
“He then recognised that there was a need for the Sikh people of Derby to have a spiritual centre, where they could learn about their inspirational gurus and listen to the holy prayers of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
“As part of a group of like-minded Sikhs, he set about raising charitable funds and established the first gurdwara in Derby.”
The opening of the temple came nine years after Mr Banga arrived in Derby and 15 years after he moved to England.
He was the oldest of seven siblings who grew up “with very little” in India’s Punjab state.
At the age of 14 he left home in order to learn from a local spiritual leader.
He went on to study at the Damdami Taksal, a 300-year-old Sikh educational organisation which his grandson said was renowned for producing highly-skilled priests.
It was in 1954 that he came to England looking for work.
Rajdeep said: “He had to start from the bottom again and lived in dire conditions for several years while working hard to lay the foundations for the future generations of his family.
“After working in a bakery in Coventry and wool mill in Bradford, he then settled in Derby in 1960, where he worked in a foundry.”
Mr Banga died of heart failure on August 21 and leaves a widow, Chanan, of Sedgemoor Way, Littleover.
On his 100th birthday, vegetarian and teetotaller Mr Banga told the Derby Telegraph that he believed the secret to a long and good life was to live healthily and be positive.
Rajdeep said: “He remained positive and in high spirit throughout his life, as a Sikh always should. And he would always help his family out as much as he could with spiritual matters and anything else that we wanted advice about. He had a lot of love for us.
“He would always state that everything he had ever achieved was all God’s blessing upon him.”
The funeral will be open to the public and held at Bretby Crematorium, in Burton, at 1.30pm on Thursday.
