THE Penang Wadda Gurdwara Sahib in Jalan Gurdwara is scheduled to undergo conservation and restoration works by the end of this year.
State Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said the works would take about three years to complete.
“This is a Category One heritage building. Restoration and conservation works need to be done according to the guidelines.
“The building will be restored as it was originally,” Jagdeep told a press conference after the prayer session at the Penang Wadda Gurdwara Sahib today.
The congregation prayed for a successful restoration and the temporary closure of the Darbar Sahib (main prayer hall) of the gurdwara.
Jagdeep said the estimated cost for the restoration works had increased to about RM4.5 million after extra works were needed to conserve and restore the gurdwara. The initial cost was estimated to be RM3 million.
“About RM2.5 million has been collected through donation drive,” Jagdeep said.
He added that the gurdwara was in need of urgent restoration.
“According to the memo from the structural engineering consultant, the cracks on the floor of the main prayer hall suggest that significant structural deterioration has occurred and is structurally unsafe.
“With a heavy heart, I have to announce the temporary closure of the Darbar Sahib site on the upper floor pending the restoration works.
“I will not foresake anyone’s safety,” Jagdeep explained.
The gurdwara president Daljit Singh said the main prayer hall (Darbar Sahib) would be temporarily located at the current dining area (Langgar Hall) of the gurdwara.
“The dining area will be temporarily shifted outdoor, beside the gurdwara building within its premises,” Daljit said.
Jagdeep said the gurdwara committee had applied to the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) for a permit to temporarily shift the dining area to the said location.
The gurdwara Conservation and Restoration Committee chairman Datuk Mahinder Singh Dulku said the decision to temporarily close the Darbar Sahib site on the upper floor of the gurdwara was painful.
“However, the decision is inevitable,” he said.
It was reported that the gurdwara had not undergone any restoration work since it was constructed.
The construction of the gurdwara, then called the ‘Diamond Jubilee Sikh Temple’, started with the laying of the foundation stone on June 3, 1901.
The condition of the gurdwara has deteriorated with visible cracks all over the building, causing grave concerns and anxiety to its community.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi and Christopher Tan