Our Start
Faith, Seva and Community in Peterborough
The story of the Peterborough Bhat Sikh community is one of faith, family, seva and belonging. For more than half a century, generations of Sikh families have worked together to create a place where the community can worship, learn, support one another and preserve its faith and heritage for future generations.
Our Beginnings – Cromwell Road
A major milestone came in 1974, when Gurdwara Baba Budha Sahib Ji was established on Cromwell Road, Peterborough, providing a dedicated place of worship for Peterborough's growing Sikh community.
The premises were modest, but their significance was much greater. Cromwell Road provided the growing Sangat with a spiritual and community home — somewhere families could gather around Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, take part in Kirtan and Langar, practise Seva and pass the teachings and traditions of Sikhi from one generation to the next.
As Sikh families settled, raised their children and established roots in Peterborough, the community continued to grow. The Gurdwara became more than simply a place of worship. It became a place for friendship, education, cultural identity, Seva and collective action.
Growing Alongside Peterborough
The development of our community has been closely connected with the growth and changing character of Peterborough itself.
Over the decades, Sikh families have made an important contribution to the city through business, education, public service, charity and community activity.
At the heart of this has always been a strong belief in Seva — selfless service.
Whether through Langar, volunteering, supporting families or reaching out to the wider community, the values of Sikhi have helped shape the contribution our Sangat has made to Peterborough.
Celebrating 300 Years of the Khalsa
One particularly important chapter in our community's history came in 1999, when Sikhs around the world commemorated the 300th anniversary of the creation of the Khalsa.
The Khalsa was established by Guru Gobind Singh Ji at Vaisakhi in 1699, marking one of the defining moments in Sikh history and establishing principles of courage, equality, service and commitment to faith that continue to shape Sikh identity today.
Here in Peterborough, the anniversary was marked by the local Sikh community, including a procession through the city.
It was a proud and visible celebration of Sikh faith and identity, bringing members of the Sangat together while sharing an important part of Sikh history and heritage with the wider Peterborough community.
Events such as these represent more than the celebration of a significant anniversary. They demonstrate the importance of coming together as a community, passing our traditions to future generations and sharing the values of Sikhi with the city that we call home.
A New Home – Royce Road
After three decades at Cromwell Road, the community had grown considerably and the need for a larger home had become clear.
In 2004, another important chapter began when Gurdwara Baba Budha Sahib Ji moved to its present home at Royce Road, Peterborough.
The move provided a larger space from which the Sangat could continue to develop its religious, educational and community activities.
The transition represented much more than simply a change of building. It reflected what had been achieved by the generations who had established the Sikh community in Peterborough and their determination to create something lasting for those who would follow.
Through the time, skills, resources and Seva of members of the community, a new home was created from which the Sangat could continue to grow.
Inspiring the Next Generation
As our community has grown, so too has the importance of creating opportunities for younger generations to understand and connect with their faith, heritage and identity.
Learning does not only take place through worship. It happens through participation, conversation, friendship and shared experiences.
Over the years, children and young people in Peterborough have been brought together through Sikh education, Kirtan, activities, community events and opportunities to participate in Seva.
These experiences help ensure that Sikhi is not simply something inherited from previous generations, but something young people can understand, experience and make part of their own lives.
More Than a Place of Worship
Today, the role of our community continues to evolve.
Faith remains at its heart, but building a strong community means creating opportunities for people to come together in many different ways.
Through Sikh classes, sport, activities for children and families, wellbeing initiatives, community events and outreach, the Peterborough Bhat Sikh Association aims to provide opportunities for people of all ages to participate, form friendships, develop new skills and support one another.
Our activities reflect the principle that a strong Sikh community should support the spiritual, social, physical and emotional wellbeing of its members.
They also provide opportunities to build connections across generations — bringing together those who helped establish our community with the children and young people who will carry it forward.
Built Through Seva
The buildings, activities and events may have changed over the decades, but one principle continues to connect them all: Seva.
From the families who helped establish a place of worship on Cromwell Road in 1974, to those who helped develop our new home at Royce Road, and the volunteers who continue to support our activities today, our community has been built through people giving their time, knowledge and skills for the benefit of others.
Every generation has contributed another chapter to our story.
Our Story Continues
More than fifty years after the establishment of the Gurdwara on Cromwell Road, Peterborough is home to an established and vibrant Sikh community.
We are proud of the foundations laid by those who came before us, and grateful for the sacrifices, commitment and Seva that made today's community possible.
Our responsibility is now to build upon those foundations.
We want to preserve our faith, heritage and history while continuing to create new opportunities for our community to learn, participate, grow and belong.
We want our children and young people to understand where their community came from, while having a voice in where it goes next.
And we want to continue strengthening our relationship with the wider Peterborough community through openness, service and shared experiences.
Our history has been shaped by generations of people coming together with a common purpose.
Rooted in faith. Built through Seva. Growing together as a community.
