PHOTOGRAPHS RELATED TO SARUP SINGH LANDA AND THE EARLY SIKH COMMUNITY IN MANCHESTER

Mr Sarup Singh is the son of the first high priest of the Sikh Temple, 15 Monton Street, Moss Side, Manchester.

At present he works as a bus driver. His brother, Mukhtiar, became the first Turbanned Sikh to join Manchester Corporation. Despite coming to live in Manchester in 1960, his father Mr Mehr Singh Pardesi was an early migrant who came to Britain in 1949.

The son of the high priest, Mr Sarup, is able to recall early events which took place, mainly due to the explanations his father left. These are further explained through a group photographs taken at 15 and 23 Monton Street, Moss Side, Manchester featuring important guests from both Britain and India.

Before coming to Britain, Sarup lived in Patiala, Punjab with his grandparents, Mr Nanak Singh and Mrs Hukmaday Kaur. But in 1960 he decided to come to Britain with his mother Mrs Swagvanti Kaur. Sarup is one of four children. He was born in Patiala on 7 August 1948; his older brother Mukhtiar was born in Patiala in 1941; younger sister Satnam Kaur was born in Manchester in 1961; younger brother Sudra Singh was born in Manchester in 1964.

Sarup returned to India in 1969 to marry Miss Jaswinder Kaur. He returned to Britain in 1970 and now has four children: Ravindar Singh 14 February 1971; Kulwant Kaur 3 May 1972; Rajwant Kaur 31 December 1976; Paramjit Singh 2 December 1978.