You’ll also notice many stores selling religious paraphernalia like statues and pictures of Indian deities. For an Indian traveller— one who is steeped into Bollywood movies, loves desi stuff like paan or mithais, this is the place to be. The intensity of such devotion is in no way any less than that of their counterparts in India. While most Sikhs are based disposable nonwoven isolation gown in Bangkok, there are also some enclaves in Pattaya, Phuket, Hatyai, Ubo, Udorn, Pattani, Chang Mi and Chiang Rai.A retailer outlet displaying sarees on Phahurat roadAround 70 per cent of Sikhs in the country have Thai names and speak the Thai language. The golden-domed Sri Guru Singh Sabha temple is a landmark of Phahurat. These Thai Sikhs were not very fluent in English, and even when they spoke in English they had the same Thai accent.However, when they spoke to others in India, they did speak in Hindi, but with a peculiar Thai accent.
A kirtan in progress in the gurdwara.The writer is a social and cultural activist based in Kolkata and a frequent international traveller. It felt really strange to see a group of Sikh men and women speak in Thai among themselves, and also Hindi with a Thai accent.Younger generations of Sikhs living in Thailand are adopting Thai names along with their existing names for the sake of their national identity. By 1911, many Sikh families had settled in Thailand. For example, a lady by the name Devinder Kaur Rajni would perhaps be called Rachnee. I think one of the reasons for this could be the presence of such a large number of Indians and, of course, the short distance from India.So if you are in Bangkok, do go to Phahurat to soak in the culture of local Sikhs — you can listen to their shabad kirtan and eat at their langar at the gurdwara, where you find local Sikh men and women working with such devotion.If one is looking for fabrics, however, Phahurat is definitely a place not to be missed. Bangkok was the centre of the migrant Sikhs.
And even if one is not too seriously looking for fabrics, it is still a great adventure to visit the Phahurat Fabrics Market.For the average traveller, shopping in Phahurat many not be very exciting. I heard them talk among themselves in Thai, and was quite astonished. In 1913, with the number of Sikhs in Bangkok continuing to rise, a new, larger wooden house was taken on a long-term lease near Phahurat. There are said to be more than 70,000 Sikhs in Thailand, most of whom stay in Bangkok. The area that would become Phahurat was initially an enclave of Vietnamese immigrants who came to Siam during the reign of King Taksin (1768-1782).Even Sikh women have adopted Thai names for the sake of convenience.
This old market is a labyrinth of narrow lanes, barely wide enough for two people to pass each other.Many of today’s Phahurat residents are of South Asian descent.The market has managed to keep its unique identity and character ever since it was founded. Today Bahurada is commonly spelled as Phahurat, or Pahurat. Besides fabrics, Phahurat is also an excellent place for buying accessories, such as bracelets, trinkets and sandals.I once met a group of Thai Sikhs back home in India whose children study in Indian schools.One feels very comfortable in this foreign land. The first task is to actually find it — it seems to be carefully hidden and you need to walk through a couple of other stores to get into it.