BY most historical accounts, Indians arrived in the Philippines in the late 19th century. But little may be known about the fact that the first group actually came much earlier, when British forces, together with about 600 Indian sepoys (native troops), invaded Manila and defeated Spain in 1762. When the war ended in 1764, the Indian sepoys decided to settle in our islands.

Now decades after, the number of Indians here have grown to over 20,000 (other estimates run up to 30,000). Khalsa Diwan Inc., the largest and oldest Indian organization in the Philippines, has put up a Sikh temple in United Nations Avenue in Manila where hundreds of Indians congregate every week.

A typical Sikh service starts with the singing of Indian classical hymns, while a respected member of the congregation addresses the crowd. It ends with another set of hymns, a final verse, and the distribution of karah prashad, the sacred sweet.

Sikhism asserts an individual’s right to directly commune with God, regardless of status, caste or religion. Its founder, Guru Nanak Dev, fought for an "exploitation-free" society based on equal rights, denouncing fanaticism and intolerance. Sikhs believe that the key to righteous living is the conquest of Ego and its five temptations — lust, attachment, pride, greed, and anger.