Sikhs in Chile are a religious minority in
Chile. There is no demographic data on the Sikh population living in the country but it is estimated to be less than 1,000.
History
The arrival of Sikhs in Chile largely started in the early 1900s to work on the railway lines to connect to
Bolivia
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, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
. Due to the Anti-Asian immigration policy within North America in the early
20th century
The 20th (twentieth) century began on
January 1, 1901 ( MCMI), and ended on December 31, 2000 ( MM). The 20th century was dominated by significant events that defined the modern era: Spanish flu pandemic, World War I and World War II, nuclear ...
, most Sikhs arrived in Chile before moving onto Argentina.
Yogi Bhajan introduced
Sikhism at a larger scale to Chile in the late 20th century. This was particularly done through
Kundalini yoga
Kundalini yoga () derives from ''kundalini'', defined in tantra as energy that lies within the body, frequently at the navel or the base of the spine. In normative tantric systems kundalini is considered to be dormant until it is activated (a ...
, which was popular in the 1960s.
In 2010, a Chilean documentary was released called "Sikh en Santiago". This was based upon the troubles facing a turbaned Sikh man in Santiago due to his appearance and Sikh faith.
Religious Recognition
In 2016, Sikhism (recognised as Sikh Dharma) was officially legally recognised as a religion in Chile, making it the first to do so in South America. Following recognition, Sikhs will also be allowed to wear the
Kirpan, pursue other religious projects and receive donations.
Gurdwara
There are currently two Gurdwara's in Chile in
Iquique and
Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar (; meaning "Vineyard of the Sea") is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Often referred to as ("The Garden City"), Viña del Mar is located within the Valparaíso Region, and it is Chile's fourth largest city w ...
.
The Gurdwara in
Iquique shares the space with a Hindu temple.
Gurdwara Guru Ram Das Ashram in
Viña del Mar
Viña del Mar (; meaning "Vineyard of the Sea") is a city and commune on central Chile's Pacific coast. Often referred to as ("The Garden City"), Viña del Mar is located within the Valparaíso Region, and it is Chile's fourth largest city w ...
to Agia Akal Singh and Charansev Kaur Khalsa. The Nishaan Sahib was first raised in Chile on October 9, 2019, in commemoration of Guru Ram Das’ birthday
Chilean Sikh Organisations
* Sikh Dharma Chile
* Langar Chile
See also
*
Sikhism in Argentina
Sikhs in Argentina are a religious minority in Argentina and there are estimated to be around 300 Sikhs living in the country.
History
Early 20th Century
Early Immigration
Sikhs in Argentina largely settled in the early 1900s to work on th ...
*
Sikhism in Brazil
*
Sikhism by country
*
Indians in Chile
Indians in Chile form one of the smaller populations of the Indian diaspora. The large majority of them of Sindhi descent. A few Indians went to Chile in the 1920s. Later more Indians migrated there in the 1980s - not only from India, but also ...
*
Sikh diaspora
*
Sikhism in Panama
Sikhism in Panama took its roots when the Panama Canal was started in 1890. Construction of the rail-road link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans began in 1850. With the boom of labour opportunities, immigrants saw Panama as a place of ...
References
{{Sikhism
Sikhism
Religion in Chile