SSA · Hall of Legends — The Pillars of Sindhu House

1921 — 1947The Founding Fathers

TN

Thakurdas Naraindas

1880 – 1952

Founding Chairman
Sindhi Merchants Association

Founder · 1921

"The man who gathered ten Sindhis and planted the seed of a nation."

In 1921, when Singapore was still a British colonial outpost and the Sindhi merchant community was scattered and vulnerable, Thakurdas Naraindas did something audacious — he called a meeting. Just ten men sat around that table. But from that gathering, he forged the Sindhi Merchants Association, creating the first formal institution that would give Singapore's Sindhis a collective voice, a legal identity, and eventually, a home.

Naraindas served as Chairman for over a decade, steering the Association through economic depressions and the gathering storm of World War II. He established the Association's first constitution, its financial records, and its founding ethos: that the Sindhi community in Singapore must always look after its own.

Founded the Association 1921 First Constitution Drafted 10-Year Chairmanship Sindhi Merchant Network

"A community that does not organise itself will always be at the mercy of others. We Sindhis must stand together — always."

— Thakurdas Naraindas, 1921

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JC

Jethanand Choithram

1895 – 1968

First Property Trustee
Enggor Street Acquisition

Builder · 1938

"He gave the Association its first address — and the community its first anchor."

For seventeen years, the Sindhi Merchants Association existed as an idea without a physical home. Jethanand Choithram changed that. As the principal trustee and financier behind the 1938 acquisition of premises at Enggor Street, he transformed the Association from a gathering of minds into a place — a real, tangible address where Sindhis arriving in Singapore could find shelter, warmth, and community.

The Enggor Street property became the first boarding house for Sindhi travellers in transit — merchants moving between India, Southeast Asia, and beyond. Choithram personally managed the facilities for years, handling bookings, disputes and maintenance with quiet dedication. His gift was not glory — it was practicality, the unglamorous but essential work of keeping a community's doors literally open.

Enggor Street Acquisition 1938 First Boarding House Property Trustee Facilities Management

"Every Sindhi who arrives in Singapore should find an open door. That door must be ours."

— Jethanand Choithram, 1938

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RL

Roopchand Lalchand

1900 – 1971

Welfare Pioneer
Post-Partition Relief Fund

Humanitarian · 1947

"When 1947 shattered the Sindhi world, he became the community's first responder."

The Partition of India in 1947 was a catastrophe for Sindhis. Overnight, their homeland became foreign territory. Hundreds of thousands were displaced. Many made their way to Singapore — confused, traumatised, often penniless. Roopchand Lalchand was the man who stood at the door and said: "Come in."

As Chair of the Association's Emergency Welfare Committee, Lalchand personally organised food, temporary housing and financial assistance for newly arrived Sindhi families. He negotiated the simultaneous acquisition of properties at Neil Road and Oxley Rise to expand SSA's capacity to receive displaced Sindhis. In a moment when many would have been overwhelmed, he was methodical, compassionate and relentless.

Post-Partition Relief Fund Neil Road Acquisition Oxley Rise Acquisition Emergency Welfare Chair

"We did not choose to be refugees. But we can choose how we receive those who are."

— Roopchand Lalchand, 1947

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1948 — 1980The Builders

KH

Kishinchand Hassaram

1918 – 1989

Sindhu House Architect
Mountbatten Road Vision

Visionary · 1960s

"He looked at 795 Mountbatten Road and saw not a building, but a destiny."

Kishinchand Hassaram is the man most directly responsible for what Sindhu House is today. As President of the Association through the transformative 1960s, he led the drive to acquire the Mountbatten Road property — a bold, expensive gamble that required convincing an entire community to pool resources and trust a vision.

Hassaram's genius was architectural in every sense — he didn't just build a structure, he designed a community hub. He oversaw the layout of prayer halls, meeting rooms and communal spaces, insisted on facilities that would serve spiritual, social and commercial needs alike. He understood that Sindhu House had to be more than a clubhouse — it had to feel like home.

Mountbatten Road Acquisition Sindhu House Design Vision Prayer Hall Establishment 1960s Community Fund Drive

"We are not building for ourselves. We are building for the grandchildren of people who haven't been born yet."

— Kishinchand Hassaram, 1965

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MG

Murlidhar Gidwani

1922 – 1995

Education Champion
Sindhi School Founder

Education · 1955

"He understood that a community without education is a community without a future."

Murlidhar Gidwani's greatest fear was not poverty — it was amnesia. He watched with alarm as the children of Sindhi immigrants grew up speaking English and Malay but not Sindhi, absorbed into Singapore's multicultural fabric at the cost of their cultural roots.

His response was the SSA Sindhi Language Programme, which he founded in 1955 and personally taught for fifteen years. He compiled the first Sindhi-English primers adapted for Singapore's Sindhi children. He also established the SSA scholarship fund, which has since supported hundreds of students from the community in their tertiary education.

Sindhi Language Programme 1955 First Sindhi-English Primers SSA Scholarship Fund 15 Years of Teaching

"The child who cannot speak Sindhi has lost half of who they are. My job is to give it back to them."

— Murlidhar Gidwani, 1960

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LA

Lekhraj Advani

1930 – 2003

Cultural Patriarch
Festival & Arts Tradition Founder

Culture · 1970s

"Every Diwali at Sindhu House, every Teejri celebration — he started them all."

Before Lekhraj Advani, SSA events were functional — meetings, welfare distributions, religious observances. After him, they were celebrations. As Cultural Secretary through the 1970s and 80s, he introduced Diwali open houses, Teejri nights, Holi events, and the annual cultural show — turning Sindhu House from an institution into a living, breathing cultural heart.

Advani's belief was simple: a community that doesn't celebrate together doesn't stay together. He personally choreographed the first SSA dance performances, directed amateur theatre, and brought in musicians from India for the Diwali gala. Many of the traditions his successors carry on today were born in his imagination.

Diwali Open House Tradition Teejri Night Celebration Annual Cultural Show SSA Drama & Dance Programme

"You keep a culture alive not in books but in music, in dance, in laughter shared together under one roof."

— Lekhraj Advani, 1972

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1981 — 2010The Modernisers

VK

Vashdev Khialani

1955 – Present

President 2016–2022
Sindhi SEA Games Founder

Sport & Diplomacy

"He took SSA beyond Singapore — and brought the Sindhi world to our doorstep."

Vashdev Khialani transformed SSA's ambitions from local to regional. As President, he championed Singapore's participation in — and hosting of — the Sindhi SEA Games, forging lasting bonds between Sindhi communities across Southeast Asia. His diplomatic instincts and warmth made Singapore a respected voice in the global Sindhi community.

Under his leadership, SSA's membership grew, its financial position strengthened, and its cultural calendar expanded dramatically. He also led the 2007 International Sindhi Sammelan in Singapore — the most ambitious event in SSA's history, bringing hundreds of Sindhis from around the world to Sindhu House.

Sindhi SEA Games Leader International Sammelan 2007 Regional Sindhi Diplomacy Membership Growth Drive

"When Sindhis from five countries come together and play together — that is the greatest thing SSA can do."

— Vashdev Khialani

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DR

Deepak Ramchandani

1950 – 2018

Treasurer 1990–2010
Sindhu House Renovation Fund

Financial Steward

"For twenty years, he was the quiet guardian of every rupee and every roof."

While presidents and cultural secretaries took the stage, Deepak Ramchandani worked in the background — and that background was everything. As Treasurer for two uninterrupted decades, he stewarded SSA's finances through lean years and growth years alike, never once allowing the Association to fall into debt.

His crowning achievement was the Sindhu House Renovation Fund of 1998, which he designed, launched and managed — raising over a million dollars from the community to refurbish Sindhu House top to bottom. The prayer hall, the main hall, the communal areas that members use today all bear the fingerprints of his meticulous planning.

20 Years as Treasurer Renovation Fund 1998 $1M+ Community Fundraising Financial Governance Reform

"A community's strength is not just in its spirit — it is in its balance sheet. Both must be healthy."

— Deepak Ramchandani, 2002

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2011 — TodayThe Stewards

RS

Ravi Sitaldas

1968 – Present

President 2022–Present
Digital Transformation Lead

Present Leadership

"He is writing the next chapter — and ensuring it is worthy of the ones that came before."

Ravi Sitaldas took over SSA's presidency at a moment of transition — a post-pandemic community reconnecting, a generation of elders stepping back, and a younger generation not always sure of their Sindhi identity. His response was not nostalgia but innovation.

Under Sitaldas, SSA launched its digital presence, modernised membership systems, and created new platforms for youth engagement. He initiated the 105th Anniversary planning — a landmark celebration designed to bridge generations. His vision: that Sindhu House in its second century must be as vital and welcoming to a 25-year-old Sindhi-Singaporean as it was to the displaced merchants of 1947.

Digital Transformation Youth Engagement Programme 105th Anniversary Planning Membership Modernisation

"Our founders built Sindhu House for the community of their time. Our job is to rebuild it for the community of the future."

— Ravi Sitaldas, 2024

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MS

Maharaj Deepak H Sharma

Serving Since 1990

Resident Maharaj
Spiritual Custodian of Sindhu House

Spiritual Heart

"He is the spiritual heartbeat of Sindhu House — constant, calm and consecrated."

If Sindhu House has a soul, it lives in Maharaj Deepak H Sharma. For over three decades, he has been the resident Maharaj — conducting prayers, performing rituals, blessing marriages and naming ceremonies, presiding over the passage of life's great moments for thousands of Sindhis in Singapore.

His role extends far beyond religious ceremony. He is counsellor, confidant and community anchor. Families in crisis call him first. New arrivals seek his blessings. The elderly find comfort in his presence. He has never missed a major SSA event, never turned away a family in need, and never asked for recognition — which is precisely why he deserves it most.

35+ Years of Service Thousands of Family Ceremonies Daily Prayer Services Community Counselling

"My place is here. As long as this community needs prayers, I will be here to offer them."

— Maharaj Deepak H Sharma

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Hall of
Legends

1921 — 1947The Founding Fathers

1948 — 1980The Builders

1981 — 2010The Modernisers

2011 — TodayThe Stewards

The Legacy Wall

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