National Sikh Heritage Centre & Holocaust Museum

National Sikh Heritage Centre & Holocaust Museum Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from National Sikh Heritage Centre & Holocaust Museum, Community Museum, Princess Street, Derby.

Welcome to the first National Sikh Museum in the UK.A modern, packed, multi-channel museum with real artefacts that allow the visitor to appreciate the rich and complex heritage of the Sikhs in a story of courage, sacrifice and bloody genocide

While celebrated for their bravery on the front lines, the story of Sikh Prisoners of War remains largely untold. Thousa...
06/05/2026

While celebrated for their bravery on the front lines, the story of Sikh Prisoners of War remains largely untold. Thousands were captured by Axis forces during the World Wars, enduring isolation in camps across Europe and North Africa. Far from home, they faced harsh conditions, yet their resilience and faith remained unbroken.

1 - A photo of a Sikh soldier in a German POW camp, c. 1915.
(Source: Toor Collection)

2 - A profile sketch depicting Sohan Singh, son of a farmer from Harpoke, Panjab. A member of the 58th Vaughan’s Rifles (Frontier Force), Sohan fought in the brutal trenches of the Western Front (1914-1915) including Neuve Chapelle , La Bassee, Givenchy, Aubers Ridge and Loos before his capture. While held at the Wünsdorf Camp near Berlin, his likeness was captured by Hermann Struck, a renowned German Jewish artist who published a book containing 100 different portraits of POWs.
(Source: Archive)

3 - A listing of captive Sikh soldiers who underwent a study into their racial origins by German scientists, c. 1918.
(Source: Archive)

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Rare, unpublished photos of Harmandir Sahib Ji (taken in the 1960s) by the South African architect and photographer, Wim...
24/01/2026

Rare, unpublished photos of Harmandir Sahib Ji (taken in the 1960s) by the South African architect and photographer, Wim Swaan.

The photographs highlight a notably serene atmosphere, capturing the complex during a period of fewer visitors and a slower pace of life. Most significantly, this series documents the Akal Takht Sahib in its original architectural state, prior to its destruction and subsequent reconstruction in 1984.

Part of a collection discovered in the Getty archives.

Source: The Getty Research Institute, Accession no. 96.P.21

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India Ancient and Modern: A Series of Illustrations of the Countries and People of India and Adjacent TerritoriesBy Will...
06/11/2025

India Ancient and Modern: A Series of Illustrations of the Countries and People of India and Adjacent Territories
By William Simpson & Sir John William Kaye

Day & Son, London, 1867

Sold for £51,200 at Bonhams auction, May 2025

Commissioned in the aftermath of the Indian Mutiny (1857), this landmark illustrated volume was based on studies made by William Simpson (1823–1899) during his travels across India with Lord Canning. Simpson produced over 250 detailed watercolours, vividly depicting the landscapes, architecture, and people of the subcontinent, including scenes from Punjab.

Despite his monumental effort, he received no payment after publisher Day & Son went bankrupt, leaving his artworks sold as liquidation stock.

Yesterday we welcomed members of the Sangat from the Sikh Careers event (organised by and ) for a special tour of the ...
03/11/2025

Yesterday we welcomed members of the Sangat from the Sikh Careers event (organised by and ) for a special tour of the museum. It was a wonderful afternoon filled with conversation and connection, exploring stories that celebrate our shared heritage and inspire future generations to achieve.

We welcomed the sangat from (Warrington Gurdwara) to the museum recently. It was inspiring to see everyone engaging wit...
13/10/2025

We welcomed the sangat from (Warrington Gurdwara) to the museum recently. It was inspiring to see everyone engaging with their heritage. Moments like these remind us why we do what we do.

We look forward to welcoming you all again soon.

If any groups would like to book then please fill out the form on our website....... Link in our Bio

‘View through the piazza (marble), with golden lamps leading to the Sikh temple’and‘Golden gate of entrance – near view’...
08/10/2025

‘View through the piazza (marble), with golden lamps leading to the Sikh temple’
and
‘Golden gate of entrance – near view’
Photographs by Felice Beato, c.1858–1860

📍V&A Museum (South Kensington)
Photo 1 & 2: Accession no. 80094
Photo 3: Accession no. 80092

Felice Beato captured Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar from multiple perspectives, showcasing his mastery of early photography. His “near views” reveal extraordinary precision and depth in architectural detail — a remarkable achievement in the 1850s, when such photographic clarity was exceptionally rare.

Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) Handcrafted Scale ModelNational Sikh Museum collection This unique model of Darbar Sahi...
28/09/2025

Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) Handcrafted Scale Model

National Sikh Museum collection

This unique model of Darbar Sahib showcases the exquisite craftsmanship of Sahib Singh, one of the few Sikh model creators. Restored in 2021, it now stands as a central piece in our gallery.

25/09/2025

A recent group of children from Bristol Gurdwara visited the museum, bringing curiosity and enthusiasm as they explored our galleries. Their journey through the exhibits showed how history can spark inspiration in the next generation.

To book a visit please use the link on our website.

A gold-thread-embroidered, velvet-clad leather quiver and bow holder, almost certainly made for Maharaja Ranjit Singh, t...
22/09/2025

A gold-thread-embroidered, velvet-clad leather quiver and bow holder, almost certainly made for Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Lion of the Punjab

Lahore, c.1838

Almost certainly made for Maharaja Ranjit Singh on the occasion of the wedding of Khurak Singh in 1838.

Lord Dalhousie Collection, acquired after 1850.
Dowell Fine Art Galleries, No.18 George Street, Edinburgh, The Dalhousie Collection, 7th-8th December, 1898.

Subsequently acquired by Mr John Baird, Husband of Lord Dalhousie's granddaughter, Lady Susan Ramsay.
Sotheby's, Colstoun, Haddington, East Lothian, 21st-22nd May, 1990, lot 30.

Sold in 2018 at auction for £100,000 to a private collector.

Miniature of Maharajah Ranjit Singh on ivory set in a gold frame as a brooch. Inscribed on the reverse, 'Portrait of Ran...
21/09/2025

Miniature of Maharajah Ranjit Singh on ivory set in a gold frame as a brooch. Inscribed on the reverse, 'Portrait of Ranjit Sing [sic] Presented by him to Honoria Lawrence', 1839 (c)

National Army Museum, Study Collection
NAM. 1960-07-197-2-1

Honoria Lawrence was an Irish-born writer whose husband Henry Montgomery Lawrence was appointed resident in Lahore and wielded significant political power. Honoria was one of the first European women known to have lived in several parts of the Indian subcontinent, including Panjab, Kashmir and Nepal.

Painting of Honoria source: Wikipedia

Miniature portrait of Sardar Chattur (or Chattar) Singh Atariwala, 1845 (c) in watercolour on ivory, by an east india co...
19/09/2025

Miniature portrait of Sardar Chattur (or Chattar) Singh Atariwala, 1845 (c) in watercolour on ivory, by an east india company artist, Lahore, India, 1845 (c)

National Army Museum, Study Collection
NAM. 1961-10-9-7

Sardar Chattur Singh Atariwala, head of an influential family and father of Taj Kaur (betrothed to Maharaja Duleep Singh), became Governor of Peshawar in 1846 and In 1848 he was appointed Governor of the Hazara province. During the Second Anglo-Sikh War (1848) he rebelled against the British. His forces seized Attock Fort on 2 January 1849 before joining Sher Singh at the Battle of Gujarat. Both Chattur Singh and Sher Singh were imprisoned after the battle, released in 1854, and Chattur Singh died in Calcutta in 1858.

Address

Princess Street
Derby
DE238NT

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 3pm
Tuesday 10am - 3pm
Wednesday 10am - 3pm
Thursday 10am - 3pm
Friday 10am - 3pm
Saturday 10am - 3pm
Sunday 10am - 3pm

Telephone

+448456435513

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