Four Sikhs have ended an 11-year wait for the Guru Granth Sahib Ji in Cyprus after taking the faith’s holy scripture to the country.

Bhagwant Singh, of Castle Drive, Redbridge, travelled last week with Kewel Singh, Jas-pall Singh, Suminder Singh, and the Siri Guru Granth Sahib after watching a YouTube video about Cyprus not possessing the sacred text.

After watching the video they decided “Sikhs must not be deprived” of seeing the holy scripture and flew out to the Mediterranean island.

The group were met by hundreds of Sikhs at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus and were escorted by police to a temporary gurdwara, which the community has to rent.

“I feel very proud to have done it,” said Bhagwant. “It was our duty and it seems to be a very noble cause. This is first time we have ever done this as a group.

“We paid for all the tickets ourselves as we did not want them to spend a penny.

“For 11 years they have been pleading for the Sikh world to give them the Siri Guru Granth Sahib and we got it printed and did it all from scratch.

“We were the first group to have done this in Cyprus.”

Just 90 minutes after landing the Siri Guru Granth Sahib was opened for the first time Cypriot Sikh history and the Hukamnama - or order of the day - was read by the priest at the temporary gurdwara.

The group stayed for a week on the island and also celebrated the birthday of the Siri Guru Nanak Dev – the founder of the Sikh religion.

Coaches of Sikhs came from across the country to see the holy scripture.

Bhagwant set up the group to help sustain Sikh history in the UK by putting posters up in temples for younger generations to learn from.

“They seemed to be moving away from history,” he added. “So we print posters detailing Sikh history.

“We see each other regularly after I set up the group three years ago. We are relatives.

“Any spare time we have we spend in temples in east London - we just, like any Sikh would, help out where we can.”