Theodorus Singh Teekgur (formerly known as Theodorus Snellen) is a native Dutchman, born and raised in the south of the Netherlands.
Theodorus was born in 1954 and lived through the exiting 60′s, the ‘cultural-feministic-hippie’ revolution in the Netherlands. In 1977 he got a bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering, served a year in the Dutch army and in 1980 he got a bachelor degree in Physics.
After receiving his masters in 1985 in Experimental Nuclear Physics from the Technical University of Eindhoven and he started working in the research department of the national Telecom provider (PTT-KPN-TNO). A job Theodorus held until 2009 when he went into early retirement.
Theodorus was born and raised as a Roman Catholic but like many people in the Netherlands he was not very active in practicing his religion. In the 90′s he lost all interest and stopped visiting church all together. In spring 2009 Theodorus learned about Sikhism through the internet. As he didn’t know anything about it and being the researcher he started exploring Sikh faith . By summer 2009 Theodorus ‘declared’ himself Sikh, which came as a big surprise to himself too as he is not really inclined to spirituality.
Although he thought to become a ‘Cyber- Sikh’ he did meet the local Sikh community in the Netherlands and got involved with ‘Sikhs in Holland’. This is an organisation that works with and for the whole Dutch Sikh community. At first Theodorus did translations (from English to Dutch) of Sikh stories. Later he gave lectures (in Dutch) on Sikhism for Dutch Gurdware visitors and in children visiting from the secondary schools. He also got involved in the Belgium problems with Turbans in schools and helped out there for a couple of years. Theodorus translated the Rehat Maryada, The Sikh Code of Conduct into Dutch (is to be published this year).
At the moment he is translating the Nitnem Gurbani texts into Dutch and help out in the Dutch Sikh community with regard to acceptance of 5 K’s. Theodorus still do lectures on Sikhism in schools and Gurdware and in settings where interested Dutch people gather. He is also working on setting up a ‘national representative organisation’ for the Sikhs in the Netherlands to be able to communicate on a national level with Government and semi-governmental organisation.
The TV report was made in early 2014 by a local (provincial) TV station, Omroep Braban. It is part of a series of remarkable inhabitants of the province of Brabant. In the video you’ll see that Theodorus is trying to live up to the standards for being initiated (taking Amrit).
He was blesses with Amrit in 2014 since then he has changed his name from Theodorus Snellen to Theodorus Singh Teekgur.
~ Source: Sangat Television South