I came to Holland in August 1973 and met the Maharaja in September at his residence along with Sardar Joginder Singh Mann-father of Sardar Simranjit Singh Mann, Sardar Ganga Singh Dhillon and R.S. Gentle. I came to know from him that a certain Sardar Balbir Singh of Delhi was running an Indian restaurant Tandoor in Amsterdam for about two years. He also told me that a Sikh family of Sardar Beant Singh-Tarlochan Singh had been living in Rotterdam for the last ten years.

Our next meeting took place at the Tandoor restaurant where Sardar Bishan Singh Samundari (former Principal of Khalsa College and Vice Chancellor of Guru Nanak University, Amritsar) was also with us. Sardar Balbir Singh told us that there was one Guru Ramdas Ashram run by American Sikhs who also had a restaurant called the Golden Temple. This was the information which I got about the community on my arrival.

I cultivated regular contacts with the Maharaja. He was not very happy to be there as an ambassador to Holland. He would often say that he himself had handed over the Patiala state to the government in order to consolidate India, and that the tall and brave Sikh soldiers of Patiala had died in the Kashmir and Indo-China war fighting in the forefront. He found it difficult to understand why a Sikh was not made an ambassador to USA, Canada or England. Tears often swelled in his eyes while talking about the young soldiers. He was also unhappy over the curtailment of the privy purses. He breathed his last on June 17, 1974 at Wassenaar. His daughter and son-in-law came from England. With his death, a brilliant star of the Sikhs disappeared from the firmament of Holland. 

I established contacts with the American Sikhs in September. About 20-25 Americans, Dutch, Germans and Italians had embraced Sikhism through the inspiration of Sardar Harbhajan Singh Yogi. The ashram was being run under the guidance of Sat Kartar Singh and Kaur of the USA. The direct control of the ashram was in the hands of Yogi Ji. His photographs adorned the walls of almost all the rooms.

Guru Granth Sahib had not yet been ceremoniously installed at that time. Only yoga classes were organized and vegetarian food was served in the Golden Temple restaurant in 2e Rozendwaar straat. I was mightily pleased when they expressed the desire to learn Punjabi. Punjabi classes were arranged on every Wednesday and Sunday. Since they were converts to Sikhism from other religions, they had a sincere urge to learn and therefore started writing and speaking satisfactorily in a few months time. The people of Punjab must know of Sirdarni Satkartar Kaur Khalsa from Holland used to address audience in the Punjab Gurdwara's in chaste Punjabi. This lady was very close to Sirdarni Amarjit Kaur, wife of Shaheed (martyr) Bhai Fauja Singh.

In the beginning of 1974, the weekly congregation in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib started to be held in the spacious hall of the Ashram situated on the first floor. Tarn Taran Kaur, Satkartar Kaur and later Gurjagat Singh, and other Sikh men and women started performing kirtan. Some Indians also started attending these congregations.

The ardas (prayer) and the Song of the Khalsa were rendered in English. Later, Guru Ram Das Ashrams were opened by Tarn Taran Singh and Kaur in Hamburg, Germany, by Satraj Singh and Kaur in Copenhagen, Denmark, and by Guru Hans Singh and Kaur in Paris, France and by Gurdas Singh Khalsa in Spain and Sardara Singh and Kaur in Australia.

Ashrams were also opened in Italy, UK but the center continued to be the Ashram at Amsterdam. We can never forget the contribution of Sat Kartar Kaur and Satkartar Singh, Gurjagat Singh and Gurjiwan Kaur, Tarn Taran Singh and Tarn Taran Kaur, Satraj Singh and Satraj Kaur to Sikhism. Sardar Gurjagat Singh and Sirdarni Gurjiwan Kaur were the Mukh Sewadaar of the Guru Ram Das Amsterdam for over two decades. Siri Guru Ram Das Ashram  since 1971 is located at Den Tex Straat 246, 1017 ZC, in Amsterdam.