A short history of the yathavar Association
Yathavar Association of Singapore was founded in 1940, and registered as a society on 30 March 1953,
When the early settlers came from India and China they had no one to seek help but their own villagers and people of their own clans. This gave rise to them forming associations based on their villages from where they came or based on clans that they belonged to. The Chinese formed clan associations which exist even today. The Indians especially the Tamils formed associations based on the villages they came from and some based on the basis of clans.
The Singapore Yathavar Association is one that is based on clan. Anyone hailing from the Yathavar (shepherds) community and are Singapore citizens or permanent residents can become a member. The term Yathavar is used by the south Indians while the term Yadav is used by the north Indians although both refer to the same clan.
The Singapore Yathavar Association was formed by elders of the clan in the last century with a aim of unifying the Yathavar community in Singapore and providing mutual help to its members. The founding fathers had a vision of building a club house of its own for which they bought a piece of land which was sold to buy its premises at Wong Tat Flat, 412 Serangoon Road, #06-414, Singapore 218124
The Association celebrates the Krishna Jayanthi and Rama Navami at the Perumal and Krishnan Temple. Both these festivals are associated with the clan as their guardian angel is Lord Krishna.
In addition, the association also organises frequent tours and family gathering, for its members and their families while providing a token sum of money when a member loses his/her loved ones.
While the association caters to its members, it is not strictly clannish in any sense as it allows for associate membership and takes part in any activities that are organised by all other national and community based associations.
The Association is proud to donate a sum of Singapore Dollars Ten Thousand only (S$10,000), to the Singapore Indian Education Trust (SIET). It is a mark of the association sharing the true Singaporean spirit of one nation , one people. |