Dr. Amarjit Singh Marwah, the renowned “Hollywood dentist,” passed away recently at the age of 99, leaving behind a remarkable legacy that shaped the Indian-American community. A resident of Malibu, Marwah was not only a trusted dentist to Hollywood stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Gregory Peck but also a neighbor to icons like Barbara Streisand and Martin Sheen. As one of the first Indian-Americans to settle in the United States, his impact on both the Indian diaspora and Hollywood was unparalleled.
When Dr. Marwah first arrived in New York in 1950 on a Guggenheim fellowship, the Indian population in America was minuscule. In his own words, there were barely any Indian families on the East Coast, and the West Coast was home to only a handful of families in small California towns. “When I arrived, yoga and transcendental meditation were unknown in America,” he shared. Many Americans, unfamiliar with Sikh culture, affectionately referred to him as “Young Santa Claus” because of his turban and black beard.
A true pioneer, Dr. Marwah was one of the few Indians to meet Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru during his visit to New York in the 1950s. He also played a key role in supporting Dalip Singh Saund’s historic election to the U.S. Congress in 1956, taking two months off from his teaching job to campaign for Saund.
After completing his studies at the University of Illinois and Howard University, Dr. Marwah started his dental career in 1956 while also teaching at the University of Illinois. In 1962, he relocated to Los Angeles, where he became the city’s first Indian-American dentist. His rise to fame as the “Hollywood dentist” led him to purchase a 14-acre Malibu ranch, where he became part of an exclusive neighborhood that included the likes of Barbara Streisand and Martin Sheen. His Malibu ranch, complete with a helipad and stable, became a gathering spot for Hollywood’s elite and prominent figures from India, including Giani Zail Singh and Indira Gandhi.
As his influence grew, Dr. Marwah played a pivotal role in establishing the Indian American Society and the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Foundation in the 1960s. His significant contributions to the community included donating a building to create Los Angeles’ first gurdwara to commemorate Guru Nanak’s 500th birth anniversary. This gurdwara, now known as the Hollywood Sikh Temple, later received an additional $250,000 donation from Dr. Marwah for a new building.
Dr. Marwah’s achievements extended beyond the world of dentistry. In 1974, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley appointed him as a commissioner, where he served for 18 years. As chairman of the Cultural Heritage Commission, he was responsible for designating many iconic city landmarks, including the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, as historically significant.
In recognition of his lifetime of service, the city of Los Angeles honored Dr. Marwah in 2019 by renaming an intersection in his honor, Dr. Amarjit Singh Marwah Square. His philanthropic contributions also reached back to his native Punjab, where he established KK Marwah Girls College in Faridkot in memory of his late wife Kuljit Kaur Marwah, and donated significant funds to Mahindra College in Patiala.
Dr. Marwah’s legacy of service, leadership, and community-building continues to inspire generations of Indian-Americans, ensuring that his impact on both the United States and India remains etched in history.
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