Lifetime achievement award for Australian Sikh

A Sikh has been given the 2006 lifetime achievement award in volunteering by the New South Wales (NSW) government.

Bawa Singh Jagdev became the first Sikh to receive the prestigious award for volunteering which was handed to him by NSW Speaker John Aquilina at the NSW Parliament recently.

Jagdev who arrived in Australia in 1975 from Kenya was among the first few to set up s Sikh Council of Australia (SCA). The council provides a platform for Sikhs in Australia to liase with government and non-government agencies, according to Indianlink, an ethnic Indian newspaper.

Jagdev defended the kirpan that was threatened by the knife legislation passed by the NSW Government in 1997. He was instrumental in convincing the then NSW premier Bob Carr to amend the legislation to allow an average Sikh to carry the dagger.

The 72-year-old former lecturer at TAFE, an adult education organisation in Australia, said SCA plans to build an old age home shortly. This will be in addition to the already existing two Punjabi language schools.

 

Indian Sikhs Gurudwara Tour, Click www.sikhtourism.com 

 

 

California education board votes to remove Sikh image from texts

SACRAMENTO- The state Board of Education voted Thursday to ask a publisher to remove from a seventh-grade history textbook a picture of a Sikh religious leader that many followers said was offensive and inaccurate. The board agreed to the recommendation from state Department of Education officials and the textbook's publisher, Oxford University Press, to remove the historical portrait of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, from "An Age of Voyages: 1350-1600."

 

The controversial image shows Guru Nanak wearing a crown and with a close-cropped beard. The depiction runs contrary to Sikh faith, which requires observant men to wear a turban and not to shave their facial hair. Guru Nanak also was a man of the people and would not have worn an ornate crown, more than a dozen members of the Sikh faith testified Thursday.

 

The image is taken from a 19th century painting made after Muslims ruled India. The publisher used it because it complies with the company's policy of using only historical images in historical texts, said Tom Adams, director of curriculum for the Department of Education.

 

After Sikhs complained that the picture more closely reflected a Muslim man than a Sikh, Oxford offered to substitute it with an 18th century portrait showing Guru Nanak with a red hat and trimmed beard. But Sikhs said that picture made their founder look like a Hindu.

 

The publisher now wants to scrap the picture entirely from the textbook, which was approved for use in California classrooms in 2005. There are about 250,000 Sikhs in California. Sikh leaders say they want a new, more representative image of Guru Nanak, similar to the ones they place in Sikh temples and in their homes. The publisher has rejected those images as historically inaccurate. No images exist from the founder's lifetime, 1469 to 1538.

For more about Sikhs Gurudwara Tour, Click www.sikhtourism.com 

 

 

Nihangs steal show at Hola Mohalla, Anandpur Sahib

Anandpur Sahib - The last day of the Hola Mohalla was dominated by Nihangs who displayed their martial art skills and later organised a procession here last evening. However, two Nihangs, Balwinder Singh of Dashmesh Tarna Dal, Sangrur, and Major Singh of Guru Nanak Tarna Dal, Batala, were seriously injured when their horses collided.

 

They were admitted to Civil Hospital here. One horse died in the mishap while the other suffered a leg facture.

 

The inflow of pilgrims continued on the last day and over 13 lakh devotees visited the town during the three-day festival.

 

The main attraction of the day was the procession by over 10,000 Nihangs wearing the traditional dresses and huge turbans astride 200 horses and elephants. The march began from Gurdwara Shaheedi Bag and the Nihangs were armed with swords, rifles, "katara" and "barcha". Small children and elderly Nihangs displayed magnificent skills on the streets.
Different groups of Nihangs included the Buddha Dal, Tarna Dal, 96 Krori Nihang Chhavni, Harianbelan Wale and others.

 

As the last day of festival coincided with Holi, the Nihangs also sprayed colours on the pilgrims standing along the roads. The devotees, besides standing all along the road, were also seen on roof tops.

 

Thousands of pilgrims also participated in another procession organised by the SGPC. Jathedar of Akal Takht, Joginder Singh Vedanti, Jathedar of Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, Tarlochan Singh, were among those present.

For Anandpur Sahib & Golden Temple Tour , Click www.sikhtourism.com/goldentemple-delhi.htm 

 

 

Washington company changed its policy to allow Sikh woman head covering

An academic testing company changed its policy to allow head coverings in their facilities after a complaint was filed by a Sikh woman. In October, Jagjit Kaur went to a Pearson VUE testing facility in Austin, Texax, to complete her Oriental Medicine Licensure exam. Upon arrival, a security guard stopped her from entering the facility. He told her to remove her “hat” for her own protection. Kaur told the guard that she was not wearing a “hat,” but rather a mandated religious article of faith, a dastaar (turban) that she could not remove.

Kaur sought help from the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund. SALDEF sent a letter to Pearson VUE’s general counsel’s office informing them of the discriminatory action of the security guard, and recommended necessary steps to remedy this situation quickly.A letter followed to Kaur. The company’s vice president, Anthony Zara, noted: “We take matters such as this very seriously and we regret that you felt humiliated during this incident.”His letter to SALDEF stated: “In response to your letter, Pearson VUE has updated its policy on religious and cultural apparel. Please note that under the revised policy no candidate will be asked to remove any item of religious apparel for inspection.” The policy specifically mentions the Sikh dastaar.

www.sikhtourism.com

Losing Heritage at Hazur Sahib, Darbar Sahib is Next

Despite desperate pleas and worldwide attention, the demolition of historic structures on the premises of Gurdwara Sach Khand Hazur Sahib is continuing. The Ramgarhia Bunga has been destroyed.

Gurmeet Rai, director of the Cultural Resource Conservation Initiative, again demanded the immediate removal of Parvinder Singh as president of the management committee of Hazur Sahib for his failure to protect its heritage. “How can an officer in service of the state justify making management decisions of Hazur Sahib? He has many compulsions for the state,” Rai said at a Punjabi University seminar. Parvinder Singh is an Indian Police Service officer who is also serving as director general of police of Maharashtra state. In December, Rai led a team of conservation architects and urban designers to Nanded, in Maharashtra, to evaluate the demolition plans on the Hazur Sahib grounds. They found the plans to be detrimental to historic buildings as well as the gurdwara.

Meetings with the project’s managers were unsuccessful. Parvinder Singh had invited Rai to meet with him personally, but that never took place.

"The threat to historical heritage has started. The gurdwara and state authorities have begun bulldozing monuments in preparation for visitor housing. …The proposed plan lacks adequate sensitivity to heritage buildings," Rai said. The site is slated for construction of large buildings and open spaces, referred to as a Galiyara, around the inner sanctum.

The Ramgarhia Bunga was built during the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The building accommodated the masons he sent from Punjab to build the inner sanctum of Hazur Sahib. It can only be seen in photographs now. Some structures in close proximity to the inner sanctum of Hazur Sahib were already demolished, and a food storage building, called the Modikhana, was being demolished during her December visit, Rai said. Other heritage structures were crumbling from neglect. The management is holding off on the destruction of parts of the Baradari, where the Guru Granth Sahib and Guru Gobind Singh's weapons were kept during construction, for now, she said.

Rai was speaking at a seminar on Punjab handicrafts organized by Patiala Heritage Society. She also criticized the construction of a 5.35 km elevated road to Darbar Sahib. The Rs.173 crore project will increase traffic chaos around the complex. And the close proximity of vehicles traveling to Darbar Sahib will disturb its sanctity.

Visit Hazur Sahib Gurudwara http://www.sikhtourism.com/hazur-sahib.htm

Sikh NGO helps rebuild Florida church

Sikh NGO helps rebuild Florida church United Sikh, an international non-profit organisation, is helping authorities rebuild a church in Florida that was devastated by a deadly tornado early this month.

The NGO swung into action after it received information that the 31-year-old church at the Lady Lake area was turned into rubble by the tornado, according to the organisation's website.

The 150 miles per hour tornado which hit Florida and adjoining areas on February 2 blew trees, ripped roofs and threw mobile houses off their foundations, leaving thousands without power and killing at least killing 20 people.

Pastor Lary Lynn welcomed and thanked the NGO for the help and said it would take at least one-and-a-half years to rebuild the church.

United Sikh is working with the disaster recovery centres set up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other volunteer organisations in the Lady Lake area.

The team will continue to assess the situation and provide emergency supplies and disaster relief as needed.

United Sikhs was formed in 1999 by a group of Sikhs from the New York metropolitan area.

www.sikhtourism.com

End Of An Golden Era As Nightingale Surinder Kaur Passes Away

The Nightingale of Punjab will sing no more. After playing hide and seek with death for over a month, the legendary Surinder Kaur finally passed away late last night.

According to family sources, Padma Shree awardee Surinder Kaur, who had gone to the US for treatment of multiple ailments, breathed her last at a New Jersey hospital after a prolonged illness.

Surinder Kaur was born in Lahore on November 25, 1929, and she recorded her first song with elder sister Parkash Kaur in 1943. Among her memorable numbers were 'Lathe di chadar', 'Kala Doria', 'Nach lain de ni menu deyor de viah vich' and 'Ik meri akh kashni.'

She is survived by two daughters, including singer Dolly Guleria whose 'Ambarsare de papad' has been a major hit among Punjabi songs in the recent years.

News updated by  http://www.sikhtourism.com

Virsa Sambhal Vishav Sikh Sammelan

A new organization called 'Darbar -e-Khalsa' is in the planning stage. Its purpose would be to guide the Sikh community in creating social, religious, political and economic awareness among Sikhs. This announcement came during the 'Virsa Sambhal Vishav Sikh Sammelan' held at Grain Market, Sirhind, under the patronage of Damadami Taksal and Sant Samaj.

 

Sikh scholars from around the world, under the patronage of the Chairman and President of Sant Samaj, would form the organization. Former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh would coordinate the formation of the organization. The constitution and jurisdiction of the organization would be made available for public contribution till Baisakhi, 2006.

 

During the function, various representatives of the Sant Samaj stressed that all efforts should be made to bring about improvement in social, economical, educational and religious spheres. A call was also given to Sikh leaders to sink their petty differences and to join hands for the cause of Sikhism. During the function, various members of the Sant Samaj read out twenty-one resolutions.

 

For more about Sikhs & Punjab Tour, visit http://www.sikhtourism.com

Classical Revival at Sri Darbar Sahib

The Golden Temple ambience today resonated with Gurbani kirtan performed with ancient and traditional musical instruments for the first time after partition. The tradition of performing kirtan accompanied with tanpura, rabab, swarmandal was revived in the gurdwara.

 

Prof Kartar Singh, Director of the SGPC-run Sangeet Academy at Anandpur Sahib, performed kirtan with the traditional instruments, including two tanpuras, taus, swarmandal and harmonium. He sang four shabads of Guru Nanak Dev and Guru Gobind Singh, including ‘Mitar piare nu’, and of Bhagat Kabir and Bhagat Ramanand in basant raag. He said shabad kirtan and Gurbani had a classical base. However, he rued that we had lost the classical base and by using modern instruments which was against the Rehat Maryada. Due to this, the sangat did not attach with the shabads and Gurbani, he added. He praised the SGPC initiative of reviving the tradition.

 

The students were being trained at Punjabi University and the SGPC-run Sangeet Academy at Anandpur Sahib on traditional instruments.

 

For more about Golden Temple, click http://www.sikhtourism.com

Prince Charles to visit Anandpur Sahib

Punjab might have missed its date with US President George W. Bush but the state is not giving up its efforts to host a celebrity. The prosperous northern state is already looking to host another important international figure - Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne.

 

The future king of Britain has on his agenda a visit to Sri Keshgarh Sahib - popularly known as Gurdwara Anandpur Sahib - 80 km from here. According to senior Punjab police officials, a team of British officials and security personnel was in Punjab recently to work out plans for Charles' visit. The details are likely to be finalised over the next week.

 

Anandpur Sahib is the second most important Sikh religious place after the Golden Temple in Amritsar as it was here that the 'Khalsa' or the Sikh faith was founded on April 13, 1699, when the tenth Sikh guru - Gobind Singh - baptized the first five Sikhs.

 

Charles, who has been involved in activities of Sikhs and Punjabis living in Britain, has indicated that he wanted to visit the shrine. Charles may also stopover at the erstwhile princely city of Patiala. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who hails from the erstwhile princely family of Patiala, may host Charles for dinner and an overnight stay at his new Moti Bagh palace.

 

 
For more about Anandpur Saib, click http://www.sikhtourism.com

Britney turns to Sikh yoga guru

Pop diva Britney Spears was in the news last month for visiting a Hindu temple in Malibu, California to seek blessings for her four-month-old son. Now, there is another Indian dimension to her pursuits - yoga for "sound healing." The Toxic singer has reportedly turned to Singh Khalsa, a Sikh yoga master in Los Angeles, for a course of sound healing before proceeding with her plans for a spectacular career comeback.

 

Online sites tracking Britney say she has been spotted visiting yoga master Singh Khalsa for therapy sessions, based on the kundalini yoga practice. During these sessions, clients are exposed to sound vibrations as they lie on a special couch.

 

Singh Khalsa is associated with 3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy rganisation), founded by the late "Yogi Bhajan," who built up a considerable following in the US over the past three decades.

 

For more inofrmation about Sikhs & Punjab, click http://www.sikhtourism.com

Sri Guru Granth Sahib to be translated into Urdu

The Academy of Guru Granth Studies, USA, will help establish a research section in the Dyal Singh Library here. This was stated by academy president Dr Harbans Lal at a press conference at Lahore.

He said that the holy book of Sikhs would be translated into Urdu while research material would also be donated to the proposed section. The step, he said, was being taken to improve understanding between Muslim and Sikh communities. He was critical of historians who, he said, had committed blunders while reporting the Sikh history.

Denying that Sikh Gurus and Moghul rulers had enmity between them, he recalled that Akbar the Great had donated land for constructing the city of Amritsar whose foundation stone was laid by Hazrat Mian Mir of Lahore.

For more Gurudwara Toursof Punjab at
http://www.sikhtourism.com/punjab-gurudwara.htm

Faridkot Fort: A reminder of Punjab's royal past

Today, they may exist only in name, but the royal families of Punjab, that trace their roots to the mid 16th century, in their magnificent palaces still hold a reflection of the erstwhile grandeur of the past. One such fort is the palace and fort of the 'Barar Sikh Dynasty' at Faridkot. The Faridkot Fort and Palace that stand as a testimony of the Barar Sikh Dynasty, which reached the pinnacle of its glory under Raja Hamid Singh, are known to have been built between 500 and 700 years ago by the Kapuras who trace their lineage back to the Phulkian chiefs of the region around the 13th century.

 

Though several parts of the magnificent fort are today in a state of decay, the palace still houses ancient artefacts that have been collected and preserved that bear witness to the days when Indian royalty lived in opulence and grandeur.

 

Enquire for Punjab Tour at http://www.sikhtourism.com/enquiry.htm 

NANAKSHAHI CALENDAR - Gurpurab dates fixed for all years

Starting in 1999 all religious holidays are being observed according to the new Nanakshahi Calendar. Nanakshahi calendar starts with the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in 1469. The Sikh New Year begins with Chet 1, which in the regular calendar is March 14 and in 1999, it was the year 531 of Nanakshahi calendar. The modification is that now the calendar is based on the solar year instead of the lunar cycle, which means that the dates would not fluctuate from year to year as they did previously. Guru Sahib / Birthdate / Gurgaddi Date / Jyoti Jot Date Guru Nanak Dev Ji / 1 Vaisakh (14 April) / From birth/praksah / 8 Asu (22 Sep) Guru Angad Dev Ji / 5 Vaisakh (18 April) / 4 Asu (18 Sep) / 3 Vaisakh (l6 April) Guru Amar Das Ji / 9 Jeth (23 May) / 3 Vaisakh ( 16 Apr) / 2 Asu (16 Sep) Guru Ram Das Ji / 25 Asu (9 Oct.) / 2 Asu (16 Sep) / 2 Asu (16 Sep) Guru ArjanDev Ji / 19 Vaisakh (2 May) / 2 Asu (16 Sep) / 2 Harh (16 June) Guru HarGobind Ji / 21 Harh (5 July) / 28 Jeth (11 June) / 6 Chet (19 March) Guru Har Rai Ji / 19 Magh (31 Jan.) / 1 Chet (14 March) / 6 Katik (20 Oct) Guru Har Krishan Ji / 8 Sawan (23 July) / 6 Katik (20 Oct) / 3 Vaisakh (16 April) Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji / 5 Vaisakh (18 April) / 3 Vaisakh (16 Apr) / 1 Maghar (24 Nov) Guru Gobind Singh Ji / 23 Poh (5 Jan) / 11 Maghar (24 Nov) / 7 Katik (21 Oct) Guru Granth Sahib Ji / 17 Bhadon (1 Sep) / 6 Katik (20 October) / Everlasting Guru Completion of Granth Sahib Ji : 1 Bhadon (16 August) First Parkash Granth Sahib Ji : 17 Bhadon (1 September) Gurgaddi Guru Granth Sahib Ji : 6 Katik (20 October) Creation of the Khalsa : 1 Vaisakhi (14 April) Hola Mohalla (New Year Day) : l Chet (14 March)

Enquire for Indian Gurudwaras at http://www.sikhtourism.com/enquiry.htm

Sachkhand Gurdwara's 300th anniversary.

The tercentenary (300th) celebration  of Gur-Ta-Gaddi to be celebrated at the Sachkhand Gurudwara at Nanded is of great relevance to the Sikh Community. This involves the remembrance of the 300th year of the consecration of Shri. Guru Govind Singh Maharaj as eternal Guru of Sikh community by Guru Gobind Singhji. The event will also commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Parlok Gaman of Guru Gobind Singhji. The event will be of 8 days duration and will be celebrated in the month of October, 2008. The event will attract estimated pilgrims of 25-30 Lacs from all over the world.

Built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the gurdwara holds as much significance for Sikhs as Amritsar's Golden temple. Nanded's Sachkhand gurdwara holds special significance for the Sikh community as this is the place where Guru Gobind Singh first put forth the Guru ki gaddi or the Granth Sahib as the holy book of worship.

more about Indian Gurudwaras at www.sikhtourism.com/hazur-sahib.htm 

Gurudwara opens near White House, USA

 

The Sikhs of the US capital of Washington opened the National Gurduwara to public this Sunday with the completion of the Akhand Paath or non-stop recitation of the holy Granth Sahib. Situated on Embassy Row, the National Gurdwara sits just next to the American seat of power.

 

The National Gurdwara became fully operational this week, though some parts such as the holy Sikh flag of Nishan Sahib and the central dome of the structure are yet to be completed. Built over a quarter acre of prime land at a cost of $2.5 million, the National Gurdwara serves as both a spiritual and a cultural centre for the Sikhs. It has three and a half stories, at the basement is a parking lot. On the ground floor, there are six rooms. On the first floor is gurdwara. The second floor is spiritual hall and on the third floor lays gallery.

 

When the construction work on the site began six years ago, it made headlines because white residents opposed it.

 

more about Indian Gurudwaras at www.sikhtourism.com