Indian government approves helipad near Sikh shrine Hemkund Sahib

The central government has approved 'in principle' the setting up of a helipad near the famous Sikh shrine of Hemkund Sahib located in Uttarakhand, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said.

The move follows a proposal to this effect by the Punjab government to the central government. Badal, who on Friday met Union Minister of State for Forests and wildlife S. Reghupathy in New Delhi, said that the minister had 'in principle' agreed to the setting up of a helipad near the shrine subject to clearances from concerned departments, including the Uttarakhand government.

The holy and historic shrine of Hemkunt Sahib is associated with the 10th Sikh guru, Gobind Singh, and is located in the Garhwal Himalayas near the Hindu shrine of Badrinath. It is said that the guru had worshipped at this shrine for a long time in the 17th century. Thousands of devout Sikhs and others visit the shrine every year. Reaching it means an arduous trek of over 19 km from Gobind Ghat through forests and glades, including the famous valley of flowers. The shrine route is open to the public only for a few months in the summers.

The setting up of a helipad will ensure that those who can afford the helicopter trip will be able to visit the shrine without undertaking the trek.

Badal has also sought the central government's permission for setting up an expansive and well-equipped concrete edifice to accommodate thousands of devotees who visit the shrine every year.

The Punjab government has also sought permission to reinforce the main structure of the shrine saying that the present one is unstable given the number of devotees coming there.

"The pilgrims undertake a lot of hardship to reach the shrine. It is the duty of the Punjab government to provide them with facilities there," Badal said.

The forest minister assured Badal that he would get the entire proposal examined by the Ministry of Environment and Forests for the development of infrastructure and facilities for pilgrims around the holy shrine.

Sikh tourism can help Pak earn 500 mln dlrs

By promoting Sikh tourism and allowing Sikh tourists to land directly at the Lahore Airport, Pakistan can earn up to 500 million dollars per year, a visiting editor of a local paper in Amritsar, India, said in Lahore.

He said that around 20,000 Sikh pilgrims visited Pakistan each year to participate in four major religious events, but if Sikh tourism was promoted, the number could reach up to five lakh.

He said that if the Lahore Airport were opened for Sikhs, about half a million Sikhs would visit Pakistan every year. The Pakistan government was considering increasing the number of Sikh events in a year from four to nine, Brar said and added that the decision would enable thousands of Sikhs to visit Pakistan every month.

Baljit Singh Brar, the editor of daily 'Aj Di Awaaz' and monthly 'Punjab Times', is in Pakistan to visit Sikh religious sites, reported the Daily Times.

The Lahore Airport was better compared to the Amritsar Airport, Brar said and added that it would be beneficial to Sikh traders, who otherwise had to land at Delhi airport, which was quite a distance from Amritsar.

The Indo-Pak visa treaty, which restricts the issuance of tourist visas for travel between the countries, should be amended, he said an added that tourist visas should be given to applicants on a war footing basis in order to promote Sikh tourism in Pakistan.

Ishnaan Therapy (Cold Shower)

"Go for it! When the cold water hits the surface of your skin (which has four layers) all the blood from way deep inside your body rushes to the surface in self-defense, vastly improving your circulation on the spot. This is called Hydrotherapy. It strengthens your entire nervous system. People pay huge sums of money for what is now called "Hydrothermal therapy" when in reality all you need is cold water!

But first, before you get wet, massage your body all over with a little oil. Oil is more easily absorbed by the skin when it is mixed with water--and you won't be greasy afterwards. Almond oil is highly recommended since the almond contains so many minerals, and it nourishes the body through the pores of the skin.

Go in and out of the water four times, constantly massaging your body until the water no longer feels cold. Be sure not to miss the area under your arms, which is where the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems meet. You can even stand on one foot and massage the top of it with the other foot. Women, be sure to massage your breasts."

Above Information From the Book:The Flow of Eternal Power by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa

Your first victory of the day! You will probably become very holy the moment the cold water hits your body, because it is likely you will shout, "Oh my God!" You might try exclaiming "Wahe Guru" ("Wow, God is Great!") or "Ang Sang Wahe Guru" ("God lives in every limb of my being.") Remembering God is always a blessing.

Dry off briskly with a rough towel till the body really shines; put on loose, comfortable exercise clothing, and you're ready to do your sadhana, your personal daily spiritual practice. God bless you, you're bound to have a wonderful day!

Exceptions for women: Don't take cold showers during your monthly period and No cold showers after the seventh month of pregnancy; take lukewarm, body temperature showers instead.

The Flow of Eternal Power by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa "When we do ice-cold water massage, not only do we open up the capillaries, but when they return to normal, that blood goes back to the organs."

Sikhtourism news

Guru Granth Sahib Ji to be translated into 13 languages

The Guru Granth Sahib Seva Mission has taken it upon itself to translate Guru Granth Sahib into 13 prominent Indian languages so that people across the country can follow the path shown by the Gurus. The translation and publication of the granth is being undertaken so that the translated versions are ready for publication and distribution on the eve of the of 300 years of installation of the holy book as the Guru of the Sikhs in 2008.

Mr Gurinderpal Singh Dhanaula, chief sevadar of the mission, said many people from other parts of the country had urged them to undertake this exercise as the reach of the granth was universal and they were facing problems in reading the holy book. He said they were encouraged when the granth was successfully translated into Urdu by Baba Ravinderpal Singh of Talwandi Sabo. They then decided that they would approach prominent regional scholars to get the granth translated into 13 prominent languages.

Mr Dhanaula said the granth would be initially translated into Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Oriya, Tamil, Telugu, Sindhi, Malayalam and Sanskrit. The next phase would be to get it translated into major foreign languages, he added. Work on the Oriya and Tamil versions was underway and was being done by Dr N.C. Panda of the Sambhalpur University and Kannan R. of the Madurai University, respectively.

Mr Dhanaula said initially they would get 5000 copies each of the granth printed in Urdu and Hindi while 1,000 copies each would be available in rest of the regional languages. Besides, they would also get 5 lakh copies of Japji Sahib published in Urdu and Hindi while 1 lakh each would be available for the people in other regional languages.

Commenting on the financial implications of such a massive project, he said offers were pouring in from various religious and social organisations across the country and abroad.

sikh Toursim News

Single Punjab Train Sachkhand Express to Gurudwara Hazur Sahib totally booked.

Sikh Tourism has received so many complaints from people from different parts of the India especially North India that there is just one Train from Punjab/Delhi for Hazur Sahib and is totally booked for next 60 to 90 days. There is not even a single seat available in II AC & III AC compartments. People whose relatives and friends have come from abroad are not being able to go to Hazur Sahib due to this.

As there is just one Aurangabad Airport near Nanded, which is also around 240 km away and is not feasible at all to travel to Nanded, people are seeking alternate routes with multi train change to reach Nanded.

Could we request Railway authorities and Hazur Sahib Gurudwara Prabandak Committee to look into this matter and start some temporary trains from Punjab/Delhi to Nanded so that more people could easily go to Hazur Sahib, Nanded ?

Private tech colleges in Punjab to reserve 10 percent seats for rural students

Association of Punjab State Technical Private Institutions Tuesday agreed in principle to reserve 10% of seats in their respective institutions free of cost exclusively for the rural students with first division or above from the academic session 2008-09. These institutions would impart absolute free education including the facilities of free boarding, lodging and transportation to the eligible beneficiaries.

Expressing grave concern to provide free education to the students with rural background who were deprived of the facility of basic education from the day one due to extreme poverty, Punjab CM called upon management of the private engineering colleges to come forward for this noble cause. CM also asked her to work out modalities for few Government Senior Secondary schools in the vicinity of these private engineering and technical colleges to run 10+2 classes by the management of these institutions as these were well equipped with qualified staff and infrastructure as a 'pilot project'. He said this step would certainly improve the quality of students to be admitted in these engineering colleges and the schools would act as a nursery for these institutions.

Punjab CM also emphasized the need to start evening classes in the institutions for short term courses in skill development free of cost for the benefit of rural students. He also asked the management of these institutions to start more engineering colleges especially at the block level within a radius of 25 to 30 K.M to cater to the need of technical education.

Comments : Step taken by these Private Collges is welcome and we hope that even government will also frame some policies where instead of caste/creed based reservations, reservation & help will be granted to rural and economically weak children.

Amritsar Gets Tourism Police

Amritsar seeks to safeguard the interests of tourists who fall victim to crooks and cons. AMRITSAR – One of the most popular tourist cities in Punjab his hoping a 30-person special police squad will help protect its 100,000 daily visitors. Tourists have often fallen victims to cheats and touts and ended up losing their belongings and valuables, said Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal as he announced the formation of the Amritsar Tourism Police by the city’s district police department.

The tourism police will be stationed around-the-clock at Darbar Sahib, the airport, the railway station, bus stands and the Attari border.

"Special training has been imparted to these officers in tourism management,” said Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh, Amritsar’s senior superintendent of police, who will personally supervise the 30-member squad led by Inspector Ramnish Kumar.

“The main objective of the Amritsar Tourism Police will be to prevent harassment of tourists by touts, help in getting transport and lodging at appropriate rates and help avoid hassles at the railway station, airport, bus terminals and other important tourist locations."

At a joint news conference Thursday, the Punjab chief minister lauded the effort of the local police in protecting the city’s burgeoning tourist population.

"Amritsar is emerging as a sikh tourism hub, one of the most visited places in the world with about one lakh (100,000) visitors who come here every day,” Parkash Singh said. “They include a large number of devotees from other sates in India as well as from the foreign countries.”

It is not known whether tourists in need will be able to recognize a tourism-police officer from a regular officer.

See Punjab and Gurudwaras through www.sikhtourism.com

Even though officially there is a Tourism department under Punjab Government but there is nobody to answer your enquiry about any place, gurudwara or tour. In this regard, there is a private travel website www.sikhtourism.com launched by one web professional Parvinder Singh. Sikhtourism website offers all the tours on Sikh Pilgrimage, Gurudwara Yatra and Punjab Tours. Even though, Parvinder Singh is also wokring for money, still he offers all the information, tour details, train & flight timings and other required details without expecting the business.For more information on this website, see at www.sikhtourism.com

Punjab never presented itself as a tourist destination

The Punjab government has joined hands with United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to promote tourism in the state. The 10 member team, having know-how in human resources, environment, marketing, infrastructure planning, business consultant is being led by UNWTO leader, Richard Batchelor. Batchelor is busy preparing a master plan to build the brand image of Punjab as tourist destination since last February. He has worked in West Bengal and Orissa to tourism the states’ tourism. Batchelor, who has 27 years of experience in the tourism sector, told how Punjab could become an attraction for the international tourists .

“The tourism ministry has never presented Punjab as a tourist destination. No wonder, there are hardly tourist information centres. Moreover, there is a dire need of having tour guides. Public-private partnership (PPP) can play a big role in improving the infrastructure. Besides pumping in the money, there is need for proper marketing the state”, he added.

Richard said Punjab should be presented as a religio-heritage and farm tourism destination. According to him, heritage towns like Patiala, Kapurthala, Bathinda, Sultanpur Lodhi, Anandpur Sahib, Fatehgarh Sahib, Kiratpur Sahib with magnificent architectural value, rich heritage and fascinating history had ‘amazing’ but unexploited tourism potential.

Even though officially there is a Tourism department under Punjab Government but there is nobody to answer your enquiry about any place, gurudwara or tour. In this regard, there is a private travel website www.sikhtourism.com launched by one web professional Parvinder Singh. Sikhtourism website offers all the tours on Sikh Pilgrimage, Gurudwara Yatra and Punjab Tours. Even though, Parvinder Singh is also wokring for money, still he offers all the information, tour details, train & flight timings and other required details without expecting the business.
For more information on this website, see at www.sikhtourism.com

Turban clinic to tie Sikh Turban at Amritsar

There are salons to advise one about hairstyles. But what about salons on how to wear turbans? And to keep up with the latest trends? A unique salon in Amritsar has the answer to this. Called Turban Clinic, it advises Sikh youth on how to tie the perfect turban and what style will suit them. The clinic has devised as many as 40 ways of tying the turban. Patrons can pick the style that suits them the best, according to facial structure, height and nature of work. Advice is also given on which colours to use, depending on complexion. A specially-designed software, Smart Turban 1.0, is used for this. The customer’s photo is downloaded into a computer and various turban styles superimposed on the image, and selected. And if you want to learn the art of tying a turban, take the help of Turban Tutor 2.0.

The salon is the brainwave of Amritsar-based lawyer, Jaswinder Singh, to promote turban-wearing among Sikh youth. Many now prefer to shear their locks in order to look trendy. Also, those who aren’t permitted to do so, wear caps to escape the ‘tedious’ exercise of tying turbans. Singh says his service is free.

The venture has been a success, he claims, as Sikhs throng the place in the evening to take lessons. "We try and evolve new styles for everyone because the traditional three styles of tying turban of Majha, Malwa and Doaba regions, now look archaic and conservative," he says. Singh said, "The basic purpose of the clinic is to stop the youth from shearing their hair as this goes against the basic tenets of Sikhism. This is one of the most serious problems confronting Sikhism today." Singh, who is running an organisation called Akal Purakh Di Fauj (Army of the Almighty) to work for Sikh causes, says, "The turban is an integral part of the complete look of a Sikh. We’re just trying to inspire Sikhs to look smart, without relinquishing their turbans. Let them feel that their turbans only add to their looks."

Hi-tech Sikh museum set to come up at Nanded.

Perhaps it is time for Sikh museums to spring up in many places, and the development is in keeping with the fervour of religiosity inspired largely by the Diaspora efforts and the celebrations of the Guru'ta Gaddi Diwas. Now it seems a state-of-the-art Sikh museum is set to come up at Nanded at a cost of Rs 20 crore as part of tercentenary celebrations of Gurta Gaddi Diwas.

The development has been confirmed by Nanded's Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Gurdwara Board chairman Dr P.S. Pasricha who said latest technologies will be used in the new museum.

"Visitors will be imparted information about Sikh religion in either of four languages - Punjabi, English, Hindi and Marathi. The touch screen systems, latest gadgets, and many attractions will punctuate the over 30,000 square feet area. The museum will employ graphics and animation strategies and technology shall be put to use to pass on the message of Sikh gurus to youth, particularly those residing abroad, to save them from ever-increasing western culture influence," Pasricha, the former Maharashtra police chief, said.

The first phase of this museum-cum-art gallery would be made operational in 13,000 square feet area within next two months, while the entire project would be completed by October-end. Pasricha said approximately 11 acres of land surrounding the complex was being developed with landscaping and fountains. Fountain shows are being planned for the night to describe Sikh religion.

Pasricha also said Godavari riverfront is being developed and construction of 100-feet roads on both sides of the river was undertaken by the board. Godavari will form an aquaduct and will provide a feeling of divinity and spirituality to all those who will enjoy the fascinating scenery of the original Godavari. Efforts were on to tap religious tourism with construction of special NRI Yatri Niwas with luxurious rooms and suites of international standards.

Pasricha is also leading efforts to ensure that the new airport at Nanded, likely to operational from May 1, 2008, be named after Guru Gobind Singh.

Punjab celebrates harvest festival Baisakhi

People loaded on tractor-trolleys, trucks, buses and private vehicles headed for destinations of their choice this Sunday. It was certainly a busy day for Punjab as the state celebrated the festival of good harvest - Baisakhi. Sikh religious shrines - gurdwaras - were the main centre of attraction for most people from villages and those from towns and cities as they lined up to pray.

The holiest of Sikh shrines - Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) - in Amritsar got the maximum rush of the devout as people came from far and near to seek blessings for a good harvest. Roads to the Golden Temple, located in a congested area of the Sikh holy city of Amritsar, seemed clogged with people as thousands turned out since early Sunday morning to seek blessings.

The wheat fields in the state, which is known as the granary of the country, basked in the golden glory of a furious sunshine coming down on the produce. In most areas of Punjab’s 20 districts, the wheat produce is ready for harvest and farmers consider it auspicious to begin harvesting on or after Baisakhi.

“We were waiting for Baisakhi. We will commence harvesting Monday,” young farmer Harjodh Singh told IANS as he supervised his wheat fields on the outskirts of Hoshiarpur town, 140 km from Chandigarh. In some villages, people danced “Bhangra”, the traditional dance of Punjab associated with prosperity and good harvest.

Scores of people could be seen headed for gurudwara “Hariyan Belan” (green branches), 15 km from Hoshiarpur town near Chabbewal village, on tractor-trolleys and trucks. “Langars” (community kitchen), which is an essential part of Sikh religion, could be seen at all gurudwaras and along highways across the state with people squatting in rows to partake food.

It was on a Baisakhi day in 1699 that the 10th Sikh guru, Gobind Singh, founded the Khalsa panth - the essence of the present day Sikh religion - at Anandpur Sahib, 85 km from Chandigarh.
The Sikh shrine at Anandpur, famous for the birth of the Khalsa panth, saw hundreds of people turning up to pay obeisance. Social events and cultural programmes were organized at several places to mark the day across Punjab.

Sikh Tourism has started Amritsar Golden Temple and local Gurudwara Tours. It has also arranges Delhi to Amritsar and back to Delhi tour for 1 & 2 days. The tour package includes Train Ticket, Hotel Accomodation and local transport for darshan of Golden Temple, Tarn Taran Sahib - Goindwal Sahib - Sultanpur Lodhi Gurudwaras. For more details and pricing, visit at http://www.sikhtourism.com/golden-temple.htm
http://www.sikhtourism.com/goldentemple-delhi.htm

Hazur Sahib Yatra

Sikh Tourism is organising special Yatra for Hazur Sahib from Delhi and Mumbai. The tour starts from Delhi and Mumbai but sangat from other places can also avail the tour. The tour package includes Train Ticket, Hotel Accomodation and local car for darshan of Nanded Gurudwaras and Gurudwara Nank Jheera, Bidar.

For more details and pricing, visit at
http://www. sikhtourism.com/hazur-sahib.htm

First Gurdwara Sahib in Poland Planned

Eastern Europe's first gurdwara :

A gurdwara, said to be the first in Eastern Europe, will come up in Warsaw, Polish capital as the authorities here have finally given their green signal.

The proposed gurdwara has been registered as a religious institution. Respecting the religious identity of the Sikh community here, the authorities have also allowed them to wear turbans and keep a kirpan.

"This is a glorious day for the Indian community in Poland," Singh Sabha chief administrative officer J.J. Singh said.

"Unlike France, where the Sikh community is facing many difficulties in maintaining its identity, the Polish authorities have given us what we had asked for. The rights of a minority community are being respected, which is most gratifying," Singh told IANS.

"Now our job is to collect funds not only in Poland but from other European countries to construct a beautiful gurdwara. Incidentally, it will be the first gurdwara in Eastern Europe," he added.

For the past three years, the Singh Sabha community organisation has been using a rented house in the Warsaw suburb of Rashyn to perform religious ceremonies. It has been bringing religious teachers and singers from the Amritsar-headquartered Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), a mini parliament of the community in India, for religious activities.

In Poland, apart from a small number of Sikhs, there are 1,200 Sindhis who too have faith in the teachings of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, and the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scriptures.

Janusz Krzyzowski, president of the India-Polish Cultural Committee, said: "This was a long cherished demand which has been accepted very gracefully by a largely Catholic country. In the era of globalisation people everywhere should have the right to practise their religion."

Polution Threat to Harimandir Sahib

The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) should take immediate steps to control pollution around Golden Temple. SGPC should frame a policy within the next three or four months for initiating steps for controlling pollution caused by the use of fire crackers in the temple complex. Authorities concerned should also take preventive measure to control pollution created by the small scale industries situated around the temple.

Sri Harimandir Sahib, also known as Sri Darbar Sahib or Golden Temple is named after Hari(God) the temple of God. The Sikhs all over the world, daily wish to pay visit to Amritsar and to pay obeisance at Sri Harimandir Sahib in their Ardas.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Punjab Pollution Control Board, which had been monitoring the environment around the Golden Temple, found high levels of harmful nitrous oxide and sulphur dioxide in the ambient air. The experts had also cautioned that fireworks release these gases which could react with marble leading to its corrosion and blackening. The miniature paintings and gold plating are also under threat from the harmful gases, the experts added. The recent study was an eye opener that fireworks at the shrine complex could cause such a damaging effect on the Harmandir Sahib.

It was difficult to change the 400-year old tradition but the SGPC authorities should discuss the issue so that the shrine could be saved from being damaged.

Tight security in Pakistan for Indian Sikh jatha

Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) has made unprecedented security arrangements for Sikh devotees visiting Pakistan on the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev on November 24. According to sources, the heightened security is in the wake of emergency declared in Pakistan and apprehensions that terrorists from North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan may infiltrate Lahore during the visit of devotees from around the world.

Various security agencies like security branch, crime investigation agency and ISI are expected to monitor movements of the Sikh jatha. "We believe they will permanently station their spies in gurdwaras as long as the Sikh jatha stays in Pakistan," says sources. Those Sikh who have been illegally staying in Pakistan’s gurdwaras will also be watched and may be asked to leave the country, say sources.

Meanwhile, PSGPC will also bring an inter-faith delegation to India to strengthen religious bonds between the two nations. "Pakistan government has made unprecedented security arrangements for the arrival of some 20,000 Sikhs from around the world, including 3,000 from NWFP and 7,000 from Sindh," informs Bishan Singh, president PSGPC on the phone from Lahore on Saturday.

Informing that he will lead the inter-faith delegation to India in December to promote peace, Singh adds, "The delegation will include religious representatives of Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims and Christians from Pakistan and they will hold meetings with leaders of different faiths in India."

Stating that adequate security arrangements were in place, Sadiq Khurram, the newly-appointed organizing secretary of Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board, a parent body of PSGPC, adds, "We expect all religious festivities to pass off peacefully."

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Avtar Singh Makkar says that the Sikh jatha, led by former SGPC president Kabal Singh Theenda, will leave for Lahore on a special Sikh pilgrim train from Attari international railway station on November 21. The jatha was earlier scheduled to leave on November 19, but following a change in programme by PSGPC, it was postponed by two days.

Punjabi wedding hot on India and Punjab tourism

India's only planned city, Chandigarh, has been projected as an ideal destination to get married at the ongoing World Travel Mart (WTM) in London to cash in on the craze for the big, fat Punjabi wedding among non-resident Indians (NRIs) and foreigners.

"Chandigarh tourism has decided to adopt more novel and innovative measures like wedding tourism to promote the city as the tourism hub of north India," the city's Home and Tourism Secretary Krishna Mohan, who is visiting the WTM, said Wednesday.

He said wedding ceremonies could be facilitated in collaboration with hotels and resorts in and around the city.

"Indian weddings are occasions to behold and Chandigarh is particularly known for its glamorous and graceful wedding ceremonies. European visitors in particular relish such occasions and Chandigarh tourism is in the process of facilitating more foreign visitors for these ceremonies," the home secretary said.

Mohan said that Chandigarh was not only a tourist attraction for its architectural beauty but also for medical and sports tourism. The city had excellent facilities for golf, tennis, cricket and other sports.
Chandigarh has recently been placed on the tentative list of World heritage sites by UNESCO, becoming the first Indian city to make it to the list.

For any enquiry for Punjabi Theme wedding, ask at http://www.sikhtourism.com/enquiry.htm

Why do Sikhs celebrate Diwali ?

The festival of Divali is an important event for most of the South Asian community. For Hindus it represents the day when the mythological god King Rama came back to his capital after 12 years of exile. Rama’s subjects were so happy to see him that they lit divas (lamps) and set of firecrackers in honour of the event. Even today Hindus celebrate this event with great happiness and joy. On this day they worship fire and the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi.

Why do Sikhs celebrate Divali? When we look into most history books, we can gather that the reason that Divali is celebrated is as follows :

After the torture and death of Sri Guru Arjun Dev Ji, by the order of Jahangir (the emperor of India at the time), the Mogul administration started to become uneasy due to the sudden popularity of Sikhism. Chandu, an advisor of Jahangir, was the one who had suggested the torture of Sri Guru Arjun Dev Ji. He suddenly felt threatened at the popularity of the Sikhs and decided to advise the king to get rid of the next Guru of the Sikhs as well. Jahangir decided that this was a good idea and summoned Guru Hargobind Ji to his court where he had Guru Ji imprisoned in Gwalior fort where 52 innocent Hindu Princes were imprisoned as well. During imprisonment, the Guru noticed that all the princes were depressed and forlorn with their treatment in the jail and were in very unhealthy conditions. The Guru helped the princes regain their health and taught them spiritually. When the Guru was granted freedom, he refused to leave until he had gained the release of the 52 Hindu kings too. The emperor then said that all those princes that could hold on the Guru’s clothes would be liberated as well. Guru Ji had a special cloak made which had 52 strings sewed on it and each prince held on to a string. Thus all prisoners were freed. It was in this respect that Guru Hargobind became known as “Bandi Chor” or the Releaser of Prisoners. When Guru Ji reached Amritsar, it was Divali day and Sikhs celebrated the homecoming of the Guru by lighting diyas. To this day Sikhs celebrate Divali and in honour of Guru Hargobind Ji and his return.

So, it’s really quite simple. Sikhs do have their own Diwali … right? Maybe not.

Guru Granth Sahib consecration celebrations at Hazur Sahib, Nanded from November 15.

Year-long celebrations to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the consecration of the Sikh religious book, Guru Granth Sahib and heavenly journey of Guru Gobind Singh will commence on November 15 at Nanded Sahib in Maharashtra, one of the five most sacred and important Sikh shrines. A few days before passing away on October 7, 1708, Guru Gobind Singh ended the practice of appointing an individual as guru and declared the holy book as the eternal guru of the Sikhs. The consecration of the Guru Granth Sahib as the permanent guru and source of spiritual inspiration and passing away of the last individual guru are the landmark events of the Sikh history and religion and that makes Nanded so important.

Head of the Nanded Gurudwara Board, told reporters here on Monday that over 40 lakh devotees from all over the world were expected to reach Nanded during the year in October next year to participate in the main celebrations at the Gurudwara, Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib one of the Panj Takhts, on the banks of the Godavari.

He said the celebrations would begin with observing November 15 as ‘Simran Diwas,’ on which people of all religions are called upon to pray or remember God according to their own religious practice to mark the Guru’s message of one god and welfare of the entire mankind. He said ‘Jagriti Yatra’ would commence from Nanded with a view to spreading the teachings of the Sikh gurus enshrined in the Guru Granth Sahib.

The yatra would go to a large number of places all over the country. It will have weapons of Guru Gobind Singh for darshan.

Hazur Sahib, Nanded, yatra with www.sikhtourism.com

Welsh race body backs Sikh girl who was barred from school over kada

Sarika Watkins-Singh, the Sikh teenager who has been excluded from her school in south Wales for refusing to remove the kada, a symbol of Sikhism, has been backed by the local race equality council.

Sarika, who decided to become a practising Sikh after a visit to Amritsar in 2005, has decided to mount a legal challenge against the school's decision that, she believes, amounted to infringing her human rights.

Sarika was sent home on Monday by the Aberdare Girls School, south Wales. According to the school, wearing the kada is against regulations because it is a piece of jewellery. The school is known for strictly enforcing rules. After the case hit the headlines, Sarika has found support from the Valleys Race Equality Council. Its director, Ron Davies, told the media, "We are supporting Sarika, and believe the school is acting unlawfully by refusing to let her wear the bangle.
"We have arranged for her to be represented by a solicitor and an application will be made to the High Court for a judicial review of the school's decision. We believe the school is acting in contravention both of the 1976 Race Relations Act and of human rights legislation.
"We also believe there is a need for the guidance on these issues to schools from the Welsh Assembly Government to be more explicit." According to advice given to the council by the the Equality and Human Rights Commission, "Legal precedence has previously been set which clearly recognises Sikhs as a racial group for the purpose of the Race Relations Act. Therefore, the school should consider carefully their actions in relation to this case.

"The wearing of a kada bangle is a significant expression of faith. Although some issues can be taken into consideration such as health and safety, the school would be expected to be proportionate in its response to the requirement to wear a kada bangle. "For example, the school could require the bangle to be covered or removed during PE. However, it would find it more difficult to justify this requirement where the student is sitting at her desk in the classroom."

In a legal precedent dating to 1983, the House of Lords had decided that a school had acted unlawfully by refusing to accept as a pupil a Sikh boy who wore a turban. The judgment held that Sikhs were a racial group within the terms of the Race Relations Act, and were capable of being discriminated against.

Sarika's mother, Sanita Watkins-Singh, told the Western Mail, "Sarika made her first visit to India in 2005, looking at her cultural background and her roots. I don't believe in putting pressure on children to follow a certain religion, but Sarika decided for herself that she wanted to be a practising Sikh.
"Her views have crystallised over the last six months, and she started wearing the kada. At first it didn't seem to be a problem, but then a PE teacher asked her to remove it. Later, after she refused to remove it in class, she was isolated from the rest of the girls. Then this week she was sent home."
Sarika said, "We went to quite a lot of places during my visit to India, including the Golden Temple in Amritsar, which was just amazing. I became very interested in Sikh history and was inspired to follow the religion." "The kada is a very important Sikh symbol and a constant reminder to me to do good, and that God is One. I am very disappointed that my school does not recognise my right to wear the kada. I did not like being put into isolation, which to me was like a prison. I feel my education was suffering.

"On Monday I was sent home for the day, and now I have been told I will be excluded for a fixed period. We are waiting for a letter saying how long that will be. It is very unfair that I am not being allowed to follow my religion, and I want to challenge the decision."

Jane Rosser, head teacher of Aberdare Girls' School, said, "We have a strict and clear code of conduct that has been in place for many years. A copy is given to all girls before they are even a pupil at the school and is also issued at the start of every new term in September.
"We use this established code of conduct to ensure equality between all pupils. The code clearly states the only two forms of jewellery that girls are allowed to wear in school is a wrist watch and one pair of plain metal stud earrings."

Visit Golden Temple, Amritsar with http://www.sikhtourism.com/

Pak emergency hinders Sikh pilgrims' visit

The imposition of emergency in Pakistan has come as a damper for Sikh pilgrims planning to visit Pakistan for the 539th birth anniversary celebrations of first Sikh master Guru Nanak Dev. Intelligence officials here are of view that apart from a strict watch being kept on movement of Sikh devotees visiting neighbouring country, there is all likelihood of Pakistan government not issuing adequate visas to Sikhs in wake of the internal law and order situation there.

Nearly 3,000 Sikh devotees from India visit Pakistan on Guru Nanak's birth anniversary and 10,000 arrive from other countries. Sikh bodies have urged Pakistan president Pervez Musharaff not let the political turmoil in the country affect the religious occasion and to ensure security cover to visiting Sikh pilgrims.

Bhishan Singh, president of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), told TOI over phone from Lahore on Sunday “It is a religious function, and I think there won't be any kind of interruption in religious ceremonies.”

Not ruling out the possibility of Pakistan High Commission denying visas to several Sikh devotees owing to internal problems, Daljit Singh Bedi, additional secretary, SGPC, said it was the Pakistan government's duty to provide adequate security cover to pilgrims.

Plan Pakistan Gurudwara Tours through Sikhtourism.

Shri Guru Granth Sahib to be translated into English

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has announced that it will get the task of translating the Guru Granth Sahib in English done. The decision was taken in the meeting of Dharam Parchar Committee (DPC) of SGPC. Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC president, said the decision has been taken to spread the philosophy of Guru Granth Sahib. He said for this purpose services of Sikh scholars - Jaswant Singh Neki and Jodh Singh - will be taken.

Earlier, a sting operation had brought to a halt the DSGMC's bid to get the Adi Granth translated when it was found that many among the translator scholars couldnot even read Punjabi. At that time, spy cameras were used by certain Sikh organisations to bring out how the translation/transliteration was done by one Vemaraju Bhanu Murti, a Telugu-speaking person. Later, the DSGMC's then chief Parmjit Singh Sarna had withdrawn the work from Murti.

First ever Agan Bhent Seva Samagam in South India draws huge crowds

HYDERABAD, Thursday, October 11, 2007 : Amidst chanting of shabad keertan, several old volumes of Guru Granth Sahibji and other religious books that cannot be used anymore for reading purpose because they are too old weathered were consigned to flames as per Sikh Maryada at the newly-constructed Angitha Saheb under the guidance of Baba Narinder Singhji of Goindwal Saheb. Prominent Sikh leaders, including Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar Giani Joginder Singhji Vedanti and Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) president Avtar Singh Makkar and head granthi of Darbar Sahib, Amritsar Singh Sahib Giani Gurbachan Singh participated in the landmark event.
The Sikh community of South India, with the approval of Akal Takht Sahib, the supreme temporal body of the Sikhs, performed the first ‘Agan Bhent Seva Samagam’ on Sunday. As many as 160 old swaroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and other places were brought to Hyderabad for the ritual.
The SGPC president also inaugurated the state-of-the-art Guru Nanak Medical Centre at the Gurudwara Sahib, Secunderabad. The centre was established by the the management committee of Gurdwara Sahib, Secunderabad and Guru Nanak Charitable Trust at a cost of over Rs 1 crore.
Treatment will be provided free of cost to those who cannot afford to pay, irrespective of caste and creed or religion. Those who can afford will have to pay 25 percent of the incurred cost and this will go to help maintain the centre.
Secunderabad MP Anjan Kumar Yadav, City Police Commissioner Balwinder Singh, Controller Legal Metrology Tejdeep Kaur, president of Prabhandak Committee Gurdwara Saheb, Secunderabad Baldev Singh Singh Bagga and general secretary Avtar Singh were present on the occasion.

Gurudwara Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo

Damdama means the breathing or resting place. Damdama Sahib is one of the Five Takhts of the Sikhs. (The other four Takhts are Akal Takht, Amritsar, Takht Keshgarh Sahib, Anandpur, Takht Hazur Sahib, Nanded (Maharashtra) and Takht Harmandir Sahib Patna (Bihar). It is located at village Talwandi Sabo, 28 km southeast of Bathinda. It is also known as Talwandi Sabo and Guru Ki Kashi. Guru Gobind Singh stayed here after fighting battles against Mughal atrocities. Before his arrival at Talwandi, two of the Guru’s sons were bricked alive at Sarhind and two laid down their lives at Chamkaur Sahib. After writing Zafarnama, Guru Gobind Singh fought a successful battle at Muktsar and then moved towards Talwandi Sabo Ki.

For Damdama Sahib Tour details, visit : http://www.sikhtourism.com/damdama-sahib.htm

Sikh Panj Takht Tour

The Five Takhts (Panj Takht) :'Takht' which literally means a throne or seat of authority is a result of historical growth of Sikhism. There are five Takhts and these Takhts are the five gurudwaras which have a very special significance for the Sikh community. The first and the most important one was established by Guru Hargobind in 1609. It is called 'Akal Takht' (the Throne of the Timeless God) and is situated just opposite the gate of Harmandar Sahib - The Golden Temple, Amritsar. The Guru established it, because he thought that secular political matters should not be considered in the Golden Temple, which is meant purely for worship of God. Here the Guru held his court and decided matters of military strategy and political policy. Later on, the Sikh commonwealth (Sarbat Khalsa) took decisions here on matters of peace and war and settled disputes between the various Sikh groups. The Sarangi singers sung the ballads of the Sikh Gurus and warriors at this place and robes of honour (saropas) were awarded to persons who rendered distinguished services of the community of men in general.

For more details, check http://www.sikhtourism.com/panj-takht.htm

Punjab becoming education hub

Punjab, which is known as agriculture state, is now getting another identity as an education hub of North India. Students unable to get admissions in well-known colleges in Delhi have been coming to Punjab for higher studies due to the heavy investment by the private sector in higher education. Apart from Punjab Technical University, which has a vast network of colleges all over the state, new private university, Lovely Professional University has also become popular among students from all over the country. It recently attained the status of the first professional university of Punjab. The university is running more than 50 courses, including those in engineering, management, information technology and pharmacy. 
 
For the last few years, the private sector has shown a keen interest in promoting higher education in Punjab. They have opened many big campuses in cities in Punjab to provide world class education along with placement opportunities after completion of the course. In the coming years, a school of excellence in engineering will be opened in Jalandhar through a collaboration of UK-based Caparo Group, owned by industrialist Lord Swaraj Paul, and Punjab Technical University. 
 
There are five universities in Punjab — Guru Nanak Dev University, Punjab Technical University, Punjab University, Punjabi University and Baba Farid Medical University. 
 
Due to being a hub for non-residential Indians, several international educational institutions have links in Jalandhar. 
 
The Cambridge University of London has already given affiliation to two of the city's schools and from the forthcoming academic session, the first Canadian school in the country will be opened here. 
 
As a rule, PTU gives 15 per cent of its seats to students from other states provided they have cleared the national entrance exam of AIEEE. 

Punjab Tours : www.sikhtourism.com

 

Phulkari, embroidery art of Punjab

Phulkari, an art of decorating shawls, dupattas with embroidered floral motifs developed in the 15th century in Punjab. Phulkari, is a skillful manipulation of single stitch that provides interesting pattern on the cloth. The smaller the stitch, finer is the quality of the embroidery. The silk threads in golden yellow, red, crimson, orange, green, blue, and pink are usually employed for the embroidery. The notable aspect of this technique is that single strand was used at a time, each part worked in one color and the varied color effect is obtained by clever use of horizontal, vertical or diagonal stitches.

 

The base cloth that was used for Phulkari in olden times was usually homespun cloth. In Phulkari when the design is worked very closely that  even a square inch of the base cloth is not visible then it is called 'Bagh'.  Besides floral motifs, birds, animals, human figures, vegetables, pots, buildings, rivers, the sun and the moon, scenes of village life, and other imagery were embroidered. Mention must be made of dhaniya bagh (coriander garden), motia bagh (jasmine garden), satranga bagh (garden of rainbow), leheria bagh (garden of waves) and many other depictions. Young women in Punjab often created Phulkari for their trousseau. Many folk songs on Phulkari are part of Punjab culture.

 

Sikh Culture news : www.sikhtourism.com 

Indian Idol Sikh Style: Hunt for kirtan stars

On Sunday, June 24, 2007 evening in Kolkata was the final of a talent hunt with a difference. The show, modelled on Indian Idol, tried to identify the "gurbani kirtan talent of the year".  At Sant Kutiya Gurdwara, Bhowanipore, the 10 finalists went head-to-head for the tuned-in ears of the judges, all of whom are experts in devotional music. An audience poll was also conducted.

The event was organised by Sikh Heritage, a group of youths who spread the message of Sikhism across the country. It was sponsored by Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and Sant Kutiya Gurdwara Committee, Calcutta.

"The competition had three rounds, with only the best in each round making it to the next. Unlike in other kirtan competitions, the participants got to sing before a huge audience. The original forms of the kirtans were sung," stated Manvika Uberoi of Sikh Heritage. Over 175 singers took part in the preliminary round, held at the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad auditorium, on Shakespeare Sarani. Over 130 of the contestants were from the city. The outstation participants came from Asansol, Ranigunj, Sambalpur, Durgapur and other towns. The singers were divided into three groups, according to their age: Group A for those up to 15, Group B for those between 15 and 19 years and Group C for singers 19 and above. After the preliminary round, 32 contestants were shortlisted for the semi-finals, which were held at Gurdwara Sant Kutiya on Friday and Saturday. Four of the semi-finalists were non-Sikhs — three Bengalis and another singer from Bihar. All the contestants were trained for 10 days before the semi-finals. The three Bengalis made it to the finals.

The winner from each group will get a cash prize of Rs 10,000 and a chance to perform in and outside the city, including at the Golden Temple. Singing kirtan at the Golden Temple is considered a great honour. One of the three will become the "gurbani kirtan talent of the year" in the city.
Music director Bholanath Mukhopadhyay was one of the judges. The other judges were from Amritsar and are associated with the Golden Temple. According to Uberoi, the competition was an attempt to make traditional music popular among Sikh youths.

 

Sikh Culture news : www.sikhtourism.com 

Amritsar joins race with Chandigarh for India's first smoke-free city

Amritsar that houses the sacred Golden Temple for the Sikhs worldwide is in contention with Chandigarh to become country's first smoke free city.

Groups like Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) have demanded to make Amritsar become smoke-free city before July 1, since Chandigarh administration is working to get the city declared smoke free by that date.

In a letter to Chief Minister S. Parkash Singh Badal, the patron of the group Dr. Charanjit Singh Gumtala urged the former to take urgent steps in this direction. According to media report Chandigarh will have designated smoking areas at all public places and buildings to ensure that smoking is restricted and the general public is not forced to passively inhale smoke. The groups are stating that Amritsar deserves first smoke-free city status because it is the holy city and is known as Mecca of the Sikhs, where Guru Granth Sahib -the holy Sikh scripture- was written.

Keeping the importance of the holy city, smoking and meat shops were banned around the 200 meters periphery of the Golden Temple in 1982. Besides protecting children and other citizens from the harmful consequences of tobacco and smoking, such an initiative will improve the global image of the Amritsar and will be helpful in promoting transport, tourism and business.

Visit Amritsar and Chandigrah : http://www.sikhtourism.com/

Punjabi Jutti most popular in holy city of Amritsar

Punjabi Jutti (footwear of Punjabi style) has become thriving business to its manufacturer due to its aggressive demand in the market. Presently Punjabi Jutti makers getting orders in bulk form all over the India and abroad.

 

Amritsar is one of the Asia's biggest market around the holiest Sikh shrine Golden Temple where the Punjabi Jutti being manufactured in large scale and being exported to foreign countries like UK, America, Germany, Canada, Switzerland Singapore and Hongkong.

 

Punjabi Jutti was known for its immaculate embroidery and varied hues, which made it a popular, wear for the people of the region for all types of occasions. Punjabi Jutti is also known as century-old tradition. In foreign countries where having sizable population of Punjabi people have great demand of Punjabi Jutti from the holy city Amritsar. Now foreigners have also sheer demand for Punjabi footwear in foreign lands from Amritsar.  Since these footwear are easy to wear and more comfortable. In rural and urban Punjab majority of the masses including female and old aged people especially prefer to use Punjabi Jutti due to its comfort.

 

Balwant Singh Majithia a leading Punjabi Jutti manufacturer said, " This is his third generation in this profession and he manufacture different style of Punjabi Jutti on demand and one has to keep wait for one month. Moreover due to the summer season there is hot sale of Punjabi Jutti throughout out the Punjab and traders are coming from Delhi and Mumbai to place him order in bulk.

 

Now Punjabi Jutti becoming traditional footwear in the border town Amritsar and its surrounding area even neighboring states also following the same trend, informed Majithia. The graceful style of Punjabi jutti made with soft leather consisting artistic work on it being preferred by the young ladies too during social gathering. Now such footwear could also be seen in the fashion show as well as in the Bollywood industry, now it has become the essential items of cultural show. Even all the TV smalls screen plays also showing such footwear on marriage occasions.

 

Even it was the most favorite footwear of former Indian President Gyani Zail Singh, said Balwant Singh Majithia a Punjabi Jutti manufacturer  The elegant style, beautiful designs and soft leather of the footwear are attracting the fashion lovers everywhere, said Harjinder Singh trader.

 

The cost of ladies Punjabi jutti starts from Rupees two hundred to three thousand.The traditional teela, zeri wali and Sundi embroidery with Golden Thread has the look and designs is a magnet for any traditional fashion lover. A rough estimate, a dozen shopkeepers in Amritsar are engaged in the Punjabi Jutti business and their turn over is in tune of ten crore.

 

Punjab Tours : www.sikhtourism.com/punjab-tour.htm 

Amritsar Tours : www.sikhtourism.com/goldentemple.htm 

 

Patiala all set to regain past glory

Patiala is all set to restore its pristine glory and grandeur. Huge funds are being spent and the old heritage buildings are being refurbished and restored to its original glory.

 

Official sources say the state government has drawn up a series of plans to develop Patiala as a major tourist destination since the city is studded with palaces, museums and gardens, encompassing rich cultural and traditional architecture.

 

Sheranwala Gate, an ancient monument, would be rebuilt with its original grandeur and design with inbuilt gurdwara, temple, church and a mosque as a testimony to the age old cultural and secular values of the erstwhile princely state of Patiala.

 

The Mohindra Kothi has already been spruced up and now houses the newly established Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law from the current academic session. This is a temporary arrangement and the university will be shifted to its own campus soon. The building, which once housed the head offices of the Punjab Public Works Department, would be preserved and conserved as a heritage site along with "Maiji di Serai". The state government is also committed to preserve the landmark monuments marking the rich historical past like the Qila Mubarak, Old Moti Bagh Palace, Sheesh Mahal and Bahadurgarh fort as Patiala has been declared as counter magnet town under the NCR plan.

 

Patiala had historic gates built by the erstwhile rulers of this princely state. Now, the state has lost many of the gates owing to official neglect. These included the Lahori Gate, Sheranwala Gate, and Saifabadi Gate.There is a popular demand for the restoration of these gates. The Samania Gate, which was damaged a couple of years back, get repaired under the supervision of experts. Sirhindi Gate, near the Patiala-Rajpura road, was also reinforced almost seven years back when a portion of the roof of the gate came crashing following incessant rains. This gate has also got repaired and given a fresh lick of paint.

 

The sources said the Heritage Society had decided to take up the restoration of all historic gates. It was proposed to request corporate and industry houses besides other establishments to sponsor the maintenance of these gates.

 

Punjab Tour, Patiala Tours : www.sikhtourism.com 

Iraq keen to re-build damaged Sikh Gurudwara

Iraq is keen to rebuild a historic Sikh shrine commemorating Guru Nanak's visit to Baghdad, which had been destroyed by "fanatics" after the invasion of the country by US-led coalition forces, a top leader said on Friday.

 

Iraqi National Congress chief Ahmed Chalabi, one of Iraq's prominent leaders, who drove down through the desolate streets of Baghdad to the sacred Sikh site last night under heavy military protection, said "it has unfortunately been wiped out by fanatics because they thought it was against Islam". "It's shameful they cannot respect someone who has millions of followers," he told PTI at the gurdwara site along the river Tigris.

 

Iraqi officials escorting Chalabi informed him about the original design of the gurdwara that was built alongside the tomb of a Muslim religious leader, which has suffered no damage. "We will rebuild it," Chalabi said even as he admitted he did not know that a Sikh shrine had ever existed in Baghdad, which houses the Indian embassy.

 

The Iraqi leader, seen as close to the Bush administration, ruled out the possibility of the gurdwara being destroyed in military fire. "It was a mortar attack by some fanatic," he said, adding he believed it would have happened after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

 

News reports during the Iraq war had suggested the gurdwara had suffered damage in the attack, but there has been no official confirmation until now from Iraq about its condition. The visit to the site revealed complete destruction of the shrine. Chalabi, who broke the lock at the gate of the shrine's compound to inspect the site, pointed out that the shrine's marble floor had been pulled out and its roof razed to the ground.

 

Indian spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who accompanied him, also requested immediate rebuilding of the gurdwara.

 

According to Sikh history, Guru Nanak, the founder of the faith, visited Baghdad and had a discourse with Bahlol Dana, a sufi teacher. The gurdwara commemorating the Guru's visit lies near what is now a devastated railway station in Baghdad. "The Sikh community has contributed a lot to Iraq. They have worked here in railways, construction and a lot of other activities. We respect them and will see to it that this is rebuilt," Chalabi said.

 

India and Punjab Gurudwara Tours : www.sikhtourism.com 

Gatka - an ancient Sikh martial art

The exact beginnings of Gatka are not clear. What is clear is that it emerged formally from its original birthplace in northern India during the times of the 6th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Hargobind Sahib (early 1600s), who learnt and instructed his Sikhs to learn the martial art. However, Gatka existing long before then. Some have said that Gatka is the original grandparent of all modern martial arts which came out of northern India towards China.

 

The Sikhs mastered Gatka and perfected its use in battle. Many hundreds, if not thousands, of battles were decisively won by the Sikhs, despite almost always numbering far fewer than the opposing forces. The techniques within Gatka were combined with the spiritual practices of the Sikhs to create a perfect fighting system. Opposing forces are documented to have cursed the awesome Warrior Saints that the Sikhs were!

 

The Sikhs actively used Gatka in warfare for over 200 years, until they finally enjoyed peace under their own rule, free from persecution from the power-hungry Mughals who rested only when they were defeated. Since then, Gatka has been passed down as a tradition amongst the Sikh generations. With the emigration of Sikhs to western countries such as the UK, Gatka has grown again in the hearts and minds of the new generation of Sikhs. Now, in the 21st century, western martial artists are slowly beginning to recognise and enquire about Gatka. Such interest has forced the need for websites such as WarriorSaints.com to educate the world about the formidable art of Gatka.

 

Punjab Culture : www.sikhtourism.com/punjab-tour.htm 

Treat Anglo-Sikh war as first: MPs

Disagreeing with the view that 1857 was the First War of Independence, Tarlochan Singh, Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana, today said that it was a part of the movement for independence.

Tarlochan Singh, who was accompanied by Shiromani Akali Dal MPs Rattan Singh Ajnala and Virender Singh Bajwa, said that the 1845 Anglo-Sikh war was the fiercest battle against the Britishers.

He said the government was observing on a grand scale the 150th anniversary of the 1857 war but "no such functions were held during the centenary year in 1957 when Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru was the Prime Minister."

The MP said they respected the 1857 martyrs and wanted that all those who were part of the movement should be paid respects. The MPs said they had raised the matter in the Parliament and Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal had supported their views.

Atwal argued that projection of 1857 as the First War of Independence was a "misnomer" as the Anglo-Sikh war preceded that.

The protest came midway through the function addressed by the President, Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee. It was attended by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, leader of opposition L.K. Advani, ministers, MPs and senior leaders.

The Vice-President, who had risen to address the gathering, was caught unawares when Atwal raised the issue.

Tarlochan Singh and Bajwa later said the 1845 war, led by Sikh General Shyam Singh Attariwala, has to be treated as the first War of Independence.

Sikh News : http://www.sikhtourism.com/

Face of Holy City Amritsar set to change

Face of Holy City Amritsar set to change

 

The much-hyped proposal of setting up the Amritsar Development Authority (ADA) on the patterns of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will be a reality now. Though the formal announcement will be made by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on May 5, the SAD-BJP government has taken the decision to float the body for the overall development of the Holy City, which is plagued by inadequate infrastructure.

 

ADA would work with a "future vision". The Golden Temple, Durgiana Temple, Jallianwala Bagh and Wagah border attract pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. The city had long been neglected for being on the border. But now there will be a body of the people and for the people which will set an agenda of the overall planned growth. Though rules and regulations are yet to be framed, but ADA would be a civic body with maximum participation of the people. It's working has to be transparent and people-oriented and administration staff has to be well-acquaint with the future need of the city,

 

The city needs infrastructure. The roads are in bad shape… pilgrims and tourists are shocked over pathetic transport system, parking places and lack of enough hotels and restaurants. There has to be focused plan for the city,

 

Welcoming the move, Citizens' Forum and Amritsar Vikas Manch said they hope that expert and honest bureaucrats would be appointed in the ADA so that the history of the city remains intact. "The political interference has to be checked and the ADA should be answerable to the public," said a spokesman.

 

Besides streamlining city's traffic, more hotels should be set up and Rajasansi International Airport should be modernised, he added.

 

Amritsar Tour : www.sikhtourism.com/amritsar-golden-temple-tour.htm 

Punjab to follow Rajasthan's footsteps in Tourism

In an attempt not just to boost tourism but retain the rich cultural heritage of Punjab, the old palaces and forts in the state are on their way to resurrection. The Punjab Heritage and Tourism Promotion Board has identified palaces and havelis ' across the state that would be restored and run on a public-private partnership mode.

The Tourism Department, Punjab, has requested the respective departments in possession of the heritage monuments to vacate the premises so that they can be restored, maintained and thrown open to the NRIs' and the younger generations to get a feel or the erstwhile rich legacy. While the Punjab government has already signed an agreement with the Neemrana Hotels Private Ltd for the Rajendra Kothi, Patiala, that is likely to be thrown open to the public by mid-2008, others too are following suit.

"Among the palaces and old heritage monuments, some over 400 years old the ones at Malerkotla, Ludhiana, Jalandhar , Kapurthala, Faridkot, Bathinda and Sangrur have already been identified to be converted into heritage hotels ," said Jagjit Puri, secretary, Information and Public Relations, and director , Tourism, Punjab.

About 200 kms from Chandigarh, the Punjab Tourism department plans to pioneer the move with the capital of the erstwhile Jind State, Sangrur. Founded in the 17th century Sangrur remained the capital of the former independent state of Jind for over a century . Built by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala, the Hermitage (Heritage monument) at the moment is with the Health Department, Punjab, running a TB Sanatorium.

"The response from the health department is awaited and the 44 acres at Hermitage will be developed under the PPP mode," said Puri. The Punjab government has in a communication written to the Health Department, Punjab, its intention to restore the Hermitage to be used to promote tourism in Punjab the reply for which is yet awaited.

Most of the heritage buildings in Punjab some in dilapidated conditions are being used by various departments to house their offices. The over 100-year-old Ladda Kothi, Sangrur, renovated by Punjab government is presently being used by the police department for training.

The Tourism Department, Punjab, will also request owners of private havelis' to partner the Heritage Board in promoting tourism. "We plan to join hands with owners of heritage buildings and havelis' to restore their properties. These can be converted to two star hotel accommodation for the budget tourist visiting Punjab," said Puri.

As an incentive to the owners the Punjab government has plans to work out the same on 80-20 profit sharing. While the 80 per cent of the revenue will go to the private owners the balance 20 will be go to the Punjab Heritage Board towards running costs.

Punjab Tours : www.sikhtourism.com

Amritsar Tours : www.sikhtourism.com/goldentemple.htm

Pollution around Golden Temple, Amritsar alarming

The mushrooming of small and big hotels in the periphery of Golden Temple, smoke spewing from three-wheelers fitted with two-stroke engines and burning of garbage by the municipal corporation has raised pollution level around the Sikh shrine.

 

Preliminary reports of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), which had installed four samplers on all top floors of the "parikarma" of the Golden Temple, had described the pollution level as alarming.

 

Talking to The Tribune, G.S. Majitha, executive engineer, PPCB, said there were more than 100 hotels around Golden Temple which had been frequently using generator sets in case of power failure. "These hotels are like full-fledged factories," he said. Expressing concern over the rising pollution level in the walled city, Majitha said his staff was shocked to see MC employees burning garbage there.

 

The problem is aggravated due to the use of adulterated fuels by vehicles, especially three-wheelers. The PPCB suggested that vehicles should not be allowed to park near the Darbar Sahib Complex.

 

Majitha said Amritsar, Jalandhar, Batala and Ludhiana had been marked as most polluted. According to the data collected by the PPCB, the suspended particulate matter (SPM) were beyond the permissible limits. The executive engineer said vehicular traffic contributed the most to the pollution in the city. There were 3,85,476 two-wheelers, 35,249 tractors and 2,082 buses running in Amritsar.

 

One of the inferences of study was that commercial diesel vehicles were being run on low-quality fuel. Many were being run on kerosene, which released toxic fumes that were responsible for itching eyes and respiratory problems. It also adds lead oxide, sulphur dioxide and nitric oxide to the air.

 

The historic city also has the dubious distinction of producing a large quantum of solid waste and garbage after Ludhiana - 600 tonnes daily.

 

Sikh Heritage and Gurudwara News : www.sikhtourism.com

Indian Sikh pilgrims ask Pak. to relax visa regime

Sikh pilgrims from India, who are on a visit to Pakistan to mark the festival of Baisakhi, have asked the Pakistan Government to ease visa restrictions. The Pakistan Government should relax its visa policies so that more visitors from India could visit without hindrance, the Daily Times quoted them as saying on arrival।

The pilgrims said the followers of Baba Guru Nanak felt that it was the right time to forget past differences and promote peace, friendship and harmony between the two peoples.

"We have to promote love, peace and humanity in the region and this is only possible if Sikhs and Pakistanis commit themselves to live in peace। The fact that Pakistanis take care of our holy places is like loving us. We love Pakistanis and love Pakistan," Gurdeep Sing from Amritsar said.

Another pilgrim Ramesh Chander Sachdev said, "I am visiting Pakistan for the first time. I was born in Faisalabad 63 years ago and my family left our home when I was three years old. I have wanted to visit my home, but I do not have a visa for Faisalabad district. I appeal to the Pakistani Government to relax visa policies so that people like me can visit their birth places."

Sikh News : www.sikhtourism.com

NRI Dr Kartar Singh Lalvani offers to pay for restoration in Golden Temple

A non-resident Indian entrepreneur on Wednesday offered to pay for the "restoration" of the 300-year-old door at the Golden Temple and opposed any move to replace it.

 

"The door, known as Darshani Deori at the main entrance to the sanctum sanctorum, has a historic significance and I am prepared to pay for its conservation and restoration," Dr Kartar Singh Lalvani said.

 

73-year-old Lalvani, founder chairman of Vitabiotics, Britain's first specialist vitamin supplement company, who is also interested in the preservation of artefacts, said the door was originally part of the historic Somnath Temple in Gujarat before it was plundered by raiders from Afghanistan.

 

Lalvani, winner of the Asian of the Year award last year, said it was Maharaja Ranjit Singh who secured the door from the then ruler of Afghanistan Shah Zaman as part of a treaty after he defeated the marauders from Kabul. The door first offered to Somnath Temple but it was turned down.

 

A report quoted to SGPC executive member Kiranjot Kaur said the committee had recently decided to replace the door because its condition has deteriorated over the years.

 

The work was to be entrusted to the Birmingham-based Sikh missionary organization Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewa Jatha and plans had already been drawn up to import special timber from Africa.

Sikh Heritage and Gurudwara News : www.sikhtourism.com

Vanishing Sikh turbans finally get attention

In this new age of mass communication assaults and cultural penetrations, the Sikhs' turban, a distinguishing mark of the community is under constant threat, and many a Sikh youth are giving up this symbol of faith that has been responsible for centuries for the unique look of the community. Largely worn by the males, (though some womenfolk also do), the turban has been and is being discarded by many a Sikh youth who are getting their hair shorn.

Young Sikhs are abandoning the traditional headwear, wearying of the elaborate ceremony of maintaining long hair and knotting it under six yards of starched cotton.

Politically incorrect jokes, misplaced priorities and massive Bollywood onslaught have all contributed to the Sikhs taking a path which makes them 'patit' (apostate), but recently a number of efforts have been undertaken to pull back from the brink.

The SGPC has recognised the problem for many years now but has doen precious little to arrest the patit phenomena। "Across Punjab a large number of Sikh youth have cut their hair and, sadly, the turban-tying ceremony for teenage boys has also become rare, even in villages" lamented Avtar Singh Makkar, the SGPC chief. The jathedars of all Sikh takhts, the supreme seats of temporal power, have stressed the issue repeatedly but little emerged except verbiage over the time.

Now, a Punjabi singer Pammi Bai has sang songs in favour of turban, and featured many a known men from the world of arts and cinema. The SGPC, has declared the April 13 harvest festival of Baisakhi as International Sikh Turban Day. Two turban-tying schools have been founded in the holy city of Amritsar, and a competition to select "Mr Singh International", is expected to attract widespread participation.

Every region in Punjab has its own distinct style of tying a turban, with each claiming theirs to be the best, and Mr Singh contestants are to be judged on how stylishly their headgear is tied.

The present reigning champion, Navjot Singh Sidhu, an MP and former Test cricketer, recently held a procession in Amritsar to instill a sense of pride among Sikh youth. Meanwhile, concern over acts of violence in the West against Sikhs, mistaken for members of the Taliban, who also sport turbans, has also prompted overseas campaigns to "dignify" the headgear.

Sikhism and Sikh Culture : www.sikhtourism.com