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