Heritage Place where the 13th Generation of Bhai Dhalla Singh stays in Punjab!

He donated his land where Takht Damdama Sahib stands today! Click Here to Read More

1. Sacred Kirpan that belonged to Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj

2. Hukamnama Signed & Stamped by Guru Gobind Singh ji declaring Talwandi Sabo as Takht Damdama Sahib.

3. Sacred Chola of Guru Gobind Singh Ji with blood stains of Bhai Maha Singh

Bhai Maha Singh, wrote letters of bedava (abandonment of a Sikh from his Guru) to Guru Gobind Singh when Anandpur Sahib was seized by the Mughals, and fled the village.

Later during the Battle of Muktsar, Forty Sikhs returned to the Guru and sacrificed their lives while fighting in his defence against a Mughal Army.

Guru Ji was greatly impressed and pleased by his Sikhs. “Ask whatever you will, the house of Guru Nanak is open to you” to Bhai Maha Singh Ji whom only had one thing on his mind, the letter of desertion and asked for forgiveness. He pleaded Guru Sahib to tear up the letter.

Guru Ji took it out and tore it in front of Bhai Maha Singh.

“You have redeemed yourself here and in the hereafter.” The forty deserters who lay dead in the battlefield were blessed by Guru Sahib Ji as the chali mukhtay – the forty liberated ones.

They became martyrs and the Guru blessed them as Chali Muktey!.
These Sacred Relics bestowed upon Bhai Dhalla Singh by Guru Gobind Singh Ji which are preserved in the descendant family.

The path to my becoming the first Sikh Chaplain in the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom has been neither a planned nor a predictable one. I feel that I have been brought to this point only through God’s Grace.

My educational background is in Agricultural Engineering, having completed both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in India. I came to England to do my Ph.D. in the same field.

I was intrigued by the job description of a Sikh Chaplain when I first saw it advertised in the newspaper, because of my interest in community work and my previous experience in projects involving youth. I liked the concept and the job description, and therefore applied for the position.

Some time later, I was informed that I had been short-listed and was called for an interview. It lasted almost two hours: I was questioned extensively on, inter alia, my knowledge of Sikhism and on general faith issues.

But, out of the blue one day, and to my utter delight, I was offered the position. Sometimes I think that my journey to England has been guided for the very purpose of doing this Seva. I feel great honour and immense humility in being chosen for this task.

I joined in October, 2005 as a Sikh Civilian Chaplain to the military. Although being administered by the British Army, my duties are tri-service: that is, my responsibilities are not only to the Army, but equally apply to the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

I was appointed at C1 grade, which is equivalent to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

The role of a Chaplain is an interesting one.

The Royal Army Chaplains’ Department was founded in 1796. Since then, and until 2005, the faith needs of all British soldiers were in the bailiwick of the Christian Padre.

But times have changed, especially with the United Kingdom now being a multicultural society: a substantial portion of the population in every sector now hails from ethnicities, faiths and backgrounds which are different from the historical demographics.

The mission statement for the Chaplaincy states that it is to be responsible for the “Moral, Pastoral and Spiritual care of all serving personnel”.

The Ministry of Defence has now taken steps to provide different faith Chaplains to meet the needs of the variety of religions now practiced within the rank and file of the Forces. This includes the needs of all the Sikhs who have committed themselves to serve their country in this fashion and are doing so in various capacities – the current enrolment is at approximately ninety.

I believe this is a vitally important development, and am glad to say that it has been warmly welcomed by all the Chaplains in the department. It bodes well for our hope that we will be able to offer a more comprehensive Chaplaincy service which will benefit all serving personnel.

As the Sikh representative in the Forces environment, I feel proud of my religion, and the rich heritage and values with which our Gurus have blessed us. I am therefore particularly heartened by the fact that I also have responsibility towards the chain of command at the Ministry of Defence and Chaplaincy headquarters for any guidance needed about my own faith, and for a mutual sharing of the values of different creeds.

Though with only less than two years of experience in doing this to date, I can see how important a Sikh Chaplaincy is in every Armed Force where Sikhs serve anywhere in the world. It is good for the morale. It really makes a difference when a soldier and his or her family can speak to others in the same milieu who share a common background and belief system. Issues relating to various religious requirements or cultural traditions, including those related to the turban or the Five Ks, thus get easily sorted out.

I am fully cognizant of the fact that, in addition to having received an honour, I now carry a heavy responsibility and a basketful of challenges that come with it. I seek the blessings of the Guru, and the support of the sangat in this great seva, so that I can fulfill my duties and obligations in Chardi Kalaa.

~ Source: SikhChic

Sikh Taxi Driver Tajinder Pal Singh loves to do his bit for the society and what he does will make your heart swell in Pride.

He cooks up 30 kilograms of authentic Indian cuisine to feed the homeless after his night shift is being hailed ‘Australian of The Day’. For the past three years, Tejinder Pal Singh has dedicated the last Sunday of the month to feeding the poor and needy locals of northern Darwin, using what little money he can save.

While people bless him for his act but Mr Singh ignores compliments and attributes his generosity to his Sikh faith.

Mr Singh attributes a deep faith to his generosity, saying, ‘My religion says 10% of income goes toward needy and poor people – no matter (whether) they belong to your religion or any religion.’

Following a grueling twelve hour night shift, he slaves away in his kitchen for five hours to prepare a veritable feast of chickpeas, rice and vegetarian curry – which he then packs into huge containers and serves as a free lunch.

The father of two shrugs off compliments and simply says, ‘I do something for homeless people, so they get more energy so they’re happy’, in an interview with Channel 9.

It’s hard to believe that a racist tirade of abuse from a cab fare in 2012 inspired the humble man to start up the service, in a hope to break down the negative prejudice associated with turbans in the area.

The sacrificial nature has flowed through to his son, Navdeep, who described his father as a kind-hearted, helpful person, reported the ABC. And the thirsty and hungry come flocking when they see his van, decorated with the sign, ‘Free Indian food for hungry and needy people, Provide Sikh family.’

‘I help my dad pour cordial for people who are thirsty, they deserve a cold drink … it’s a really hot day’, Tejinders son, Navdeep, says

The van is decorated with a banner: ‘Free Indian food for hungry and needy people, Provide Sikh family’

Mr Singh’s advice for those inspired by his acts of service, “’I had no sleep, really very hard. If you want to do something for society – you need to work hard.”

It’s not about where you are, what you have, it’s WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN!

SHARE & SPREAD his faith-driven Incredible efforts towards Humanity!

Source- dailymail.co.uk

Harbinderjit Singh, a prominent Sikh in the forefront of Indonesian political activism for more than two decades, was bestowed the Bintang Mahaputra (Star of Mahaputra), the second highest decoration awarded by the Indonesian government. Indonesian President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo presented the award at the State Palace in Jakarta on Aug 13 to mark Indonesia’s 70th Independence Day.

70 Yr Old Mr Singh served in several senior government positions, especially in the area of agriculture and poverty alleviation.

In 2011, he was made the Special Envoy to the President of Indonesia for Poverty Alleviation under the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. He was also a member of the National Economic Committee (KEN) from 2010-2012. He headed the Coordinating Agency for National Poverty Alleviation in 2001.

Harbinderjit has been at the forefront of political activism for more than two decades. He is a voice for the peasants, a champion of human rights. He has also been a figure of terror, primarily for the corrupt. His words spare no one, according to an article in The Jakarta Post in 2005.

“My great grandfather was a farmer in Punjab, India, who migrated to Medan decades back. Plantation runners were much in demand by the Dutch in Indonesia then. But unlike in Malaysia, where the bulk of plantation workers were Indians deported by the British, here they were mostly locals,” he was qouted in the story entitled ‘HS Dhillon, a fearless campaigner’.

Also receiving awards in the same ceremony were Air Chief Marshall (Rt) Ida Bagus Putu Dunia, the first Balinese Hindu to be appointed Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and former Navy Chief of Staff Admiral (Rt) Marsetio.

The Mahaputra award is akin to India’s Padma Bhushan award. It entitles him to be cremated in Kalibata, the National Heroes Cemetery, akin to the US’ Arlington National Cemetery.

Harbinderjit was awarded a PhD in Agricultural Economics by the Cornell University, US, in 1983.

~ Source: AsiaSamachar

‘Chaar Sahibzaade’ was the first3D animated film on Sikh history and is based on the real story of the sacrifices of the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh and received an overwhelming response from the audience across the globe.

The movie was praised for its emotional and unbiased portrayal of one of the most important chapters of Sikh history.

Now according to sources close to the makers of the film, the sequel is being worked upon and is in the initial pre-production stage.

TheGraphicSlate.com has also exclusively learned that Prime Focus India would be working on the animation and post-production of the sequel which will be once again be directed by Harry Baweja.

According to sources, the sequel will hit screens only in the latter half of 2017, but then again one can never really predict delivery dates when dealing in high-quality animation.

~ Source: Graphic Slate

She ranked No.1 in British Columbia in the 75 kg category and made it to the national team with a highest total of 219 kg in March.

She was a part of the 13-member Canadian weightlifting team for the quadrennial event. It will be a proud moment for us when she wears the Team Canada jersey at the Pan American Games. She was Canada’s only weightlifter to qualify for the Youth Olympic Games in 2010.

She also lifted a silver medal in the snatch event in the Junior World Championship in Lima, Peru, and bagged another silver in the Senior Commonwealth Championships in Malaysia in 2013. She won her first international gold medal at the Sub-Youth Pan American Championship in 2006, and repeated that win in 2007.

Her father, Harnek Singh won his last national title in Jamshedpur in 1989 where he set a national record with a lift of 189 kg in the 82.5 kg category before immigrating to Canada ,Prabdeep was born in Talwan village in 1993 .

In Canada’s Surrey, Harnek started working in tree plantations while keeping his passion for weightlifting alive, inspiring Prabdeep and her younger sister Simerdeep to choose the sport in 2002. He is now a truck driver.

~ Source: IndianExpress

It was a visit to Panipat (Haryana) recently. I was there to attend an event on invitation of known social activist Ram Mohan Rai. Panipat is a name known for battles in history books, however, this place has become a ground of peace and social reformation in many senses. Panipat has many crowns who worked for peace and social reformation and particularly for Indo-Pak relations; this place has become more relevant as many people migrated from and to Panipat during partition.

A famous shrine of Bu Ali Shah Qalander is situated in the city and about this sufi saint of Chishti order, it was said that he was very popular and had received fragrance (Bu) of Muhammad. I had the fortune of visiting the shrine resonating great peace, calmness and love.

The whole area that surrounds this shrine is a well-known market and an area that provides livelihood to many. Just outside the gate of this shrine, many shopkeepers are decorating their shops with flowers, itra, agarbattis and chaadars. I found one Sikh named Son Singh there who was dedicatedly selling the same things. It was a wonder that a Sikh was selling chadars, itra, etc to be offered for a Muslim shrine. I talked with him and got to know his interesting, thought-provoking story.

He told me that his family was doing the same thing since last 60 years. He narrated that his father Gurubachan Singh migrated from Shekhupura, Lahore during 1947. He did not remember the exact place from where his father was, but he knew that it was somewhere near Churakhana and the name of place was changed later to Jalalabad (probably) that was situated near a Gurdwara. During partition, his father Gurubachan Singh somehow managed to reach safely to Amritsar first and then went to Pilibheet (in Uttar Pradesh) in search of livelihood. After being in Pilibhit for some time, he came to Panipat, where he settled in one room that was filled with wool as this area belonged to weavers who had migrated to Pakistan. He got married in Panipat with the girl of another migrated family.

Son Singh told that his father Gurubachan Singh, in spite of being a Sikh by religion, knew Urdu language very well and would recite Quran very well. During his stay in Panipat, Gurubachan Singh read Guru Granth Sahab in the morning and then Quran at this shrine. Son Singh remembers that his father used to talk about Maulvi Attaullah of the shrine, who was a good friend of him and Gurubachan Singh used to offer Namaj with him. Son Singh tells that he (his father Gurubachan Singh) did it voluntary and he never minded doing it or never thought it as undoable or un-pious. He also wanted to go to his native place Shekhupura in Pakistan once but later he died and could not go back to see his birth place.

Son Singh still carries his legacy. He has respect for the Sufi saint Bu Ali Shah Qalander. He tells that he could have opted for other business also but he decided to run the same that his father had started. In spite of a victim of partition, he has no hatred for Pakistan or its people. He is only an eight standard passed and he sadly accepts that he could not learn Urdu. After knowing about me that I am working in a small way for Indo-Pak friendship, he expressed his desire that though his father could not go to Pakistan and died here, but he wants to visit Pakistan at least once before his own death. He also tells that he believes that people of both sides are same and friendly and he imagines that how nice it would be if all these fight and enmity of governments will be stopped.

I could see this Son Singh who in spite of not so educated was educating me about communal harmony and peace bonds, about humanity and love, about tolerance and dedication and many such things together. When we took his permission to leave, he immediately pulled my hand and told a boy working in his shop, ‘Chai aur biscuit lekar aa’ (Bring tea and biscuits soon), we accepted his offer with respect and left. While saying goodbye, he also offered dinner for us at his home with his family. This gesture was extremely unexpected in our present society.

Source Narrated by Ravi Nitesh, submitted to twocircles.net

Heritage Place where the 13th Generation of Bhai Dhalla Singh stays in Punjab!

He donated his land where Takht Damdama Sahib stands today!
This is the pic of his Astabal (Horse-stable) to which his family shifted and his 13th generation lives there today.

Bhai Dalla Singh was landlord of Talvandi Sabo, enthusiastically received Guru Gobind Singh when he arrived there with his entourage early in 1706, and attended diligently to the needs and comforts of the daily-growing Sangat.

Sacred Relics bestowed upon him by Guru Gobind Singh are preserved in the descendant family as sacred relics.

Day in and day out, a human keeps flowing in the ocean of life, no matter how smooth or troublesome the path maybe. His everlasting quest for a better life triggers him to find best possible ways to live a meaningful life. Well, this attempt also empowers him to come to terms with ups and downs.

In this journey of happy and sad moments, a human is often accompanied by his closed ones whose sentimental support becomes indispensable to stay composed and focussed even when the circumstances go unfavorable. So, no doubt, his blood relations stand by him during hardships, but there come times when opinions contradict and a tussle makes it way. This impasse tends to deteriorate his power of thinking and ultimately, ends up landing him nowhere.

So, where lies the solution? Doesn’t it pose a great challenge to a human’s temperament? Yes, it does and apparently, his wish to live a meaningful life gets defeated.

The capability of human beings to perceive things and use their approach is limited. There is felt the need of someone who could provide an incessant support and handle the turbulence and tribulation of life in his own manner.

This kind of a friend is unlimited in his approach, for his roots don’t lie in this materialistic world, but belong to the world of eternity. His power is unlimited and his existence is beyond time. It’s only his guidance and mentorship that help one strike a right chord between different activities. This role is played by an eternal friend who doesn’t let your morale go down, but boosts it, doesn’t contradict with your opinion, but sets its compatibility with you, doesn’t allow pessimism to disrupt you, but infuses your instinct with never-ending zeal.

Such an eternal relationship is not bounded by selfish means, but is channelized by an association that is free of prejudice. Yes, this is the beauty of a real relationship that a pupil shares with his Perfect Master. A Perfect Master bestows on his pupil, the eternal technique of self-realization, Brahmgyan that helps him establish direct connection with the Master inside only through meditation. This eliminates the need of rejoicing in this materialistic world where happiness stays for a certain period of time and then a human again becomes restless.

This kind of friend is Guru sahib.

~ Source: thenational.ae

The percentage population of Sikhs dropped 10.5% in 10 years from 1.9% (in 2001) to 1.7% (in 2011).

The Religion based Census data released by the Central Government shows that while India’s Total Population in 2011 is 121.09 crores; Sikh constitute 2.08 crores (1.7%), Hindu 96.63 crores (79.8%); Muslim 17.22 crores (14.2%); Christian 2.78 crores (2.3%);

Indian population growth rate in the decade 2001-2011 was 17.7 %. while Sikhs grew 8.4% at half the growth rate of the nation.

The decadal growth rate in Sikh population was pegged at 24.3% in 1991, which fell to 18.2% in 2001 and further to 8.4% in 2011. It has fallen by 15.9% in two decades

This alarming slowdown of the Sikhs is the lowest percentage since 1951. Sikhs were growing annually at the rate of 1.7% for a long time. Now that has dropped to 0.84%. Out of all the religious communities, it’s only the growth rate of Muslim population which has shows an upward trend.

India was partitioned in 1947. Hindus and Sikhs constituted about 20% of the population in what is now Pakistan. Now it is barely 1%.

This demographic catastrophe seeks attention and time to think to upon.

A religion known for its unparalleled sacrifices, a religion which stood up for the religious freedom of others is now at the brink of slowly becoming a micro-minority! Can we afford to lose it!

Time we should direct our thoughts, and ponder upon them.

Source: http://zeenews.india.com/news/india/hindu-population-declines-by-0-7-muslims-increased-by-0-8-reveals-modi-govts-religion-based-census-data_1652693.html