The dastar is closely associated with Sikhi and is an important and unique part of the Sikh culture. Among Sikhs, the dastar is an article of faith that represents honor, self-respect, courage, spirituality and piety. The Sikh warriors and Khalsa wear the dastar as per the wishes of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. But some people think the dastar is only for men, and women are not required to wear it. This article will explain why I, a Sikh woman, wear the dastar.

In Sikhi, the Guru Granth Sahib clearly states that Sikh women are regarded equal to men. She is considered to have same soul as man and thus, has the equal right to grow spiritually. Guru Gobind Singh Ji said, “I will give my Sikhs a distinct and unique appearance, which will be recognized while standing in millions.”

Guru Gobind Singh Ji did not say that he would give uniqueness only to men. When Guru Ji said “Khalsa,” he meant men and women both. Guru Ji gave the same code of discipline, the same rights, the same uniqueness, and the same dress to all Sikhs. So, how is it that some believe women would be excluded from wearing dastar? Guru Gobind Singh Ji made no distinction and referred to initiated Sikh men and women as the Khalsa and instructed them to wear a dastar. Guru Gobind Singh Ji did not make two different Sikhs or two different Khaslas.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji said, “Khalsa mero roop hai khas,” which in my view means, “The Khalsa is a true picture of me.”

I believe that now-a-days, the dastar is very important for Kaurs. To a Kaur, the dastar means more to her than a crown does to a queen. Through this dastar, Guru Gobind Singh Ji gave a unique identity to Kaurs, which can easily distinguish Kaurs from other women. Furthermore, wearing a head covering enables me to command my sixth center. The dastar is our Guru’s unique gift to me. It conveys royalty, grace and uniqueness. Dastar for Kaur is a signal to others that we are princesses of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and we are equal to the men. When a Kaur choose to stand out by tying dastar, she stands fearlessly as one single person standing out from billion people. It is a most outstanding act.

For me, I wanted to come close to the image of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. I wanted to keep the same “roop.” Guru Gobind Singh Ji said, “Jab lab khalsa rahe niyara. Tab lag diyoon mai saara,” which in my opinion means, “As long as Khaslas preserve its uniqueness and follows the path of true Guru, I will bless them with all of my powers.”

When I look into the mirror, I want to see the reflection of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The dastar helps me connect to my Sikh roots.

If I have said something wrong, it is my humble request, please forgive me.

Akal Sahaie jio….

~ By Honey Kaur
~ Source: www.kaurlife.org

A creative journey into Sikhi

The arts provide an opportunity to express the mind’s inner longing and life in it’s true form in a visual platform which can be shared. My art work as a student and currently reflect the stages of my own growth both spiritually and evolutionally of thought process throughout life. My art begins with sketches of family and then ends with working with sangat working together to magnify the glory of our living Guru Sri Guru Granth Sahib. This evolution of spiritual growth is personal and reflected in my art.

Family

One of my very first sketch was of my older four sisters when I was 15 years old. I drew this sketch when they all got married and left me alone. They had cared for me and helped to bring me up. We all had a very close and cosy relationship. The picture below of my sisters, is more of a reminder of them being together with me. It was my little creation as a child of the four women who shaped my future in many ways.

Studying the Arts

I loved studying the arts, the beauty of the written word. I moved to sixth form college and met new friends and went to a new school. Amongst the mayhem of college, for me poetry provided an expression of truth that was lacking everywhere. I began my longing and search for truth in poetry. I came across the ‘Jap Ji’ when I read the ‘Jap Ji’ by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. I was overwhelmed by it’s beauty, power and simple expressions of containing universal truth.

Thus began my journey into Sikhi. I drew a painting of Guru Nanak Dev Ji when I was 18 years old. The painting was from Shohba Singh’s painting it was for me a pillar of strength and connection with the universal truth. It provided me with the strength to deal with challenges of life. University friendships were easy and simple and still exist in the form of strong bondage that can never be broken.

Life Takes Over

I got married, had a family, worked hard in my career in high profile roles. There came a time when I was working hard, running a family and had no time for myself, years had a gone by and I was nothing more than a machine . I felt the need to connect once more with the universe. I took a break of 4 weeks to learn yoga in New Mexico. I felt all my being had been cleansed. I experienced amazing beauty in the desert, my eyes where opened to the real world. I was not just another clog wheeling the system of contradictory ideologies. I had the opportunity to be separate from this and teach people how to be more relaxed . Never had I been in this position before and I liked myself far more. In New Mexico it was the first time I had experienced doing Jap Ji at Amrit Vela. The first time I saw the beauty of the night time stars, the brilliance array of stars in the clear skies is one of the most beautiful experiences ever. The creator creating the most beautiful scenery in existence. Guru Nank Dev ji in ‘Kirtan Sohila’ cites the entire universe including the stars as working in harmony in the praise of its creator.

‘The sky is the salver; the sun and the moon the lamps; the stars, with their orbs, are the studded pearls’

Coming back I cared for newborn, dying relative and young son and was made redundant. When existing doors close, others open, I began stone carving.

Stone Carving Yoga Poses.

While my son was a toddler I started carving in stone, each strive with the hammer released all my emotions and made me calmer, it was very thearuptic. I hammered and hammered away for years, slowly creating my yoga poses that will last a lifetime.

Volcanic Glass

However, I was to discover the the hammered into nature was not always what nature wanted. Sometime nature is its own beauty. A yoga student wanted me to carve into volcanic glass a relief of a peacock. However, she could not find the stone, eventually she found the stone, it seemed the stone was hiding. The volcanic glass would have need heavy machinery to cut into the glass as volcanic glass is often used to cut other heavy materials including diamonds. I struggled to cut it, but felt the stone looked more beautiful just as it was, with natural erosions carved into it’s being to show it timeless beauty. The dust of the stone had settled into my lungs and made it difficult for me to breathe. My nurse promptly gave me cocktail of drugs which made me worse. I was not hospitalised but did go to the hospital. The whole time I was totally calm and collective and was dismissed almost dismissed as ‘worried well’ patient. Until they did the tests, it took me a while to recover and when I recovered I thrived. I was fitter and healthier than I had ever been in my life.

Gentle Breathing

I wanted to help others as I knew I was not alone, I was one of the lucky ones that had escaped death, I realised 3 people a day die unnecessarily. I escaped purely because I was totally calm and collective throughout the whole process. I setup breathing courses and compiled an audio to help people breath better.

My calmness was due to my increased prayers and voluntary work I was doing. I was involved in setting up a new Sikh complex, I helped primarily in the kitchens and listened to prayers. It was through this simple process and with a sangat the revered the Guru Granth Sahib has our living Guru that I too saw that our living Guru Sri Guru Granth Sahib was the supreme light on earth. I felt inspired to carve God’s name in stone.

Creativity with the Sangat

In addition to this I was active with the sangat and worked with ladies to help them flower arrange in temples. I taught many women flower arranging. However, as an art and art as an reflection of reality of my experience. I felt compelled to share that in this world the creator existed in the words of Guru Granth Sahib. The creator as a healing force as an embodiment of light. The words Guru Ka Shabad Rattan He Heera Ji Jaaro’. This means that Gurus words are like jewels and one should wear them like diamonds. One can create an illusion of beauty with make-up and stone diamonds, but the real beauty within you is one you connect with Gurus shabad and allow the diamond within you to shine. After this there is no need ever to wear artificial jewels because there is no comparison. When I took Amrit I was told sternly never to wear jewellery, I was upset because although I never too interested in jewellery I did enjoy looking at it. But I came to the realisation that the jewels of Guru’s shabad are far greater than any diamonds. They shine with beauty bringing constant joy and happiness with them because within them they contain the creator. This is why we treat the Sri Guru

Granth Sahib as a living Guru.

I felt inspired to create and share that experience. With the sangat, a group of ladies devoted to cleaning and cooking in the Gurdwara, we worked together to design brightly and with tiny little diamonds the words ‘Guru Ka Shabad Rattan Ja Heera Ji Jaaro’ onto glass so that the sangat could see the beauty and jewels of Guru’s Shabad. Some of the diamonds were falling apart and with the help of Ilford Building Supplies, I have been able to redo the glass design this time using stain glass paint that shines even more than tiny diamonds. The glass design could not have been undertaken without the support of Ilford Building supplies who brought the materials, with the ladies of the sangat and the men who agreed to put up the glass design. It was a collective effort in joining and recognising the light in Gurbani. If the Gurdwara is my true home then the sangat is my family who have supported me in the evolution of experience to understand simple Sikh concepts as a reality of being.

The actual glass design is very big and above the Guru Granth Sahib. The new glass is still waiting to be installed into the building.

Sikh art in the community.

I was described as a ‘nobody’ by a Sikh art historian. However a ‘nobody’ can still grasp firmly on the hems of a greater force and claim that they have every right to a freedom of expression to create on a visual form the spiritual experience. Now I view the title of ‘nobody’ as a compliment because when you are a nobody you are also everybody and do not have a label. A nobody can absorb all the forces and become everybody and a nobody at the same time. Just as the carving of the soapstone in mediation.

Another Sikh stone carver refused to work with the Sikh community. He described them as having the ‘mentality of football hooligans’. This may be due to the fact that largely the Sikh community came from farming backgrounds and when subsistence living and survival takes priority, art was a distraction to survival, therefore to be avoided. In addition to this creative expression deviate from the norm and creates its own beauty. In a regimental Sikh conservative culture, art is viewed with caution, because it represents deviation and all deviates are usually violently opposed, until they are finally accepted. However, with growing middle classes and the innate need to connect with a higher truth, young professionals are more open and appreciative of art. While doing all the art work and painting I have been 100% self-financed with no support from anyone, other than my partner who pays for my living expenses. I have not sold any of my art work other than the stone peacock. The support needed to continue ends, for me it is my personal journey and the experience priceless. The joy and pleasure in expressing my spirituality in art has been a privilege.

The journey ends

The journey pauses and ends. I seek no more longing for the universal truth, when I find it in the waves of the sea, the waves do not go up in isolation but in harmony with others, and everything that goes up will come down with in harmony with the other waves. My journey has been a lonely one, as many doors shut on my face I dwell further into seeking solace from the creator. Yoga now consists only of connecting with the wind as it brushes past. The journey of seeking ends with the realization that out of all the places my peace is only in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib. There is no more seeking, the expression has unfolded and ends in the written words of Gurbani which is the creator of nature and life itself.

~ By Gurmit Kaur
~ Source: Sikhnet.com

Having conducting these awards for 25 years, England selects a student, who along with education also volunteers for social & community programs.

This is the first time in the history of these awards, a Sikh has been given this prestige. Arpan Kaur, an emerging writer, has won seven times ‘The Best Camper’ in the annual camps conducted. Apart from
these, She raises funds for various charities, playing a special role in Ludhiana district of Punjab village. Charan Kanwal Singh, Sekhon’s father celebrates her victory, adding that the whole of Punjab is proud.

~ Source: Facebook.com

Punjab – the bountiful land of five rivers, stretching across from northeast Pakistan to northwest India has been, for more than two millennia, the home to a historic passageway that now extends itself as the Grand Trunk Road. It was also the gateway through which waves of immigrants,travellers, and invaders entered the subcontinent. As a result, a great deal of cultural diversity marks the road.

The greatest journeys are made on the road: biting dust, breathing local life, revving up the engine and hitting the tarmac. For a driving enthusiast, Punjab is an unparalleled destination and Experience Punjab: On The Road is a veritable guide to anyone who want to traverse the various highways and country-roads that carve the region.

Also, the book shares insights and inputs on driving routes throughout the state, dividing the routes into five districts: Amritsar, Chandigarh, Patiala, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar. Additionally, there are practical tips for the readers on how to plan your drive through Punjab, getting your car ready and what to pack.

The guidebook not only covers the regular sightseeing attractions that dot the region: palaces and forts, countless gurudwaras, memorials, and museums, the Golden Temple, and the Attari-Wagah Border. It also takes you to the little known villages on the highway, points at the tiny road-side dhabas serving robust local flavours, and features local art and craft, anecdotes, trivia, and farm stays for the discerning traveller.

Experience Punjab: On The Road uses pictorial style of street photography to capture everyday life and that makes the book a collector’s item.

Main features of the book are:

• Colourful pictures bring alive the essence of the vibrant state. Photo feature on the Golden Temple etc.
• Front Section has detailed information on what to pack, choosing a vehicle, preparing for all eventuality and tips on making a driving trip an enjoyable experience.
• Each drive features a distance/time chart as well as detailed directions to stay on track. It also gives locations of petrol pumps along the route.
• Special Features: The book details some better known and lesser known local festivals and other activities to engage a family including art and craft, music and culture, the distinct cuisine etc.
• There are detailed listings for where to stay and eat all along the route including home stays and farm stays.

~ Source: Times of India

Fremont, CA – Two years ago, California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB1964, or the California Workplace Religious Freedom Act (WRFA), into law. AB1964 prohibits religion-based segregation in the workplace and strengthens the legal standard for religious accommodations in favor of employees and job applicants. AB1964, which went into effect in January 2013, provides workers in California the nation’s strongest protections against religious discrimination.

The passage of this bill was a historic win for the civil rights community, and represents one of the most far-reaching victories in the Sikh Coalition’s history.

To celebrate AB1964, the Sikh Coalition is proud to bring you the first of four stories of community members who benefited from the new law. Today, we share the story of Deputy Sheriff Harinder Kaur Khalsa of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office in Alameda County, California.

Meet Deputy Sheriff Harinder Kaur Khalsa
Deputy Sheriff Khalsa is the longest-serving turbaned Sikh American in a uniformed law enforcement position in the United States.

Harinder Kaur Khalsa, a former social worker, joined the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) in 2004. In 2005, she graduated from the police academy and was hired as a Deputy Sheriff. Deputy Sheriff Khalsa enjoys working with people, using her Punjabi language skills at her job, and de-escalating potentially dangerous situations.

In 2009, Deputy Sheriff Khalsa took Amrit (the Sikh religious initiation) and began wearing a turban. ACSO told her that she could not wear her turban while in uniform. The agency gave her only one option — a non-uniformed desk assignment; in other words, she could not wear her turban while wearing her Deputy Sheriff uniform. At the time, state law in California was not strong enough to protect Deputy Sheriff Khalsa.

She chose to stay with ACSO and wear her turban in a dead-end assignment that segregated her from the public. Three years later, AB1964 became law. The bill strengthened California’s laws against workplace discrimination and explicitly outlawed segregation on the basis of religious dress.

In January 2013, ACSO complied with the requirements of AB1964 and finally allowed Deputy Sheriff Khalsa to wear her turban with her Deputy Sheriff uniform, and made all uniformed assignments available to her.

~ Source: sikhcoalition.org

Pakistani child education activist Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian child rights campaigner, have jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize.

At the age of just 17, Malala is the youngest ever recipient of the prize.

The teenager was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen in October 2012 for campaigning for girls’ education. She now lives in Birmingham in the UK.

Malala said she was “honoured” to receive the award, saying it made her feel “more powerful and courageous”.

She revealed she found out the news after being called out of her chemistry class at her school in Birmingham.

“I’m really happy to be sharing this award with a person from India,” she said at a news conference, before joking that she couldn’t pronounce Mr Satyarthi’s surname.

The Nobel committee praised the pair’s “struggle against the suppression of children and young people”.

Mr Satyarthi has maintained the tradition of Mahatma Gandhi and headed various forms of peaceful protests, “focusing on the grave exploitation of children for financial gain,” the committee said at the Nobel Institute in Oslo.

The 60-year-old founded Bachpan Bachao Andolan, or the Save the Childhood Movement, which campaigns for child rights and an end to human trafficking.

Reacting to the news, Mr Satyarthi told the BBC: “It’s a great honour for all the Indians, it’s an honour for all those children who have been still living in slavery despite of all the advancement in technology, market and economy.

“And I dedicate this award to all those children in the world.”

‘Heroic struggle’

Thorbjorn Jagland, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, paid tribute to Malala’s achievements.

“Despite her youth, Malala Yousafzai, has already fought for several years for the right of girls to education and has shown by example that children and young people too can contribute to improving their own situations,” he said.

“This she has done under the most dangerous circumstances. Through her heroic struggle she has become a leading spokesperson for girls’ rights to education.”

The committee said it was important that a Muslim and a Hindu, a Pakistani and an Indian, had joined in what it called a common struggle for education and against extremism.

The view from Birmingham: Phil Mackie, BBC News

When she opened the Library of Birmingham last year, Malala Yousafzai charmed the crowd by referring to them as “fellow Brummies”. It was a deft touch from a teenager who many believe is destined for a life in politics either here or in her native Pakistan.

She arrived in the city in horrific circumstances after surviving an assassination attempt and was treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, home to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine.

The expertise gained by medics who are used to patching up wounded troops from conflict zones, meant it was the best place for her treatment.

She remains an outpatient, and today the hospital trust praised her for her “remarkable recovery and fight to lead a full life as a vibrant and spirited teenager”.

This year’s prize is likely to be seen as an uncontroversial choice from a Norwegian Nobel committee which has not shied away from controversy in recent years, says the BBC’s Lars Bevanger in Oslo.

Norway’s relations with China are still suffering after a Chinese dissident won the peace prize in 2010, our correspondent adds.

Malala and Mr Satyarthi will now be invited to attend an award ceremony in Oslo in December to receive a medal and $1.4m (£860,000) pounds in prize money.

‘Pride of Pakistan’

Malala first came to attention in 2009 after she wrote an anonymous diary for BBC Urdu about life under Taliban rule in north-west Pakistan.

She was shot when gunmen boarded her school bus in the Swat Valley.

She has since recovered from the attack and has remained in the public eye, publishing an autobiography and addressing the UN General Assembly.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif congratulated Malala Yousafzai, calling her the “pride” of his country.

“Her achievement is unparalleled and unequalled. Girls and boys of the world should take the lead from her struggle and commitment,” he said in a statement.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined thousands of Twitter users praising the pair, saying the entire nation was proud of Mr Satyarthi’s “momentous achievement”.

He also congratulated Malala for her “journey of immense grit and courage”.

Malala was named one of Time magazine’s most influential people in 2013, and awarded the EU’s prestigious Sakharov human rights prize that year.

She had been hotly tipped to win last year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

Her win in 2014 takes the number of women awarded the prize to 16 out of 95.

This year’s record number of 278 Nobel Peace Prize nominees included Pope Francis and Congolese gynaecologist Denis Mukwege, although the full list was kept a secret.

Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta had also been tipped as favourites for the award.

~ Source: http://www.bbc.com/

Fremont, CA – In the second of our four-part series, we bring you the story of Amandeep Singh, a young man who was pivotal inenacting AB1964, or California’s Workplace Religious Freedom Act. In 2012, Police Cadet Amandeep Singh – a resident of Yuba City, CA – testified before the Committee on Labor and Employment at the California State Assembly about his experiences as a Sikh trying to join law enforcement. Cadet Singh had tried joining a police agency for seven years but was not allowed to do so because of his Sikh articles of faith (specifically, his turban and unshorn beard).

Cadet Singh’s compelling testimony was critical in helping to pass AB1964, a law that provides workers in California with the nation’s strongest protections against religious discrimination.

It was only after the passage of AB1964 that Cadet Singh’s desire to start a law enforcement career became a reality. Cadet Singh is currently enrolled at the Yuba College Police Academy and hopes to work as a uniformed police officer when he graduates.

We wish Cadet Singh the best of luck and thank him for all his efforts in helping to enact the very law that protects him today.

– Source: http://sikhcoalition.org/

Kanwal Prakash Singh was among 12 volunteers who were honored by Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard with Community Service Awards at the 22nd annual award function at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center on September 22, 2014. Over the past 47 years, KP has greatly contributed to the international landscape, vision, and spirit of Indianapolis and Indiana through his sense of history, artwork, cultural literacy, journalism, and civic engagement.

Before presenting the Award to KP Singh, the official introduction read as “Since his arrival in Indiana 46 years ago, KP Singh has emphasized the importance of learning about other cultures and faiths so that we can become better neighbors and citizens. KP has greatly contributed to the international landscape, vision, and spirit of Indianapolis and Indiana through his sense of history, artwork, cultural literacy, journalism, and civic engagement. In 1972, KP joined a group of enlightened citizens as a co-founder of the International Center of Indianapolis (ICI).

ICI showcases the talents of distinct cultural groups making Indianapolis their home and honors outstanding citizens that symbolize and promote Indiana’s international outreach. KP’s business, KP Singh Designs, reflects his passion and advocacy for preservation of Indiana’s historic architecture through his ink drawings. He also writes about cultural diversity, interfaith issues, community events for numerous online and print publications. KP is truly a citizen of the world, and we are proud that he calls Indianapolis home. Let’s show our appreciation for Mr. Kanwal Prakash Singh.”

KP Singh was nominated for the Mayor’s Community Service Award by Rupal Thanawala, President, Asian American Alliance.

KP received a Bachelor of Arts from Punjab University in 1958 and Bachelor of Architecture (Honors) and Master of Technology (Town and Country Planning) from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India in 1963. KP received a Master of City Planning (1966) and is winner of the Daverman Merit Award in Architecture from the University of Michigan. KP is the recipient of Sagamore of the Wabash from the State of Indiana (1994); International Citizen of the Year (1995) and other honors. In April 2014, KP was honored with the prestigious FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award.

Others who were honored with the Mayor Greg Ballard’s Community Service Awards on Monday were Marcia Hoffbauer, Steve Adams, James Jackson, Cindy Maude, Fred and Carina McDowell, Tom Sturm, James E Waters, Andrea S Weiner and Sabrina Young.

– SikhNet.com

Gopeshwar: The sacred portals of Hemkund Sahib – a famous Sikh shrine in Garhwal Himalayas – will be closed Friday for six months due to the onset of winter during which the area remains snowbound and inaccessible.

Preparations for the ceremonial closure of the doors of the revered shrine have been given finishing touches even as hordes of Sikh pilgrims are arriving at Govindghat and Ghanghariya, the two major halts on way to the temple, to participate in the last prayers of the season, Manager of the Gurudwara said.

After offering final prayers for the season the doors of the shrine situated at 16000 ft above sea level will be closed for six months at forenoon tomorrow, he said.

Immediately after the closure of the temple, the Sikh pilgrims will begin retreating to Govinddham.

Areas around Hemkund Sahib have been receiving light snowfall for the past few days but pilgrims are braving the cold to arrive at the shrine in large numbers.

The number of visitors at the shrine have already touched the 1.8 lakh mark this season, he said.

Though the trek route was heavily damaged in last year’s calamity, Hemkund Sahib received more pilgrims this season than the famous Char Dham including Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, he said.

Hemkund sahib is situated at a height of 16000 ft near the famous Badrinath temple in the border district of Chamoli.

A distance of 22 km is traversed from Govindghat to reach Hemkund Sahib.

– PTI