NANKANA SAHIB, Pakistan (February 18, 2014)—Gurdwara Bal Lila located in Nankana Sahib in present day Pakistan is named after Guru Nanak (1469-1539), the founder of the Sikh faith. Guru Nanak was born in this town on Baisakh Sudi 3, 1526 Bk/ 15 April 1469.

About 300 metres south-east of Gurdwara Janam Asthan, marks the field where Guru Nanak used to play in the company of other children. As is apparent by the name, this site is related with the wonderful adventures of early childhood of the Guru. The Guru in his infancy, used to transport the enlightenment of the Naam (God’s name) to the minds of his friends, while playing with them.

The original holy pond Nanaksar with this Gurdwara was built by Rai Bular, the ruler of Talwandi. Guru Hargobind during his visit to the town is said to have enlarged the site. Diwan Kaura Mall, a Hindu noble (d. 1752), after his victory over Multan with the assistance of the Sikhs in 1748, further enlarged this Gurdwara and brick lined two sides of the nearby tank originally dug by Rai Bular.

~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 18th Feb ’14

As is said, miracles can happen anywhere, anytime. Five years ago a retired Sikh-Canadian couple walking their dog through their neighborhood stumbled upon a brilliant idea, an idea more thought of but very hard to comprehend – the idea to help clean up the neighbourhood and do charity for brotherhood.

Narinder Singh Parmar and his wife Kulwant Kaur Parmar started collecting pop cans and bottles from the neighbouring areas and yes, quite naturally they together felt embarrassed about the strange looks they were rewarded with. However, they kept at their project on and worked harder. Soon the hard work started reflecting in turn reflecting the appreciations from the neighbours who now acted normal and took to appreciate the efforts being out in.

Mrs. Kaur said, “It is a lot of work, it’s almost a full time job and we do not care about the people laughing at us, we do a good job, we know that, we know we did something (good) for somebody.”

Each day the couple spends hours going through their neighbourhood looking for cans and bottles. They store everything in their garage which now has turned into a mini recycling depot. When it starts to overflow they spend many more hours sorting everything out, bagging and filling up their pickup truck. The collection is delivered to the recycling depot and exchanged for cash which is then delivered to charity.

“I don’t need this money. I got enough money of my own to live on. So I said well, (let’s) clean the streets (and help) the environment and use this money for a good purpose”, stated Narinder Singh.

Their latest donation total was to the Nanaimo Hospice Society for $1500 which very much appreciates the donations. “Every cent helps, $1500 to us is a significant amount. It touches our heart”.

Perhaps the motivating factor for this couple is that they have faced hard times of their own and now in retirement they just want to give back to society and help others. The Parmars recall their early days when they first arrived to this country, “I had a hard time when I came to Canada so now I have everything and (we) just want to help”.

Not only is their hard work a great service to society but also keeps them busy and healthy, “I always have a bag with me, I take my dog for a walk, I’m retired, (and there’s) nothing else to do”. Therefore, the good work will continue and many more will keep benefitting.

Dhan Sikhi! Let us know of your ideas, suggestions in the comment box below-

Harnaam Kaur, of Slough, Berkshire, suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome – and a beard first started to appear on her face aged just 11. The hair quickly spread to her chest and arms, and the condition made her the victim of taunts at school and on the street. She even received death threats from strangers over the internet. But Miss Kaur has now decided to stop cutting her hair after being baptised as a Sikh – a religion in which cutting body hair is forbidden. She said: ‘I would never ever go back now and remove my facial hair because it’s the way God made me and I’m happy with the way I am.

‘I feel more feminine, more sexy and I think I look it too. I’ve learned to love myself for who I am nothing can shake me now.’ During her early teens, Miss Kaur was so ashamed of her beard that she waxed twice a week, and also tried bleaching and shaving. But the hair became thicker and spread – with Miss Kaur feeling so self-conscious that she refused to leave her house. She even began self-harming and she considered suicide. She said: ‘I got bullied badly – at school I was called a “beardo” and things like “shemale” and “sheman”. I can laugh about it now, but back then it affected me so badly that I began to self-harm because it felt better than all the abuse I was getting.

Despite all the opposition, she took the step to bear her beard, and now embraces the thick hair on her face and chest. But at the age of 16, everything changed for Miss Kaur when she decided to be baptised as a Sikh. It meant she would have to let her facial hair grow out.

The decision proved controversial – especially with her family. Miss Kaur said: ‘My mum and dad didn’t want me to do it – they didn’t think I’d be able to have a normal life if I had a beard. ‘They worried I wouldn’t be able to get married and that I’d never get a job. But I wanted to make my own decisions and live for myself – not anyone else. I’d had enough of hiding. Harnaam Kaur has embraced her beard after becoming a Sikh.

‘I’d had enough of the bullying and the self-harming and the suicidal thoughts. I wanted to change my whole outlook on life and I thought I thought it was time to stop locking myself away – I had to do something about it.’

PCOS is a common condition affecting a woman’s ovaries, with three main features. These are cysts developing in their ovaries, the ovaries not regularly releasing eggs, and high levels of male hormones – ‘androgens’. The syndrome is associated with irregular hormone levels in the body, including insulin. There is no cure for the condition, but medicine is available to treat symptoms such as excessive hair growth and fertility problems.

Most women with the condition can get pregnant – but sometimes need a surgical procedure called laparoscopic ovarian drilling. This involves destroying tissue in the ovaries making androgens including testosterone. Her parents have come to terms with her decision – and her brother Gurdeep Singh, 18, is her biggest supporter.

She said: ‘It was incredibly daunting going outside because people would stare more than ever. At first I was angry but I realised that they didn’t understand and were probably too afraid to ask me so I just decided to smile back.’

But Miss Kaur has struggled to get a job and even shaved off her beard at the age of 17 after pressure from members of her extended family. She said: ‘I removed my beard once during a really low moment but when I’d done it all I could do was cry because I didn’t feel like myself without my beard. ‘My brother was actually the one person who was completely shocked by what I had done – he hugged me and said I had looked so beautiful with my beard, he didn’t understand why I had done it.’ She added: ‘It was from that point that I thought I’m never going to remove it ever again.’

Miss Kaur has been employed at a local Sikh primary school as a teaching assistant and her confidence has soared. Since then Miss Kaur has been employed at a local Sikh primary school as a teaching assistant and her confidence has soared. ‘I couldn’t take the stares from strangers so I’d lock myself in my room. It got so bad that I just didn’t want to live anymore’.

Than Sikhi!

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Baba Baghel Singh (1730 – 1802) – The Conquer of Delhi, was born in village Jhabal, District Amritsar. From humble beginnings he arose to become a formidable force in the area between River Sutlej and River Yamuna. He aligned himself with Karor Singhia led by Sardar Karora Singh. After the early demise of Karora Singh, Baba Baghel Singh succeeded as a leader of Karora Singhia misl in 1765. As well as being a good soldier, Baba Baghel Singh was a very good political negotiator and was able to win over many an adversary to his side. The Mughals, the Ruhilas, the Marathas and British sought his friendship.

 Then Baba Baghel Singh turned his attention towards the cis-Yamuna territories. Soon the Sikhs were invading territories in Delhi and beyond, including Meerut, Awadh, collecting tribute from the Nawabs of each area. He is celebrated in Sikh history as the vanquisher of Mughal Delhi. On the 11th of March 1783, the Sikhs entered the Red Fort in Delhi and occupied the Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience).

 It is also commonly believed that Baba Baghel Singh with his army had camped in the jungles surrounding Delhi from which they were planning to secretly launch their attack. The place where the camp was established later came to be known as “Tees Hazaari”. This is where the present day Delhi Court is located.

Dhan Sikhi! Dhan Khalsa!

~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 15th Feb ’14

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Another story goes with Tees Hazari – When the Mughal Emperor came to know that Sikhs were planning to attack Delhi, as sufficient quantity of food and other essential commodities were stocked in the fort; he ordered that all gates of the fort be closed so that the Sikhs camping in the jungles would soon run out of rations and go back.

Some of the Sikhs accidentally came across a mason from the neighbourly village who informed them that a particular place in the wall of the fort had caved in from inside though the exterior was intact. He also agreed to lead the Sikhs and show them this spot.

The Sikhs planned to ram the wall with logs to make a hole in the wall to enter the fort through. This place is now called “Mori Gate” and this is where the Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in present Delhi is located.

Dhan Sikhi! Dhan Khalsa!

~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 15th Feb ’14

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Baba Baghel Singh had set up an octroi-post near Sabzi Mandi to collect the tax on the goods imported into the city to finance the search and the construction of the Sikh Temples. He did not want to use the cash received from the Government Treasury for this purpose, and most of that was handed out to the needy and poor. He often distributed sweetmeats, bought out of this Government gift, to the congregationalists at the place which, now, is know as the Pul Mithai, New Delhi.

Near the Old Delhi railway station is a congested location with a quirky name. ‘Pul Mithai’ — a bridge with a sweet connection that goes back to the late 18th century. Pul Mithai is the stretch on Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg from Pili Kothi to the junction where it meets Qutb Road and Azad Market road with two railway lines passing below it.

It was in 1783 that thousands of Sikhs led by Sardar Baghel Singh laid siege to the Red Fort during Shah Alam II’s reign. The Mughal emperor, through his court official Munshi Ram Dyal and Begum Samroo, sought a “settlement.’ In lieu of ‘returning’ the Red Fort, Baghel Singh would trace all the sites in Delhi connected with Sikh Gurus and build gurdwaras there. He would stay for four years and get a cut from tax collected by Mughals for expenditure of his soldiers.

Dhan Sikhi! Dhan Khalsa!

~ Deeksha Singh
~ New Delhi, 15th Feb ’14