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Forty years back on March 15, 1975, the Indian men’s hockey team accomplished a historic feat by beating Pakistan 2-1 in the World Cup final to earn the title of champions. Till today the World Hockey Cup is won by India won only 1 time in 1975.

Led by captain Ajit Pal Singh, the team left no stone unturned to ensure that they got the Cup home from Kuala Lumpur. He was rightly acclaimed as one of the best center forward in the world during his time. He led India to a sensational victory in the third world cup hockey tournament at Kuala Lumpur in 1975.

Born on April 1, 1947, Ajit Pal Singh learnt the alphabet of hockey of hockey in his native Sansarpur village, the bastion of hockey during the time. A number of players from this village had already represented India in Olympics and a number of international tournaments.

He first played in an international hockey tournament at Bombay in 1960. Later he represented India in Japan in 1966. Having finished his studies at the school, Ajit Pal Singh joined LayallPur Khalsa College, Jalandhar, which had honor of number of star hockey player. Ajitpal Singh Got the first real break when, as a student of B.A. part I ,he was selected in Indian Team to play in Pre- Olympic Hockey Tournament in 1967 at London. There after he did not look back and came permanently on the Roles of Indian Hockey team .Next year Ajit Pal Singh gave a dazzling show of Stick work in the Mexico Olympic Games. He showed what a fine sense of distribution he had and how he helped make the half line function smoothly. Ajit Pal Singh showed such dexterity and skill at his position that he was included in the world Hockey teams of 1971,72 and 73. He next represented India in 1974 in Asian games at Teheran. Consequently he was included in the Asian All-Star Hockey XI the same year.

But he reached the pinnacle of glory in 1975 when he led India to the third world cup hockey victory in Kuala Lumpur in the most trying circumstances. The Punjab Government had borne all expenses prior to the participation by organizing a camp for the team in Punjab. The Whole country was in a great jubilation. For the first time the Hockey seemed to get priority over the cricket in the country.

Ajit Pal Singh next toured New Zealand. But 1976 in the Montreal Olympic Games India Suffered the most humiliating defeat under Ajit Pal Singh when they finished Seventh. No One seemed ready for an answer what went wrong for, India had fielded practically the same team which had won the Third World Cup Hockey tournament title.

Fed up with Indian Show at the Montreal and in the view of the mounting criticism in the country, Ajitpal Singh retired from the International Hockey scene. However, he continued playing for the BSF where he was employed as Assistant Commandant. He was also not happy the way the Indian Hockey Federation managed its affairs treating the players shabbily off and on the field.

Four years later Ajit pal Singh came out of retirement to play in champion Trophy Tournament at Karachi in 1980. Ajit pal Singh awarded the Arjuna Award in 1972.

~ Bibliography Source – sikh-history.com

Gurdwara Janam Asthan Sri Guru Ram Das Ji is a historical Sikh Gurdwara in Pakistan.

This is that holy historical place where Guru Ram Das was born on 24th September, 1534 (25 Asuj, Samwat 1591) to Sodhi Hardas Ji and Mata Daya Kaur. Guru Sahib spent first 7 years of his life here. This place is situated inside Delhi Darwaza, near Purani Kotwali Chowk in Chuni Mandi.

The ancestral house of the Guru was small in size, so Maharani Nakain requested to Maharaja Ranjit Singh at the time of birth of Kanwar Kharak Singh, for permission to rebuild this historical place a new. As a result of this, the Maharaja purchased the surrounding buildings from the Qazis and got a Gurdwara of dimensions 122′-6×97′-6 built which was somewhat similar to the Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar. On the west is an open yard and Nishan Sahib is fixed on the South-West corner.

The Singh Sabha Movement got set going from this Gurdwara in 1927 A.D. According to Gurdwara act, this Gurdwara came under S.G.P.C. Management.

At the time of partition, eighteen Sikhs faced martyrdom there.

~ Source: Sikhiwiki

Constable Mandeep Kaur is one of the officers involved with Operation Spice, which aims to reduce the Papatoetoe Indian community’s risk of victimization.

She says. “Officers are also pushing for Indian people to join Neighbourhood Support and community patrols because they are under-represented in those groups”.

Her success will inspire other young Sikhs to work hard in all professions. Her achievement has brought laurels to the entire Sikh community worldwide: a positive portrayal of what Sikh women are truly capable of.

Share & be the part of the Pride!

~ Source: FB/Jobolesonihal

Jamrud or Jamraud (Fatehgarh) a village at the southeastern approach to the Khyber Pass in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan NWFP for short where the Bab-e-Khyber (Khyber gate) built in 1964 stands across the road today.

In 1837, Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa a well-known and respected General of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Khalsa forces proposed the construction of a massive fort in order to provide a base for further advances through the formidable defile. Hari Singh built this massive mud fort in an unbelievably short time of 54 days.

However, Amir Muhammad Khan of Kabul (Afghanistan) clearly sensing the danger of allowing the Sikhs to have such a sizeable post from which to launch attacks deep into his Afghani territories attacked it in early 1837.

Defeated by the Sikhs his forces retreated to Kabul. In April 1837, the local tribesmen followed suit and attacked the fort as well. At this point Bibi Harsharan Kaur made her famous walk to Peshawar to retrieve the ailing Hari Singh Nalwa and Sikh reinforcements.

The superior Afgan force was defeated but the Sikhs suffered a major setback as Hari Singh Nalwa was wounded in the battle and died soon after on 19th Visakh, Samvat 1894 (1837).

There are many different tales of the general’s last stand. In one version he has one horse shot out from under him and is shot himself after he remounts and charges the Afgans again.

In another version the fabled General, after being ambushed and shot twice, sensing he was dying, had himself tied to the wall of his fort so the attackers, such was their fear even of his name, would continue to think he was alive and lose heart.

Such was his fame in the area that Hari Singh Nalwa’s name continued to be used by the Pathan mothers of the area to frighten their children into being quite and falling asleep by saying, “Chup Hariya Raghle” (Be quiet Hari Singh has come.) Modern research seems to point to the Dogra Brothers involvement in having him shot by one of their agents.

The fortress is situated on a mound covering a hundred square yards. It has an outer wall and an inner wall having only one entrance in each wall in the days of Hari Singh.

The route inside spirals to the top, from where one can get a commanding view of the stony barrenness that leads into the famous Khyber Pass. In 1924, the British took over the fort and constructed new barracks. Today it is part of the Peshawar garrison, and prior permission is required to tour the interior of the fort.
Jamraud fort is located about 18Km from Peshawar in FATA (Federally Administrated Tribal Areas), and all foreigners must seek permission from the Peshawar administration to go to Jamrud.

Additional sites near the fort:

A Samadhi or shrine of Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa, erected in 1892 by Baba Gajju mal Kapur of Peshawar.
Underground cells, once used as a prison.
The sweeping view of the Khyber Pass from the top.
Gurdwara Jogan Shah.
Gurdwara at Jamrud
Samadhi of Bhai Phola Singh

~ Source: DailySikhUpdate

The river Ganga that has been loaded with pollutants at every inch while the Govt is formulating policies to clean it, the water of the holy river is pure and drinkable here at the Baoli Ganga Pargat.

The narrow well present at the Gurdwara Badi Sangat in Nichi Bagh is believed that through the grace of the ninth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, the stream of holy water of the river Ganga appeared at the place.

“The water well is situated near the sanctum in the main hall of the Gurdwara since 1666 when Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib arrived the city to meet one of his follower. However, the well is not just a source of ground waters, it provides water from the river Ganga, as it is written in our holy book,” claimed Sardar Mahendra Singh, manager of the shrine appointed by Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee.

The stream appeared is still preserved in the form of a narrow well and the devotees drink its water as nectar.

“The water is pure and drinkable without any pollutants. Moreover, by the blessings of Guruji, the curative properties also existed in it. Thus, the followers come and have it for the sake of their good health.”

Recalling the history of the water well, Mahendra said, “During the seven-month and 13-day long trip of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib to Varanasi, he stayed at the resident of Bhai Kalyan Mal, the site of the present Gurdwara Bari Sangat. One day he was getting ready for meditation, when Kalyan Mal came and asked him to go for a holy dip in the river Ganga on the occasion of eclipse. In reply, Guruji said that the river existed here only and asked to remove a stone on the floor. A flow of holy water came out and he took bath. After this, the water level goes down and the place is preserved as Baoli Ganga Pargat till the date.”

Having length and width of three feet each, the water well is deep inside and remains filled with water round the year, informed the manager.

A devotee told us in the Gurdwara, “I used this water for all the sacred ceremonies hold at my place as holy water of river Ganga. It is pure, drinkable and also contains divinity.

Share & Spread the divinity.

~ Source: volganga.com

Sikh Bodybuilder Navtej Singh is new Tara’s Champion. He became the New North India Winner in 2005 He belongs to Kartarpur, Punjab, India. Dope free Navtej has all eyes set to go high in the field of national and international bodybuilding.

He has been titled as Mr Punjab, Mr North India, Mr India, Mr Europe, Mr World Overall Champion. He won the prestigious award of Mr Olympia Amber Prix and held the 5th Position in the Championship.

He is the member of the National Bodybuilding Team India and has participated at the International Contests and won the following championships:

Over All Champion “Amber Prix International” (1968-2012), Lithuania held in 2011
Category Champion at Europe Championship Open, Lithuania , 2011
Third Position at Europe Professional Championship Open, Russia
Fifth Place at World Professional Championship, Slovakia

Share & Spread his outstanding performances & achievements!

~ Source: Fitness Freak of India

14 teachers from Columbia University USA, will be attending three-week course on the Sikh which include Sikh history, heritage, culture traditions and Punjabi. Three-week course program will be held at the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Centre of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU).

These teachers have expressed great interest in Sikhism. During their visit, they will also visit Historical Places, Sikh Gurdwaras and Anandpur Sahib. GNDU Senior Professor Dr Balwant Singh Dhillon said if the mission succeeded, more teachers from the USA would be called here so that they could learn more about Sikhism.

Sikh scholars from the GNDU and representatives of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee welcomed them warmly.

~ Source: SikhZone

The Uttarakhand government has announced plans to upgrade the Sikh shrine Hemkunt Shrine as the fifth major pilgrimage centre in the state, after Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath.

The chief minister Harish Rawat said that, as Hemkunt Sahib currently draws over a lakh pilgrims every season, upgrading it to a major shrine will be a boost for religious tourism in the state.

It was reported that although strategies to equip the shrine with all the facilities and arrangements needed by Sikh devotees are yet to be chalked out, it is most likely to be re-developed on the lines of Char Dham shrines.

“If the facilities currently being given to over 6.50 lakh Char Dham pilgrims are made available to devotees at Hemkunt Sahib, it will help increase their strength many times,” he remarked.

Giving details of the plan to upgrade the shrine, Rawat said he has instructed senior civil aviation department authorities to build a helipad within a fortnight.

“We have already connected all the major Char Dham shrines with regular helicopter services during the last one year and the process to build a helipad at Hemkunt Sahib has begun,” the chief minister added.

Officials in the state tourism department told TOI that, apart from Sikh devotees, tourists trekking to the Valley of Flowers and other neighboring spots can also use the helicopter services to reach Hemkunt Sahib.

Rawat also announced plans to connect the shrine by ropeway from Govind Ghat in Chamoli district, within the next six to eight months. “There is already a move to build a motorable road connecting two other famous Sikh shrines — Reetha Sahib (in Champawat district) with Nanakmatta (in Udham Singh Nagar district) — within the next four months,” the chief minister said, adding that the pilgrimage to Hemkunt Sahib would be included in the state-sponsored ‘Mera Buzurg Mera Tirath’ scheme, for elderly couples on pilgrimage.

~ Source: TimesofIndia