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Mr. Anup Chitrak Portrays his Emotional Perspective and Vision about Guru Gobind Singh Ji Through his magnificent Art collective “MeraGobind”. His collection showcases the journey of Guru Gobind Singh through his eyes.

He completely submerges himself into his work. He has been researching on Guru Gobind Singh intensively for over 5 years. Behind every piece of his creation, are numerous sketches, thorough research, inspiring music and true emotion.

He researched into Sikhism and its philosophy as a belief and not as a religion. He started listening to Gurbaani Kirtan every evening and reading every book written on Sikhism at that time.

One day, while sipping tea on the terrace of his studio, he noticed a falcon sitting on the water tank, which ritually visited for the next one week. The falcon is said to be a symbol of the 10th master, Guru Gobind Singh, one with sharp vision and focus. It was the ultimate sign of motivation for Mr. Chitrak and thereon, he decided to absorb himself whole-heartedly into his next endeavor “Mera Gobind”.

An Art with Emotional Sentiments! Have A Glimpse at his creativity and his love for Guru Gobind Singh Ji!

~ Edited by Tapasleen Kaur
~ Source: http://www.sodelhi.com/

The New York Sikh Games attracted hundreds of athletes and spectators to Glen Cove. The weekend’s event called an annual effort to bring the community together.

“I felt a need to unite our children,” said Manmeet Lamba, general secretary at the Gurdwara Mata Sahib Kaur, a Sikh temple in Glen Cove that organizes the games. The third-annual, two-day multisport event drew participants from Long Island, New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. About 625 athletes of all ages competed during the two days, which brought out hundreds of spectators. The basketball semifinals were in full swing Sunday afternoon with players, drenched in sweat, running up and down the court, competing to get to the finals that took place later in the day.

Simran Lamba, of Westbury, said Sikh men allowing their hair to grow is a key part of their religion, but the practice is sometimes misunderstood and can lead to discrimination. “It holds them back,” he said.
He said one of the goals of the annual event is to instill confidence in the younger members of the Sikh community so they will have that reassurance when facing potential adversity.

The focus was on the children, giving them a sense of community so they are successful in life and stay out of trouble.

One of the goals of the annual event is to instill confidence in the younger members of the Sikh community so they will have that reassurance when facing potential adversity.

Like & Share to appreciate the efforts of the Sikh community abroad organizing such events instilling a sense of confidence and belongingness to the youngsters!

~ Sorce: www.newsday.com

Lauding the valiant role played by them during the World War I and II, a top British minister has described Sikh soldiers as unsung heroes who gave freedom that, “we hold so dear today”.

“The audience should remember the unsung heroes who gave us the freedom, Says the Home Secretary. She discussed about acts of heroism of the Sikh soldiers during both the world wars where many have been given recognition with the Victoria Cross Medal, the highest award for gallantry in the British Military.

She was present at a ceremony recently organized by the British Sikh Association in London as a Chief guest to present Sikh Jewel Award for 2014 to Kandhari,a leading Dubai-based NRI, Chairman of Guru Nanak Darbar for his exceptional service, dedication and commitment to the Sikh Community.

India’s Deputy High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr Virander Paul, paid tribute to the British Sikh community for excelling in all walks of life and becoming one of the most prominent ethnic minorities in the UK.

The Sikh Jewel Award is given to those who brought honor to their community and country by living up to the ideals of their Gurus.

~ Source: http://www.niticentral.com/

Mai Bhago also known as Mata Bhag Kaur was a Sikh woman who led 40 Sikh soldiers against the Mughals in 1705. She killed several enemy soldiers on the battlefield, and is considered to be a saint warrior by the Sikh Nation for over 300 years. She was the sole survivor of the battle of Khidrana, i.e. Battle of Muktsar (fought on 29 December 1705); was a daughter of Bhai Mallo Shah,granddaughter of Bhai Pero Shah, the younger brother of Bhai Langah, a Dhillon Jatt Chaudhary of 84 villages who had become a Sikh during the time of Guru Arjan, the fifth Sikh Guru. She was the only sister of four brothers.

Born at her ancestral village of Jhabal Kalan in present-day Amritsar district of the Punjab, in the Majha region, she was married to Nidhan Singh Varnish of Patti, she was a staunch Sikh by birth and upbringing, she was distressed to hear in 1705 that some of the Sikhs of her village neighborhood who had gone to Anandpur Sahib to fight for Guru Gobind Singh Ji had deserted him under adverse conditions.

So despite the fact that they surely faced certain death, the forty (chali) men along with Mai Bhago, waded headlong into the Muslim forces (around 10,000 soldiers) and inflicted so much damage that the Muslims were finally forced to give up their attack and retreat as darkness fell to lick their wounds in the nearby woods.

Mai Bhag Kaur, was a great Sikh women, with a Keski tied around her head, with the Khalsa Uniform, with her Kirpan fighting, she was the fist women In the history of Punjab, to fight On a battlefield.

The Guru had watched the battle from a nearby hill and with deadly accuracy had rained down a flurry of arrows on the Mughal fighters during the attack. Seeing little activity among the party that had come to his aid he rode to the battlefield.

He found that group was composed of the forty men who he had asked to sign a paper dis-avowing him as their Guru, all of them had died of their wounds except one, Mahan Singh Brar, who was mortally wounded, had only the time to look up at Guru Gobind Singh as he pulled him upright with his arms pulling him into his lap. It is said that the note the men had signed slipped out of the dying Sikh’s clothing and was picked up by the Guru who told Mahan Singh that all was forgiven and that all had died as martyrs as the Guru tore-up their letter of resignation.

Sri Guru Gobind Singh blessed the forty men as the forty (chali) liberated ones (mukte) and that is still how the men are known today; the “Forty Liberated Ones”, the Chali Mukte. He took into his care Mata Bhago who had also suffered an injury in the battle.

After recovering she thereafter stayed on with Guru Gobind Singh Ji serving as one of his bodyguards, in warrior attire. She was one of the many Sikhs who accompanied the Guru on his journey to Nanded. After the passing of Guru Gobind Singh at Nanded in 1708, she retired down at Junvara, 11 km from Bidar in Karnataka where, immersed in meditation, she lived to attain a ripe old age.

Her hut in Junvara has now been converted into Gurudwara Tap Asthan Mai Bhago. At Nanded, too, a hall within the compound of Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib marking the site of her residence is known as Bunga Mai Bhago.

~ Source: http://dailysikhupdates.com/

Shedding its tag of being a regional religion, Sikhism is on its way to becoming a global religion, making a major shift in the past 35 years or so, opined Prof Mark Juergensmeyer.

Prof Juergensmeyer, who has studied Sikhism for the past four decades, is Director, Orfalea Centre for Global and International Studies, US, chose to speak on “Sikhism as a global religion”.

He said some 35 years ago, Sikhism was a “forgotten religion mentioned in footnotes. In these 30 years, things have changed.” He said the challenges ahead was assimilation with the global order and participation in the global society.

There were more Sikhs than Jews in the world, Prof Juergensmeyer said. As of now, 30 per cent of Sikhs resided outside Punjab. “The religion now faces three immediate challenges; cultural adaptation in new lands, transformation, and participation in society globally”.

The time had come when there would be a debate on what were the core values of the religion and what were the cultural values, the professor said as he cited an example. “In gurdwaras in the US, Langar (community meal) is laid out on the table for people seated on chairs instead of sitting on the floor, as in India. It is for the community to decide if this is a cultural issue or a core value of the religion,” he said.

He said it was essential to wear the five Ks all the times. “Is it a core value or a cultural value,” the US-based Sikh expert asked. He said he wanted to see Sikhs as a larger part of the global cultural tapestry as the religion that assimilated without diluting its own identity or compromising on the core values.

Hit Like & Share for being Blessed to be part of Sikhism in this precious Birth!

Dhan Sikhi! Dhan Khalsa!

~ Source: www.sonapreet.net