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The Sikhs are a community who have always stood for honour and bravery of the very highest order. And believe me, the world has no dearth of examples when these Rab de bandey come out and remind us all that kindness, courage and compassion have not disappeared from the world yet.

If you feel you need a refresher, read on for the times when Sikh people were the embodiment of all that is good about humanity.

1.Young Sikh volunteers organized 24-hour ‘langar’ for those stranded during the Jat agitations just over a week ago.

A round-the-clock community kitchen was set up by dozens of Sikh volunteer teams, offering food and shelter in the Gurudwara to the thousands that were left stranded on the Delhi-Ambala national highway (NH-1) thanks to the road blockades that were put up by Jat protesters for almost two days.

2. The Sikh community of Paris stepped up in aid of the shaken Parisians after the November terror attacks.

Having put their unhappiness over the ban on the turban behind them promptly, the Sikhs of Paris earned much praise for their generosity in the aftermath of the terrors attacks last year. Several Sikhs opened the doors to their homes to help those out in the streets.

In fact, Rohan Singh Kalsi’s tweet telling people how any Gurudwara would be happy to provide victims with shelter went viral. And that is exactly what happened. Several Gurudwaras took in devastated victims and provided them with food and shelter.

3. Sikhs of Khalsa Aid set up ‘langar’ in IS territory to feed the refugees at the Iraq-Syria border.

In collaboration with several local organisations, a team of UK-based NGO Khalsa Aid risked their own safety and travelled to the Iraq-Syria border for the sake of humanity. In their community kitchen, they provided fresh bread to nearly 14,000 refugees daily in the strife-torn region.

4. A Sikh man transcended communal differences and had a mosque built in the village for its Muslim residents.

In the remote village of Sarwapur, a wealthy farmer Joga Singh, watched the Muslim residents travel to a mosque nearly 10 kms away to pray 5 times a day for years. So the man built, together with his Sikh friends, a mosque for his Muslim friends.

5. Two Sikh heroes unravelled their turbans to save young men from drowning.

When a group of four young men near drowned in gushing waters of a canal in Chandigarh, two heroic Sikh men – Inderpal Singh and Kanwaljit Singh – put saving lives above religious protocol. They took off their turban when there was no other means to reach the drowning men, and pulled them to safety.

6. A Sikh man in New Zealand took off his turban to help stop a child from bleeding from an injury to his head.

In a similar incident in Auckland, New Zealand, a 22-year old Sikh man Harman Singh rushed out of his home when he heard the wheels of a car screeching. He found a bleeding child and without skipping a beat, he unfurled his turban to help stop the blood.

7. A Sikh organisations joined hands to feed the helpless victims of the Nepal earthquake.

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) sent about twenty-five thousand food packets to Nepal for those who were left homeless and lost after the devastating earthquake.

8. The DSGMC stepped in to the Chennai flood victims’ aid as well – with the much-needed food and shelter.

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) rose to the occasion when the nations southern brothers were struggling in the floods that hit Chennai. An 11-member committee from the organisation set up ‘langar’ for the many, many that were in need.

9. A Sikh-Australian railway employee saved a man from succumbing to a heart attack.

Kulwinder Singh, an Indian immigrant in Australia didn’t let pressure get the best of him, when a normal day of work at the Central Station in Sydney took a turn towards panic. A passenger, Michael Williams, suffered a cardiac arrest and Singh, heroically, used a defibrillator to help save his life.

10. A Sikh hero fought a racist gunman to save the lives of several others and sacrificed his own in the process.

A 65-year old head of the Sikh temple of Wisconsin, USA, Sadwant Singh Kaleka, laid his life down to save the many women, children and other worshippers from the wrath of a white supremacist shooter that attacked the establishment. Before being shot twice, he heroically battled him with a knife and kept him from harming more people until the police arrived.

And these are just the few that made big news. But we all have a story where a Sikh person reminded us what kindness and honour really meant. And while they all may go unnoticed, we salute you all. Thank you, for making this world a better place.

~ Source: ScoopWhoop

Mata Gujri Ji (1624 -1705) (whose formal name was ‘Mata Gujar Kaur’) was the wife of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur; the mother of the tenth and last human Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh and the grandmother of the four Sahibzade.

She was born in 1624 and was the daughter of Bhai Lal Chand Subulikka and Bishan Kaur, a pious couple of Kartarpur, in present-day Kapurthala district of the Punjab. Her role in the development of the Sikh faith has been crucial.
She was the wife of a supreme martyr; mother of a brave saint-soldier; and the grand-mother of four amazing children who all attained martyrdom at the ages of 6, 9, 14 and 18 years. She had been close to the two younger sahibzade and took up their guardianship in the flight from Anandpur under a promise of safe passage to Punjab. Imprisoned in the Thanda Burj of Sirhind with her youngest grandsons Zorawar and Fateh Singh, she attained martyrdom, at the age of 81 years, when she was told of their execution.

Click Here for – Ten Sikh Women you should know about!

The handwritten manuscript which contains the Bani of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib Ji and bears the signature of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji remains stolen and untraced for nearly 13 years. The Gutka Sahib contained Chaupai Sahib in full form and shabads by the ninth Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji.

The manuscript served as a great importance and preservation of authentic bani of Chaupai Sahib. The manuscript was stolen from the descendents of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib.

Read the following for further information, an article published in 2003 in the Tribune.

A granth having hand-written verses of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur, and Chaupai Sahib (holy hymns recited at the time of baptisation) written by the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, have been stolen from the house of descendants of Guru Teg Bahadur located in Anandpur Sahib.

Sources here said the scriptures were kept in an old building in Bari Sarha Mohalla of Anandpur Sahib owned by Narinder Kaur and her family who claim to be descendant of Baba Suraj Mal, son of Guru HarGobind Sahib Ji. Manji Sahib Gurdwara was also located in the same building. Devotees used to visit the building for paying obeisance to the scriptures of the Guru.

On Wednesday, a devotee came to the place to pay obeisance. He allegedly stole the scriptures after the family members left the place. The theft was noticed in the evening when family members came for evening rituals to the Gurdwara.

A complaint has been registered by the Anandpur Sahib police station regarding the theft of the scriptures. The DSP Anandpur Sahib, Mr Varinder Brar, said initial investigation revealed that the person who stole the scriptures belonged to the Ludhiana area and was between 50 and 55 years of age.

On the basis of the description provided by the family members, a sketch of the suspected thief was being prepared. The thief also left a blanket at the spot, he said.

Jathedar of Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib Giani Tarlochan Singh said the scriptures stolen from the gurdwara were authentic. The SGPC during the tercentenary celebrations had urged the family to hand over the scriptures. However, the family did not hand these over, maintaining that the scriptures were property of the Sodhi family. The Jathedar also visited the spot for surveying the family’s remaining possessions which were important historically.

The SGPC has deputed its flying squad to inquire into the theft of the holy scripture written by Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh from the house of descendent of Baba Suraj Mal in Anandpur Sahib, Mr Kirpal Singh Badungar, president of the SGPC, stated this after in a press note.

~ Source: DailySikhUpdate

Finally after about a week, images of the man who ransacked a Sikh Gurdwara in Spokane has surfaced.

The was arraigned in court and told the judge that he broke in to rob the Gurdwara Sahib but he caused severe damage after thinking it was a Muslim place of worship. He went onto say that he saw a religious text which he thought was the Quran and ended up ripping it out of anger.

The man is being charged with hate crime charges and burglary. The Sikh community have responded with a open house to spread awareness of the religion and invited locals to learn more about the faith.

Source- DailySikhUpdate

GURDWARA SHRI SHER SHIKAAR SAHIB, MACHKUND is situated in the Village Machkund, Distt Dholpur Rajasthan. While moving towards Gwalior, Emperor Jahangir with GURU SAHIB arrived at Machkund and stayed in Bhamtipura village. People of that area told Emperor about a deadly lion and requested him to save them from that lion. Jahangir had plans to kill SHRI GURU HARGOBIND SAHIB JI an though it to be right time do that, through that lion.

When the Emperor and GURU SAHIB along with soldiers reached this area in search of Lion, the lion attacked and soldiers. Jahangir and his soldiers were ready and started firing guns and arrows but in vein. The lion was very bold and kept quickly advancing towards the party. Seeing this, Jahangir was very scared and start screaming for help.

SHRI GURU HARGOBIND SAHIB JI came and stood between Jahangir and lion and said to lion “Ae kale yaman pehlan toon war kar lae kidre tere man di iccha baaki na reh jaye”. The lion attacked GURU SAHIB with his full force. GURU SAHIB put shield in front of lion and with his sword hit the lion on its back and killed him it with one motion. Jahangir then realized that the GURU SAHIB was not only powerful spirituality but also physically.