But it has lit the fuse to another row between segments of India’s oft-divided Sikh community.

The powerful Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) sent the proposal to the jathedar for consideration a few days ago, although three of its 15 members, from Haryana, boycotted the meeting in Amritsar because they opposed the amendment.

The Akal Takht had previously sent its proposals to the SGPC, considered the mini-parliament of Sikhs, to discuss the steps necessary to change the Nanakshahi calendar.

According to the Times of India website, Gurbachan Singh announced that the birth and martyrdom day of Guru Gobind Singh, the death anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev, the coronation (Gurta Gaddi Diwas) of Guru Granth Sahib, and “sangrand” (the beginning of every month) will now be observed as per the traditional (Bikrami) calendar.

The changes will come into force after the publication of the new Nanakshahi calendar in March. Until then, all Sikh religious days will be observed as per the existing programme.

Nanakshahi special dates observed since 2003 have not accorded with other calendars.

Giani Gurbachan Singh’s announcement parted from convention. It was made in the absence of the high priests of the other four Takhts. Four priests of the Golden Temple in Amritsar were present instead.

The announcement angered a number of Sikh organisations. Karan Singh, president of the Sikh Foundation, Switzerland, called it an arbitrary decision made by Sikh clergy at the behest of the Shiromani Akali Dal political party.

He said organisations outside India would meet to discuss an issue that threatened Sikhs’ identity.

Radical group Dal Khalsa believes the calendar change will cause a new split in a divided community. A party statement said the ratification by Giani Gurbachan Singh and none of the other jathedars would lead the Sikh community “into another round of internecine struggle”.

Its importance was underlined on January 3 at Gurudwara Baba Sang in Smethwick, Birmingham, UK, when the Sri Dashmesh Durbar was undertaken to celebrate the Gurpurb of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

Following the Barsi of Sant Baba Takhur Singh, Damdami Taksal, on December 22-24 where a Sehaj Path of Sri Dasam Granth was held in Leicester, the event was specifically advertised as a celebration of Sri Guru Gobind Singh’s Bani.

The main Durbar was flanked by two Sikhs holding Nishan Sahibs (Sikh flags/battle standards). The Sikhs themselves carried shields on their backs and swords at their sides as in times of old. It was an impressive attempt to mirror the Durbar of the Guru for the sangat, although we can only envisage what the Durbar of the Tenth Guru would have looked and felt like, with Kavis (poets) listening to the Guru recite his bani.

On the recital of the Ardas, the Nagara or battle drums were beaten to great effect. This was followed by Hukumnamas from both Granths, Sri Guru Granth Sahib and then the Sri Dasam Granth Sahib. Recitations were given from Sri Dasam Granth including the last two Hikayatan of Zafarnama, Jaap Sahib, Shabad Hazare Patshai 10, Misar Prat/Khalsa Mehma, Shastar Naam Mala and Chaupai Sahib.

After certain recitations a bell could be heard and then narial or coconuts were seen and heard being chopped. In modern times Nihangs and the Damdami Taksal perform chatka on coconuts or sugarcane when the bell is sounded.

This was then followed by Arti Arta, a special recitation normally undertaken as a province of Sikh Samprayadas, like the Nihangs. This was according to the Dal Panth Maryada of the Akali Nihangs, who have held Sri Dasam Granth in the highest of esteem over the past three centuries.

Kirtan of Sri Dasam Granth shabads began with Tum ho sabh rajan ke rajah in Raag Darbari by Satpal Singh (Student of Ustad Ajeet Singh Matlashi ji). Katha was undertaking by Bhai Ranjit Singh (Damdami Taksal/Student of Sant Kartar Singh Ji) who gave discourses on Sikh philosophy, the Bana and farla (sacred attire of the Nihang Singhs) and how Sri Dasam Granth ties in with it. He also detailed the maryada of Bir Ras Bani with chatka of coconuts.

Bhai Ranjit Singh Rana (Sahib Magazine) spoke about the significance of Chaubis Avatar and why Guru Gobind Singh wrote the bani. He said people were misguided on the meaning of what Guru Ji was saying. Chandi Di Var was a smaller bani than others, he said, but it described six battles, and hence Sri Dasam Granth was a Yudh Granth.

Bhai Manmeet Singh talked about prakash of Sri Dasam Granth taking place at the Takhts and commented on the fact that the Prakash at the Akal Takht was only stopped relatively recently. He said there was no Khalsa Panth no Nitnem and no Ardas without Sri Dasam Granth and also dispelled the myths on Arti Arta and the chatka of coconuts. He also gave anecdotes from Sikh history with regards to whom and where the Sri Dasam Granth was mentioned and re-iterated the intellectual/philosophical and physical challenge of Buddha Dal to those who talk disparagingly about Sri Dasam Granth.

Stage secretary Bhai Daljeet Singh, Nirmala criticised Ragi Darshan Singh, the former Akal Takht Jathedar, for creating controversy on the Sri Dasam Granth. Giani Balbir Singh (Damdami Taksal) maintained that a nonsensical approach was being taken by some Sikhs on trying to understand Charitropakhyan. He spoke on the nature of Krishna Avatar and on why the bani was important to Sant Jarnail Singh Bhinderwale, who regularly took Hukumnamas from Sri Dasam Granth.

Bhai Sukha Singh spoke on the Kala Afghana supporter and missionary Inder Ghagga, who has been pouring scorn on the Sikh Gurus. He forecast that that the Sri Dasam Granth detractors who first started on Sri Dasam Granth, will turn on Guru Granth Sahib next. He recommended that everybody should learn more about banis like Bachitra Natak.

Further Kirtan was undertaken by Gursharan Singh and Hari Singh. Bhai Harjinder Singh Lallie performed Bir Ras Raag kirtan using classical Tanti Saaj and the daughters of Bhai Amrik Singh (Damdami Taksal) and Bhai Sukhwinder Singh (Birmingham).

Bhai Manmeet Singh and Bhai Harjinder Singh Lallie talked about text messages allegedly sent by certain individuals in organisations trying to sabotage the event. He said this was not the first time that an attempt had been made to derail a Sri Dasam Granth event – the International Sri Dasam Granth Seminar Series in California in 2008 had featured phone calls to participants and organisers. Bhai Harjinder Singh Lallie said detractors had done the event a favour by confirming the organisers’ belief that it was important to the Panth and very much needed.

The Durbar and Sri Dasam Granth Sehaj Path were published on the internet with viewers able to see the proceedings live all over the world. Many people went online to join in discussions.

The Gurudwara has announced that regular recitals of Akal Ustat will take place every week and further events promoting the bani of Guru Gobind Singh will be undertaken in 2009. Siropas were given to the organisers at the conclusion of the event, which ended with the Ardas and the Nagara being beaten again intermittently. Hukumnamas were again taken from both Granths, firstly Guru Granth Sahib Ji and then Sri Dasam Granth.

Sukh Asan (posture of rest) was conducted for both Granths. Guru Granth Sahib led the way and Sri Dasam Granth followed as they both made their way to Sachkhand.

The organisers thank those who attended and showed their support for Sri Dasam Granth and to all the Panthic Jathebandia such as Nihang Singhs, Damdami Taksal, Nanaksar and Nirmaley Samparda for their involvement.

With thanks for the above report to www.sridasamgranth.com and S.I.K.H www.sikhthetruth.com

In Patna, the birthplace of the guru, the celebrations included processions and free meals (langars) and the distribution of holy food (prasad).

Guru Gobind Singh was a social reformer who shaped the Sikh religion as we know it today with the formation of the khalsa.

Its members have to possess the five Ks – Kes (long hair), Kangha (comb), Kirpan (dagger), Kachha (shorts) and Kara (steel bracelet).

The guru’s anniversary commemorates his military prowess in combating the might of the Mughals in the late 1600s and early 1700s as well as his idea of brotherhood.

Kabbadi, a sport played for hundreds of years by Sikhs in the Punjab and other regions of northern India, continues to build a presence in other parts of the world.

Australian news web site The Age reports steady growth in Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria, where Kuldip Bassi, the director of the Melbourne Kabaddi Academy, wants to open the sport to the wider community. He believes it would be a perfect fit for local sportsmen and sporting fans weened on the skill and ruggedness of Australian football and the two rugby codes.

The Age describes the game as “an unusual mixture of tag, wrestling, speed, power, agility and tactics”.

There are two styles of kabaddi, it says, but the one played in Australia involves two teams of up to 12 players, competing on a circular field. An attack involves one player at a time making a 30-second raid, 25 for each team in a 20-minute half, into the opposition’s half.

The “raider” is confronted by a chain of four opponents — the stoppers — who have their arms linked. He must ‘tag’ one stopper with the opposition players trying to prevent this and it then becomes a one-on-one tussle between the raider and the stopper concerned.

Under simplified rules, to earn a point the raider must make it back to his own half within the 30-second limit. (Under traditional rules he had to complete his task limited by the number of times he could chant “ “kabbadi” from one intake of breath).

Kabbadi played is from an early age in the Punjab, and in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and south Asia, and countries where Sikh communities have migrated, such as Canada, America and England.

It established itself in Australia in the 1990s and has become a real feature as Indian students have arrived in Australia in greater numbers. Melbourne now has four clubs who play occasional tournaments.

In India and Canada there are professional leagues with their own heroes, not all of whom are Sikhs.

Kuldip Bassi says in Melbourne it is attracting new fans who love to see the sturdily-built competitors hit the ground.

The history and different forms of the sport are described in great detail at the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) website at www.kabaddiikf.com

Kabbadi has been accepted into the Asian Games and there are hopes that it might one day become an Olympic sport. It is recognised by the Indian Olympic Association and the Olympic Council of Asia.

The IKF says that to gain a berth in the Olympics the sport requires to be popular all over the world and should have rules and regulations that conform to the Olympic motto concerning the “swiftest, highest and strongest”. It lists 20 leading countries where the sport is played.

It says that 370 Pakistani nationals crossed the border in the first such procession since Independence.

The devotees were on their way to take part in Guru Ta Gaddi Diwas, a ceremony observing the tri-centenary of the holy scriptures Guru Granth Sahib which was being held at Takht Hazoor Sahib at Naded in Maharashtra.

The procession was headed by five costumed Sikhs (Punj Piarey), as commanded by custom.

It was welcomed by the Shriomani Gurdwara Pharbandhak Committee (SGPC), by Punjab cabinet minister Gulzar Singh Ranikey, and Border Security Force (BSF) troops, Punjab police and officers from the civil administration.

At the Attari border point, hundreds of Sikhs showered rose petals on the procession as BSF and police bands played religious themes.

A guard of honor was formed for the Guru Granth Sahib and a Langar (community kitchen) was organised for the Pakistani visitors.

At the head of the procession as it crossed the border wast he acting President of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Pharbandhak Committee (PSGPC) Bishan Singh, along with five executive members.

After the immigration and custom clearance, the Pakistani devotees were taken to Golden Temple in special buses.

Bishan Singh told the media it was first time that both governments had agreed on a procession from Pakistan to India, along with the Sawroop of Guru Granth Sahib and other religious material.

The procession was preceded by a three-day religious function in Pakistan, largely centred on Gurdwara Nanakana Sahib (birth place of founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev). It was also attended by senior government functionaries as well as Sikhs and Hindus and Muslims from all over Pakistan.

With acknowledgements to Punjab Newsline

Sikhs in Ferozepur city in the south-west Punjab gather each year to remember the soldiers’ bravery in the battle of Saragarhi, which took place on September 12, 1897.

Twenty-one sepoys (riflemen) of the 4th Battalion of the Sikh Regiment of British India (then the 36th Sikhs) defended a small stone blockhouse on a rocky ridge for six hours against 10,000 Pathan tribesmen, refusing to surrender.

All died in the action and they were given the posthumous award of the Indian Order of Merit, Class 1 – the equivalent of the British Victoria Cross for extreme gallantry.

In 1904 a memorial gurudwara was opened in Ferozepur, surrounded by half a dozen cannons and with the names of the 21 soldiers inscribed on the walls. It was built with stones from the Saraghari post.

This year’s commemoration featured a nine-mile cross-country run organised by the Sikh Regiment, in which soldiers ran alongside hundreds of civilians. It ended at the memorial Gurudwara.

The regiment also organised a cycle rally, both events aimed at inspiring young people.

Ferozepur, which is located on the volatile border with Pakistan, has a shortage of medical facilities. Army medics manned a medical camp set up for the day.

For a detailed account of the Battle of Saraghari click on Main Events in Sikh History at http://www.sikhpoint.com/religion/sikhhistory/

So says a fascinating page on the SikhiWiki website that gathers together a collection of attributes to Sikhism by clerics and writers, historians and philosophers from other religious persuasions, or none.

Sitting rather uncomfortably among the scholars perhaps is American president George W.Bush, but as a world leader and devout Christian his tribute is not without value and significance.

The evaluations of Sikhism on the SikhiWiki website span many decades.

Bertrand Russell, the British philosopher and Nobel prizewinner, who was scathing about Christianity, Islam and Judaism, writing at a time when the fear of a nuclear holocaust blighted the nations of the world, said that if there were survivors of a third world war then the Sikh religion would be the only means of guiding them.

He chided Sikhs for not promoting the “splendid doctrines” of their religion to help guide mankind away from such a calamity.

Another Nobel prize winner Pearl S. Buck, the American novelist who spent many years of her life in China, visited India in 1962 and was presented with an English version of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, which she described as a great work.

An admirer of the qualities of character of Sikh friends, she took time to read the scriptures slowly and thoughtfully and came to understand why she had found so much to admire. “The religion of a people has a profound and subtle influence on them as a whole and this is true whether individuals do or do not profess to be religious,” she said.

British historian Arnold Toynbee wrote a foreword to the Sacred Writings of the Sikhs, published by UNESCO.

He declared: “Mankind’s religious future may be obscure; yet one thing can be foreseen. The living higher religions are going to influence each other more than ever before, in the days of increasing communications between all parts of the world and branches of the human race. In this coming religious debate, Sikhism and its scriptures, the Guru Granth, will have something of special value to say to the rest of the world.”

And President Bush? He said America had always benefited from a strong tradition of faith and religious diversity had been an important part of this heritage. “The Guru Granth Sahib has provided strength, wisdom and guidance to hundreds of thousands of Sikhs in America and millions more around the world”.

“I applaud the Sikh community for your compassion and dedication to your faith. By sharing its message of peace, equality, and the importance of family, you help change lives, one heart and one soul at a time.”

More on Worldwide Praise for fhe Guru Granth Sahib on www.sikhiwiki.org

In the months ahead the trail will emerge through research projects on sites and objects and a series of lectures, exhibitions, and workshops.

It will highlight many connections between Scotland and the Sikh nation which have hitherto largely gone unheeded.

The launch is heralded as a reminder that both nations, known for their courage, tenacity, industry and intelligence, have been historically intertwined by way of colonial administrators, statesmen and military figures across a momentous period of history from the late 1700s to the present.

The organisers declare that “the illustrious and unique heritage that the Sikhs and Scotland share will come to life through this initiative. It is our aspiration that it will help to inform, empower and inspire individuals and the community at large to a greater appreciation of the history that unites them”.

On Saturday, September 13th, the Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail (ASHT) launched this year’s Anglo Sikh Heritage Week.

The ASHT organisation is looking for volunteers to take its work forward. It wants to hear from people who can help develop a range of projects.

ASHT works to uncover, record and teach about the Anglo Sikh Heritage.

Volunteers are especially needed who can offer up to three days a week on website development and image research. This would be primarily at the ASHT office in Walsall in the West Midlands. But there is also a need for people who can undertake oral history interviews, support events and help with research in a variety of locations. Volunteers will benefit from training as they gain experience.

Further information can be obtained by calling 01922 721 504, emailing gsb@asht.info or visiting the ASHT website at www.asht.info

ASHT is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and has links with a variety of museums and heritage organisations including the Imperial War Museum, National Trust and Victoria and Albert Museum.

–

You can also read ‘On the trail of the Sikh heritage’ on the BBC website

Preconceptions of the Punjab are as varied as the extraordinary mix of peoples
who have made their homes there.

Now, the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers (IBG) is shining a light on the land with The Punjab: Moving Journeys, an exhibition that reveals its little-seen history through the unique perspective of the Society’s Collections.
The ties that link London and Bradford to the borders of India and Pakistan become clearer.

It is the last exhibition in the Society’s Crossing Continents series, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, and developed with the UK Punjab Heritage Association, the Muslim Women’s Welfare Association (Ilford), Cartwright Hall Young Ambassadors (Bradford) and the Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail.

Through the society’s 19th century photographs, maps and texts the Punjab’s history has been rediscovered and retold by members of Britain’s Punjabi community, focusing on migrations within and across borders, from early history, through Partition and into the 21st Century.

There are also accounts from British visitors and colonial administrators in the Punjab during the 19th century. The exhibition places the region’s complex history alongside the challenges facing Punjabis in 21st century Britain, including how they relate to their British adoptive home and an Indian/Pakistani homeland.

The show runs at the society’s headquarters in South Kensington until November 27, Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm. Admission is free.

Touring exhibitions will result from Crossing Continents: Connecting Communities. It is a three-year project using RGS-IBG archives to explore the roots of contemporary British society, including the contributions of African, Chinese, Sikh and Muslim communities.
More information at www.unlockingthearchives.rgs.org

The Royal Geographical Society with The Institute of British Geographers was founded in 1830.

Tarloch Singh was hiding from the sun beneath the awning of his rickshaw, half asleep and half with an eye for a possible customer. It was hot and humid and Mr Singh’s thick, unkempt grey beard did not look particularly comfortable. But the look on his face made clear his disdain for the suggestion that he shave it off.

“I’ve always had it. I’m used to it. I’ve had it for 30 years,” said Mr Singh, who as a Sikh, wears both a turban and beard for religious reasons. “I don’t cut it. I let it grow. But I wash it every day with soap to keep it clean.”

South Asia is the home of remarkable facial hair. From the long, trailing beards of orange-clad saddhus to the astonishing handlebar moustaches, the subcontinent has them all.

But are the days of such superlative sights on the wane? The team behind a new book of photographs celebrating the beards and moustaches of India believe that such facial accoutrements are losing their attraction for the younger generation.

“I look around and I see younger people and I don’t think that facial hair is so popular,” said Richard McCallum, co-author of Hair India: A Guide to the Bizarre Beards and Magnificent Moustaches of Hindustan. “But I’m sure the doormen at the five-star hotels will continue to have them.”

Mr McCallum, a British entrepreneur based in Delhi, hit upon the idea of plugging the “deplorable gap in contemporary Indian pogonology” (the study of beards) after meeting a photographer, Chris Stowers, at a party in the Indian capital. They began talking about some of the stranger sights of India and one of them mentioned the idea of a book. “We had to call each other up the next morning to check whether we’d agreed to do the book about facial hair and we had,” said Mr Stowers, who is based in Taiwan.

To ensure they found as many fabulous beards as possible in one location, they decided to target large gatherings. Among the festivals they visited were the Pushkar camel fair in Rajasthan, the Sonepur elephant fair in Patna and the Kila Raipur rural Olympic games at Ludhiana in the Punjab.

“The big challenge was for Richard to break the ice and start a conversation,” said Mr Stowers. “Then I would be trying to explain what we wanted to do. Shooting in the street was also a challenge because the light could change but also because you could find yourself surrounded by 40 people all looking at what you’re doing.”

To aid their work, the two men both also grew facial hair. Mr Stowers grew a moustache that topped seven inches by the time he came to shave it off, while Mr McCallum opted for a beard that he worried made him look like a tramp. They claim the move instantly helped build camaraderie with the people they were photographing and interviewing.

Their labours resulted in some intriguing finds. In Rajasthan there was a world record-holder for the longest moustache – it was about four metres long and its owner had apparently appeared in the 007 movie Octopussy. In the southern state of Karnataka, the pair discovered the moustache weightlifting champion, a man who had used his moustache to pull a 40kg sack of rice up a flight of stairs.

Mr Stowers said that while their book may offer a snapshot of India, because of changing fashions he believes it will not be possible to find some specimens of beards and moustaches in 20 years’ time.

A straw poll among beard and moustache owners in Delhi tended to support such a view. At the Shahi mosque in the Vasant Vihar neighbourhood of the city, the gateman Mohammed Firoz said he too wore his beard because of his religion. “My god also has a beard so I wear a beard,” he said, tugging at his thick dark facial hair. “It says so in the Koran.”

But Mr Firoz, 40, said many younger Muslims were not interested in beards. “Everyone can have one but the younger people do not care so much,” he said.

His friend, Ram Abtar, a Hindu who worked as a gardener at the mosque, said he was content with his short, neatly cropped moustache. “It is not the young people who have the big beards, it is the old men,” he said.

Asked if, when he was older, he too would grow the sort of beard suitable for inclusion in a book such as Hair India he snorted: “I will not have one, I don’t like them.”

Source: www.independent.co.uk