Thursday, December 20, 2007
Will be up soon...
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Nairobi Smagam, 6 - 9 December 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
Random Shabad
rwgu DnwsrI mhlw 5
raag dhhanaasaree mehalaa 5
Raag Dhanaasaree, Fifth Mehla:
<> siqgur pRswid ]
ik oa(n)kaar sathigur prasaadh ||
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
hw hw pRB rwiK lyhu ]
haa haa prabh raakh laehu ||
O God, please save me!
hm qy ikCU n hoie myry sÍwmI kir ikrpw Apunw nwmu dyhu ]1] rhwau ]
ham thae kishhoo n hoe maerae svaamee kar kirapaa apunaa naam dhaehu ||1|| rehaao ||
By myself, I cannot do anything, O my Lord and Master; by Your Grace, please bless me with Your Name. ||1||Pause||
Agin kutMb swgr sMswr ]
agan kutta(n)b saagar sa(n)saar ||
Family and worldly affairs are an ocean of fire.
Brm moh AigAwn AMDwr ]1]
bharam moh agiaan a(n)dhhaar ||1||
Through doubt, emotional attachment and ignorance, we are enveloped in darkness. ||1||
aUc nIc sUK dUK ]
ooch neech sookh dhookh ||
High and low, pleasure and pain.
DRwpis nwhI iqRsnw BUK ]2]
dhhraapas naahee thrisanaa bhookh ||2||
Hunger and thirst are not satisfied. ||2||
min bwsnw ric ibKY ibAwiD ]
man baasanaa rach bikhai biaadhh ||
The mind is engrossed in passion, and the disease of corruption.
pMc dUq sMig mhw AswD ]3]
pa(n)ch dhooth sa(n)g mehaa asaadhh ||3||
The five thieves, the companions, are totally incorrigible. ||3||
jIA jhwnu pRwn Dnu qyrw ]
jeea jehaan praan dhhan thaeraa ||
The beings and souls and wealth of the world are all Yours.
nwnk jwnu sdw hir nyrw ]4]1]19]
naanak jaan sadhaa har naeraa ||4||1||19||
O Nanak, know that the Lord is always near at hand. ||4||1||19||
Monday, October 15, 2007
New Exhibition Website
Through illustrations and detailed captions, the key events and people concerned are presented in eight sections, from the rise of the Sikh kingdom of Lahore in 1801 to the settling of the Sikh Diaspora in Britain in the twentieth century. Sometimes as friends, other times as foes, the Sikhs and the British have had one of the most rich and intriguing of partnerships.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Meet Monty Panesar
http://www.sikhsinb
Meet Monty Panesar EC3, Waterstone's Leadenhall Market. Free Book Signing
Monty Panesar
Friday 19th October at 12:00pm
Widely rated as England's best spin bowler for 30 years, the Wisden cricketer of the year will be signing copies of his autobiography 'Monty's Turn: My Story So Far'.
Waterstone's 1-3 Whittington Avenue, Leadenhall Market, London, EC3V 1PJ, (020 7220 7882)
Underground: Old Street
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
St Tropez aka C.B.P.T
St Tropez is definitely a place to visit, but you need to take lots of cash with you. Need to go between June and August as that is the season or can go for the Regatta. I will be posting pictures up soon.Belated Happy Anniversary
Just wanted to wish Gurcharan Singh and Preetkamal Kaur a 3rd happy belated anniversary.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
YOUR AGE BY EATING OUT
Don't tell me your age; you probably would tell a falsehood anyway-but your waiter may know!
YOUR AGE BY DINER & RESTAURANT MATH
This is pretty neat.
DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!
It takes less than a minute.
Work this out as you read ...
Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
This is not one of those waste of time things, it's fun.
1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to go out to eat.
(more than once but less than 10)
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)
3. Add 5
4. Multiply it by 50
5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1757 ....
If you haven't, add 1756.
6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
You should have a three digit number
The first digit of this was your original number
(I.e., how! Many times you want to go out to restaurants in a week.)
The next two numbers are
YOUR AGE! (Oh YES, it is!!!!!)
THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2007) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS
Monday, September 24, 2007
Sanja Smagam - 20th October 2007
kljug mih kIrqnu prDwnw ]
gurmuiK jpIAY lwie iDAwnw ]
Awip qrY sgly kul qwry hir drgh piq isau jwiedw ]6]
Kaljug Mei Keertan Pardhana, Gurmukh Japie Lai Diyana
Esa Keertan Kar Man Mere, Eha Uha Jo Kam Tere
Sevi Satgur Apna, Har Simri Dins Sabh Rehn.
Khalsa Jio,
With Maharaj Ji's blessings, the 2007 Sanjha Akhand Keertan Smagam will be held in Birmingham on Saturday 20th October 2007 to coincide with the 299th Gurgaddi Divas of Sahib Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
Address of venue:
Nishkam Educational & Cultural Centre (NECC)
Great King street
Hockley
Birmingham
West Midlands
B19 3AS
Supporting Organisations:
Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha
Akhand Kirtani Jatha UK
Damdami Taksal UK
Nanaksar Sampardai
Nihang Singh Jathebandia
Keertania invited from all jathe.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Random Shabadh
| This Shabad is by Guru Raam Daas Ji in Raag Gauree on Pannaa 167 |
| gauVI bYrwgix mhlw 4 ] |
| gourree bairaagan mehalaa 4 || |
| Gauree Bairaagan, Fourth Mehla: |
| hmrY min iciq hir Aws inq ikau dyKw hir drsu qumwrw ] |
| hamarai man chith har aas nith kio dhaekhaa har dharas thumaaraa || |
| Within my conscious mind is the constant longing for the Lord. How can I behold the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan, Lord? |
| ijin pRIiq lweI so jwxqw hmrY min iciq hir bhuqu ipAwrw ] |
| jin preeth laaee so jaanathaa hamarai man chith har bahuth piaaraa || |
| One who loves the Lord knows this; the Lord is very dear to my conscious mind. |
| hau kurbwnI gur Awpxy ijin ivCuiVAw myilAw myrw isrjnhwrw ]1] |
| ho kurabaanee gur aapanae jin vishhurriaa maeliaa maeraa sirajanehaaraa ||1|| |
| I am a sacrifice to my Guru, who has re-united me with my Creator Lord; I was separated from Him for such a long time! ||1|| |
| myry rwm hm pwpI srix pry hir duAwir ] |
| maerae raam ham paapee saran parae har dhuaar || |
| O my Lord, I am a sinner; I have come to Your Sanctuary, and fallen at Your Door, Lord. |
| mqu inrgux hm mylY kbhUM ApunI ikrpw Dwir ]1] rhwau ] |
| math niragun ham maelai kabehoo(n) apunee kirapaa dhhaar ||1|| rehaao || |
| My intellect is worthless; I am filthy and polluted. Please shower me with Your Mercy sometime. ||1||Pause|| |
| hmry Avgux bhuqu bhuqu hY bhu bwr bwr hir gxq n AwvY ] |
| hamarae avagun bahuth bahuth hai bahu baar baar har ganath n aavai || |
| My demerits are so many and numerous. I have sinned so many times, over and over again. O Lord, they cannot be counted. |
| qUM guxvMqw hir hir dieAwlu hir Awpy bKis lYih hir BwvY ] |
| thoo(n) gunava(n)thaa har har dhaeiaal har aapae bakhas laihi har bhaavai || |
| You, Lord, are the Merciful Treasure of Virtue. When it pleases You, Lord, You forgive me. |
| hm AprwDI rwKy gur sMgqI aupdysu dIE hir nwmu CfwvY ]2] |
| ham aparaadhhee raakhae gur sa(n)gathee oupadhaes dheeou har naam shhaddaavai ||2|| |
| I am a sinner, saved only by the Company of the Guru. He has bestowed the Teachings of the Lord's Name, which saves me. ||2|| |
| qumry gux ikAw khw myry siqgurw jb guru bolh qb ibsmu hoie jwie ] |
| thumarae gun kiaa kehaa maerae sathiguraa jab gur boleh thab bisam hoe jaae || |
| What Glorious Virtues of Yours can I describe, O my True Guru? When the Guru speaks, I am transfixed with wonder. |
| hm jYsy AprwDI Avru koeI rwKY jYsy hm siqguir rwiK lIey Cfwie ] |
| ham jaisae aparaadhhee avar koee raakhai jaisae ham sathigur raakh leeeae shhaddaae || |
| Can anyone else save a sinner like me? The True Guru has protected and saved me. |
| qUM guru ipqw qUMhY guru mwqw qUM guru bMDpu myrw sKw sKwie ]3] |
| thoo(n) gur pithaa thoo(n)hai gur maathaa thoo(n) gur ba(n)dhhap maeraa sakhaa sakhaae ||3|| |
| O Guru, You are my father. O Guru, You are my mother. O Guru, You are my relative, companion and friend. ||3|| |
| jo hmrI ibiD hoqI myry siqgurw sw ibiD qum hir jwxhu Awpy ] |
| jo hamaree bidhh hothee maerae sathiguraa saa bidhh thum har jaanahu aapae || |
| My condition, O my True Guru - that condition, O Lord, is known only to You. |
| hm rulqy iPrqy koeI bwq n pUCqw gur siqgur sMig kIry hm Qwpy ] |
| ham rulathae firathae koee baath n pooshhathaa gur sathigur sa(n)g keerae ham thhaapae || |
| I was rolling around in the dirt, and no one cared for me at all. In the Company of the Guru, the True Guru, I, the worm, have been raised up and exalted. |
| DMnu DMnu gurU nwnk jn kyrw ijqu imilAY cUky siB sog sMqwpy ]4]5]11]49] |
| dhha(n)n dhha(n)n guroo naanak jan kaeraa jith miliai chookae sabh sog sa(n)thaapae ||4||5||11||49|| |
| Blessed, blessed is the Guru of servant Nanak; meeting Him, all my sorrows and troubles have come to an end. ||4||5||11||49|| |
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Valencia - September 2007
Watch this space......
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Day in Pictures
An Indian man works on a handwritten version of the holy book of the Sikh religion. He began work three years ago.This is featured on the BBC's website. It is the third picture in the list.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Will be posting soon...
Watch this space. :-)
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Comments on Bad Customer Service
- (From G-Singh's Blog)
Anonymous said...
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that so poor!
- Kamal said...
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Just typical - never trust an Indian!
- Anonymous said...
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You spent £2,500 for this pile of ****??!!!!!!!
This company needs a kick up their ***!!!! - Anonymous said...
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They need to go down for this. Need to be shut down.
- Anonymous said...
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thats a whole lot of rubbish i am going to report this to watchdog or which magazine.
- Anonymous said...
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Even my cheap Argos ones are better than this!
- Anonymous said...
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That is terrible! I was looking fit out 2 of our bedrooms and believe it or not KC group was a company I was going to call for quotations......I'll scrub them off the list right away!
Companys like this should not be able to get away with shoddy customer service - go to Watchdog regardless of whether they fix your existing merchandise. - Peter Atkins said...
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Lord only knows how many customers have been fobbed off in the past - thank goodness for people like you who have the guts to take some action against dodgy outfits like this!
Well done!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Bad Customer Service
(from G-Singh's Blog)
Hello all,
We have had really bad service from this company so I have decided to put up my dealings with them on the internet; I have called them to give them the address to the site. Im hoping this will get them to do something for us and warn other potential customers of what they can expect from this company.
It would be great if you can forward to your friends and leave comments to support us on the blog too.
www.donotbuykc.blogspot.com
Power to the people!
Gurcharan S Durhailay
Bad Experiences with KC Group
Do not buy anything from the KC group, west London
Where do I begin, I think the pictures do all the talking. Just over three years ago I decided to get some fitted wardrobes im my room to create some storage for my wife to be at the time.
After going to a few companies and receiving quotes I decided to go with the quote from the KC Group who are a fitted cupboard specialist based in Hounslow West London.
The KC Group already had fitted wardrobes in two rooms of my uncles house and were recommended by a friend of the family who had a some rooms fitted prior.
The local fitter and agent for the KC Group was an eager and friendly chap, Mr R, obviously a salesman sweetening the client. At this point there were no signs that the company would refuse any sort of customer service in the future. We decided to have fitted cupboards with internal drawers, a dresser and mirror and a pair of bedside cabinets made at the cost of about £2500.
Click here to read more...
Monday, August 13, 2007
New Blog - http://sikhtalk.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Joke - Job Interview
(Email from Sandeep)
An office manager was given the task of hiring an individual to fill a job
He decided to call the four in and ask them only one question. Their answer
"What is the fastest thing you know of?"
"That's very good!" replied the interviewer.
"And now you sir?" he asked the second man (A COLOURED MAN). "Hmm....let me
"Excellent!" said the interviewer. "The blink of an eye ... that's a very
He then turned to the third man (A BLACK MAN) who was contemplating his
"It's obvious to me that the fastest thing known is DIARRHEA." "WHAT!?" said the interviewer, stunned by the response. "Oh I can explain." said the fourth man. "You see the other day I wasn't feeling so good and I ran for the bathroom.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Happy 30 Birthday Jagdeep Singh ji
Just wanted to wish a Happy 30th Birthday to one of the buffest dads out there, Bhai Jagdeep Singh ji. Hope you had a good time and hope you continue to have a joyful life ahead. I hope there are plenty of cakes coming my way :-).
Monday, July 23, 2007
Seeking out a Sikh with a tale to tell
Such was the fate of a gracious and dignified elderly gentleman named Milkha Singh who was in the gallery yesterday watching his son, Jeev Milkha Singh, playing alongside Pádraig Harrington and Soren Hansen.
Milkha stood out from the crowd as he was wearing the turban of his Sikh faith, but the golf fans following the group had no idea they were in the company of a remarkable man.
He was just a teenager living in a remote village of what became Pakistan following partition in post-colonial India when the madness came to his home.
Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs were stirred to bloody strife and Milkha's parents and other family members were slaughtered in a pogrom.
"That night I lost my my parents, three of my brothers, my sisters, all of them were killed.
"I managed to run away in the darkness when the killing went on. Almost 4,000 men, women and children were killed in my area. It was madness at that time," he said.
He found himself a refugee in India but from tragedy Milkha made his life a great success when he was introduced to running after joining the army.
There was no coaching, he ran barefoot, and knew nothing of Olympic Games, Asian Games or anything else about the sport, but Milkha Singh went on to become a hero in his country as an Olympian.
He ran in the Olympic Games at Melbourne, Rome, and Tokyo, and earned the nickname of "The Flying Sikh" for his athletic exploits.
Sadly, although he set a World record in the 440-metre preliminaries in Rome, he was to lose out on an Olympic medal by a fraction of a second, as the first four finished virtually in a dead heat and were separated only on a photo-finish.
Milkha, somewhat reluctantly, took up golf when his running days were over and though he got to single figures and still plays five days a week, at one stage he decreed that his son Jeev should concentrate on his studies and become an engineer or a doctor instead of a career in sport.
But now, at almost 80 years of age, sprightly Milkha delights in the success of Jeev and last year, took his son to, of all places, the Morton Stadium in Santry for an emotional return after 48 years.
Milkha had won Gold in the Commonwealth Games 440 yards at Cardiff in 1958 and was brought to Dublin by the late, great Billy Morton for the international athletics meeting which opened the new cinder track at Santry.
'I knelt down and touched the track. It had changed but the stadium was not so different'It proved to be an epic evening in front of a huge crowd. The feature race was the mile, in which Herb Elliott broke the world record by 2.7 seconds and the first five, including our own Melbourne '56 gold medal winner Ronnie Delany, all beat four minutes.
Milkha Singh won the 440 yards race on that memorable night and still treasures his medal.
The track is a modern synthetic surface now, justifying in one respect Billy Morton's proud boast to the press after the '58 event that "Gentlemen, grass is on the way out!"
Said Milkha: "I knelt down and touched the track. It had changed but the stadium was not so different. It was a very emotional moment. I told my son 'I ran here in 1958'.
"That brought special memories back to me."
Milkha and his wife Nirmal delight in the success of their son and the family has gained an unique honour: back in '58 Milkha was awarded the equivalent of a knighthood in India for his sporting exploits and son Jeev has been given the same honour, the "Padma Shri" after his four international wins last year, including the Volvo Masters.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Happy Belated Birthday Kiran
Happy Belated Birthday Kiran. I know it is a bit late to wish you, but better late than never. Hope you had a great day and continue to enjoy life as you have been doing. I will be expecting some cake at some point. Don't forget to do your Riaz. Enjoy your trip to Canada and Malaysia.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Put on your Aprons - Eggless Donuts
| EGGLESS DOUGHNUTS By Manpreet Kaur from Germany | |
| INGREDIENTS Maida 2 heaped cups+ ¼cup Milk Slghtly less than 1 cup Salted butter ¼ cup Fresh yeast 1 tbsp Baking powder ¾ tsp Powdered sugar ½cup Salt, sugar, any jam, oil to fry Method: Heat the milk & pour over 1/4 cup sugar & 1/4 cup salted butter. Let cool to room temperature. Meanwhile add 1 tbsp fresh yeast with little sugar to 1/4 cup warm water & sprinkle 1/2 tsp maida & keep for 10 mts. Add this & 2 cups maida to milk mixture. Beat well after each cup. Let rise until double in bulk. Now add 3/4 tsp salt&3/4 tsp baking powder to 1/4 cup maida, mix well & add to the dough. Let rise again. Roll, make small balls with a little jam inside. Deep fry & coat with powdered sugar. | |
Monday, July 09, 2007
Gursikhs - Sant Sohan Singh ji
Sant Sohan Singh, who left his mortal body in 1972 in Kuala Lampur, was a common man like any other Sikh hailing from a remote village in the Punjab. Over the years he so developed himself spiritually and so endeared himself to the Sikhs in Malaya and Singapore, that he became an institution by himself. He was head and shoulders above the average Sikh not only in matters spiritual but also in physical stature. Yet he moved about among them unassumingly, claiming no better place than the commonest of them and using no high sounding language to impress them with the spiritual stature he had attained.Friday, July 06, 2007
Happy Birthday Sangreen
Happy Birthday Jazz & Randy
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Hot New Spin - Chilli &Lemon
COMING SOON: The HOT NEW SPIN on Walkers Crisps ...Chilli & Lemon flavour
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
New Site on the Block - Sikh Roots
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Interview with Tarawati Sofat, Nairobi
Yes, this is a photograph of Babaji. That's how we called him, 'Honoured Father'. His proper name was Puran Singh. He lived in Kericho where he had a furniture-making business. How did we meet? My late husband Baburam Sofat, who had come to Kenya when he was fifteen, worked in the Labour Department for 40 years! He would go to Kisumu and Kericho to give out pay. He met Puran Singh in Kericho and by 1942 they were fast friends. No, my husband was not a Sikh like myself, he was a Hindu Punjabi. He was an astrologer and palmist, so he was known as Jyotshiji. He had very many people coming to him. Even many Europeans. They were crazy about him. He'd be busy from morning until 6 pm. He didn't charge when he started. He wrote to his Guru (in India) about this. The Guru, Swami somebody, allowed him to charge 20/-. When my husband first met Babaji, he said to him, 'I want to read your hand.' When he saw Babaji's hand lines he said, 'You are a saint.' But nobody' else knew it.For full article, click here - sevatothemax.com
Monday, June 25, 2007
Happy Belated Birthday Dharam Joda Singh ji
Just wanted to wish Bhai Dharam Joda Singh ji(Shastar) a happy belated birthday who turned 27 on 20th June 2007. Hope you had a great time and may this year be as successful as was the last for you. Take care and be good. Three cheers for Dharam, "Heep Heep...Hurray!!! x3". Dharam is blessed with an amazing voice and can 'bring the house down' when doing kirtan with his melodious voice.
Article on Makindu Gurudwara by Lakhvir Singh
In the years before 1926, the Gurudwara was a tin-roof little hut where the Sikhs used to pray everyday, and the Guru Guru Granth Sahib was housed there. But when the Railway moved on from Makindu, the service point went into disuse and became unimportant. The Sikhs naturally moved along too, leaving the tiny Gurudwara behind, under the watchful eye of an African servant who would clean the Gurudwara. Sikh devotees who passed along the Gurudwara would leave offerings of money by dropping it through the locked Gurudwara's window.
As the years rolled on and the Railway complete, the Sikhs settled in Kenya. Slowly, they began to contemplate the idea of reviving the small Gurudwara in Makindu. Akhand Paths began to be organised on regular weekends, with families travelling 200 miles or so, in rough murram red-soil earth. There, they would gather and pray, prepare langar and socialise. Over the years, the Gurudwara began to be developed. It is in 1926 that a solid foundation was laid. The Gurudwara then became a fully-functional one - with a langar hall, prayer hall and tiny rooms of accommodation for the gyanis and sevadaars of the Gurudwara. It also began to provide free food and rest for weary travellers who would stop by at the Gurudwara for a night or two on their journeys to and from Nairobi and Mombasa.Legend have been connected to this magnificent Gurudwara. It has truly been referred to as the 'Harmandir Sahib' of Africa. It is so amazing that even now, as i pen these lines, an electric current runs through me, just thinking about the power of that Gurudwara.
A copy of the Guru Granth Sahib that survived a mysterious fire which burnt down the whole Gurudwara (probably before 1926) is still there today. I was fortunate to obtain the darshan of the Guru Granth Sahib at a Sikh's residence in Mombasa. On it's first page, the then-Granthi of the Gurudwara recorded, in his own handwriting, exactly what had happened that day, and how miraculously, the Guru Granth Sahib was untouched by the tragedy to the Gurudwara.An African sevadaar of the Gurudwara once claimed that he saw, in the night awoken from his sleep, a figure on a white horse. The horseman approached him and spoke to him, telling him not to speak to anyone about the incident of his visit. The startled and shaken man could not believe his eyes and was so scared that he he told the first person he saw the following morning. Asked who the man on the horse was, the African man pointed to a painting of Guru Gobind Singh which was displayed in the Gurudwara and said, 'That was him! Exactly like the was is there and so was the white horse!' The incident spread through the Sikh community like wild fire and soon people began to come more often to the Gurudwara, regardless of the miles that separated them from it. The incident also prompted the Sant Baba Puran Singh Kerichowale (founder, Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha) to lead Gursikhs to gather at the Gurudwara regularly, and serve it by prayer, langar and cleaning. The Gurudwara had been almost forgotten and neglected when Guru Gobind Singh's incident occurred.
That was not the only incident of the darshan of Guru Gobind Singh at Makindu Sahib. People claim to have have heard, in the silent of night, to have heard the approach of horses, just outside the Gurudwara. The sounds were akin to an army, stopping for the night. They claimed that they heard sounds of a kitchen being put in place, like langar was being prepared. Evidently, the incident was believed to be another darshan of the Guru, stopping by the shrine.
In yet another event, an amazing first-time encounter happened with a member of the Istri Sabha during the early years of the Gurudwara. A lady who was reading the Guru Granth Sahib in the night, lit by only a kerosene lamp (there was no electricity there then), witnessed in the shadow falling on the Guru Granth Sahib. The figure, she recalled, was of someone doing the 'chaur' over the Sikh Scriptures. The figure was, by description, none other than Guru Gobind Singh.The Gurudwara today is among one of the most unique and beautiful ones outside India . Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike describe the same feeling when they step into the Gurudwara - that of peace. It is an indescribable peace and bliss. A aging European stranger i met at an art exhibition just the other day, began talking to me about the Gurudwara when she saw me wearing a branded jacket of the Gurudwara. 'Oh, I've been there,' she told me, 'a beautiful temple, i must say.' She explained how a decade ago, she had stopped there for the night on her journey from Mombasa back to Nairobi, and said she had never felt so peaceful in her life before. She even felt the presence of someone seated in the passenger seat as she prepared to drive on the following morning. 'I'm not sure who that was, but I am certain there was someone there,' she explained. 'I didn't get scared, though, I took it as a good omen, like someone was keeping a protective watch over me as i embarked on my journey.'Like this lady, there are thousands of people who stop by the Gurudwara on their journeys along the busy Mombasa Highway. The Gurudwara attracts people of all races and colour - Hindus, Muslims and Christians. They all drive in like it was home. They always find a meal waiting for them and accommodation to take rest in. They feel no discrimination, or even the slightest hesitation that they are walking through a Sikh temple. It's a power there, I believe, that brings them here - a power that sees no differences. All feel the same bliss, as though they are visiting a Sikh Temple, but walking through God's very own garden.
As for the Sikhs, it is a favoured Gurudwara. Politics have not touched this Gurudwara. Here, even the Managing Committees have been known to be part of the sangat and sevadaars. Every weekend, there is someone or the other, making their journey to pay their homage to the Gurudwara, or simply to be at one with the Guru. Whole families travel there, unlike witnessed in Nairobi. Sikhs from not only all over Kenya, but from as far as Uganda and Tanzania who make regular trips to this beautiful Gurudwara, built on the common African soil. It is to be believed by the individual, and there are plenty of testimonies, that whatever one asks for at this Gurudwara, it is granted. Wishes have come true, prayers have been answered, if you come with a clean heart, cloaked in humility. Akhand Paths are regularly done there, and requests come from as far away fro Europe and Australia where ex-Kenya Sikhs are now settled, and yet remember the beloved Gurudwara they had to leave behind. Had it been in their grasp, they surely would have taken it with them!
The setting of this Gurudwara is indeed a wonder. It is set in the wilderness, deep in the wild. Settlement has only recently sprang up around the Gurudwara. It is about 200 kilometers from Nairobi and yet you will find Sikhs gathering at the Gurudwara almost every weekend. Here they spend the whole day, resting, praying and simply witnessing the still air in its extremely well-kept gardens. Right across the road is the new Sikh Hospital - Mata Veera Kaur Hospital - which is a community establishment, serving the locals who have no immediate professional health care for hundreds of miles around.
On my most recent visit there in 2001, I could see the Gurudwara through the thorn bushes at the Railway Station. The sight was one to behold. There, right before you was a white structure, in the midst of all the browns and greens of the wilderness, standing tall, yet humble. The Gurudwara stands like the lotus flower that grows in the mud. The only was to describe the sight when I saw it was 'Bliss in the Bush'.A note to make here is that there not a single Sikh family resident in Makindu and yet the Gurudwara continues to flourish, through the goodwill of non-Sikhs, the devotion on its Sikhs and abundant blessings of the Guru, who ceaselessly watches over this shrine that was built on the foundation of sincere faith, love and dedication to the WORD of GOD. And yes, do visit this Gurudwara, no matter what part of the world you come from, and you will experience all that we have, and who knows, the Guru awaits you too!
Lakhvir Singh, NAIROBI, KENYA
Read the full article: www.sikhnet. com
Some pictures taken from www.sikhiwiki.com
Friday, June 22, 2007
Trekking with the Singhs - Dublin, April 2007
I have to admit that it was a great choice to stay as we had the chance to bond with each other and get on each others nerves. Not to mention AJ's flaky feet or Tej's sleepathon. During this trip, we managed to find a Gurudwara, Guru Nanak Darbar, in Dublin to thank guru ji for a successful trip. We were well looked after by the local 'sangat'. It happened to be a public holiday and the birthday of one of the local lads. As a treat, the 'sangat' had made 'alloo wale prontey' for breakfast and mushy paneer, egg plant 'subji' and yogurt for lunch. It was definitely a delight after having to eat junk food for 3 days.
As we had some time to kill before our ferry back to England, the local lads decide to take us out to do some sight seeing. They were all really kind people and took us to a place where we would never had thought to go. I managed to take some videos of the trekking we done with the singhs in Dublin.
In the video above you can see that the nerves kicking in when just about to go down the cliff.
To be continued...
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Panesar climbs to new career high
England's Monty Panesar has broken into the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time after his superb display in the victory over West Indies. The left-arm spinner, 25, took 5-46 to help set up England's seven-wicket win and finish the series as England's man of the series with 23 wickets.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Fauja Singh ji in Edinburgh 2006
A collage of pictures that I took at the marathon.
In the above picture from you can see the group having a picture taken by one of the press photographers. I thought I would seize the opportunity and pretend to be a paparazzi by getting a few shots for myself.
Above is a picture of myself with my Kenyan Brothers. The one wearing a grey top at the left won the race in 2hrs 11 minutes while the others came second and third places.
Above is a picture from left to right : Myself, Karnel Singh, Fauja Singh, Nirmal Singh. This was taken by a press photographer as we were going to the car. It was a great day and was really good to see the amount of respect that other non sikhs have for Fauja Singh ji.
Fauja Singh ji and Ajit Singh ji having a bite to eat after the long run. It was really hot outside and it was really nice to sit in the shade after the long run while helping ourselves to delicious snacks courtesy of the organisers to their VIP guests.In the video you will see running along side Fauja Singh ji are Harmander Singh ji who is his personal trainer and Sulakhan Singh ji who is a regular runner of Team Fauja. Sulakhan Singh ji ran the full marathon in 4 hours 30 minutes where he caught up with the other two and finished the race in style.