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Gurdwara under construction during the time of the Gurus with the donations from the Sangat

Dasvandh or Dasaundh, literally means a "tenth part" and refers to the practice among Sikhs of contributing in the name of the Guru one-tenth of their earnings towards the common resources of the community.

This is their religious obligation — a religious requirement or duty; a form of seva or humble service which is highly valued in the Sikh system.

The concept of dasvandh was implicit in Guru Nanak’s own Gurbani in the line: "ਘਾਲਿ ਖਾਇ ਕਿਛੁ ਹਥਹੁ ਦੇਇ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਾਹੁ ਪਛਾਣਹਿ ਸੇਇ ॥੧॥ One who works for what he eats, and gives some of what he has - O Nanak, he knows the Path (1)" (SGGS p 1245)

The idea of sharing and giving is symbolised by the institutions of langar (community kitchen) for the sangat (holy assembly) that the Guru has established.

In the time of Guru Amar Das, Nanak III, a formal structure for channelizing Sikh religious giving was evolved. The Guru set up 22 manjis or districts in different parts of the country, each placed under the charge of a pious Sikh who, besides preaching Guru Nanak's word, looked after the sangats within his/her jurisdiction and transmitted the disciple’s offerings to the Guru. .....More

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Learning Gurmukhi/Punjabi

• Listen & Learn Gurmukhi Letters (Pain'tee)
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Sikh Taxi driver's story on 9 News

Watch this video (1.60 mins) on YouTube of the a Sikh cabbie in Australia who has set an example of honesty after he returned 110,000 Australian dollars to passengers who had left the bundle of cash in his taxi. The incident happened in Melbourne recently (October 2013) when the cab driver Lakhwinder Singh Dhillon was doing his routine job of picking and dropping passenger .....Watch, listen, read & ponder...

• Can Hindu law cover Sikhs, Jains & Buddhists asks the Supreme Court If Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism are separate and distinct religions, can followers of these faiths be bracketed as Hindus under the Constitution and be governed by Hindu personal law, the Supreme Court asked before issuing notice to the Centre and attorney general G E Vahanvati.
• Film reveals Canadian Sikh community’s World War I stories - On Remembrance Day another little known part of Canadian history was brought to light by the hour-long documentary “Canadian Soldier Sikhs: A Little Story in a Big War.”

Click on the photo, wait for large image to load - then right button and select "Set as Desktop background".

For more pictures goto Flickr: Photos relating to Sikh(s)
Many thanks to: Solarider, Gurvinderpal, Gurumustuk, Jasforfun, eggnog42, matteo-gianni and many others.

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Sikh Symbols

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Did you know...

Sri Damdama Sahib

• .....that Takhat Damdama Sahib is one of five takhats or Seat of Authority of the Sikhs. This takhat is situated at Batinda in Punjab, India and is the place where Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs prepared the full version of the Sikh Scriptures called Sri Guru Granth Sahib in 1705. What are the names of the other four Takhats?

• .....that the Sikhs believe that all life, including human life, comes from God. God is the Creator of the universe and the force that keeps it in existence.

• .....that for the Sikhs, the final goal of life is to reunite or merge with God (Mukti). The Sikh Gurus taught that to achieve this goal it was important to work hard at developing positive human qualities which lead the soul closer to God.

• .... that the Guru Granth Sahib provides guidance for Muslims!; Yes, no other historical Islamic verse holds such strong contempt for Muslims who fail to carry out the daily Nimaz as can be attributed to Hazrat Baba Sheikh Farid as recorded in the Shri Guru Granth Sahib.

"Sweet are candy, sugar, honey, and buffalo's milk. Yea, sweet are these but sweeter by far is the name of my Lord" (Baba Farid)

Sheikh Fariduddin ‘Shakar ganj’ (1173 to 1265) popularly known as Baba Farid, or Baba Sheikh Farid Ganj-i-Shakar is regarded as the prime mystic–poet of the Punjabi language.

"Baba Sheikh Farid Ganj-i-Shakar" is not a ‘baptised’ name, but a galaxy of venerable modes of address with which Farid-ud-Din; who used Masud as his pen-name, began to be adored after his death by his devotees.

With Baba Farid a new star blazed on the horizon of greater Punjab. By his mellifluous poetry he conferred an independent status upon Punjabi, especially in his doha format. Baba Farid’s dohas in inspiringly sweet poetry are highly revered and forever enshrined in the Guru Granth Sahib.

Khaliq Ahmad Nizami, Professor of History, Muslim University, Aligarh, in his well documented book, The Life and Times of Slwikh Farid-ud-Din Ganj-i-Shakar (1955) provides comprehensive-information about Shaikh Farid.

Farid-ud-Din’s grandfather was a part of the exodus, of scholars, artisans and of other such careerists who ‘considered it expedient to migrate to Northern India from Kabul when Afghanistan was trampled by hordes of Mughals during the eleventh century. The Mughals were given to mass plunder, carnage and arson leading to vandalism. .....More

At the Golden Temple, you are given sweet Prasad that you are supposed to eat. Some people also feed the fish in the pool with it. This particular fish would watch for people walking near the edge and then come out and beg for the food. I watched him do this for about 15-20 minutes. I don't think this happens too often because the locals were pretty enthralled by it, as well. This fish was significantly larger than most others in the pool, so I think his begging trick is a very effective adaptation..
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