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Guru Har Gobind

On June 11 every year the Sikhs celebrate the Gurgadi day of their sixth Master, Guru Har Gobind (5 July 1595 - 19 March 1644).

The Guru sahib was born at village Guru Ki Wadali in district Amritsar, Punjab, India on 5 July 1595 and was the only son of Mata Ganga and Guru Arjan, whom he succeeded on 11 June 1606 at the age of only 11 years old.

The young Hargobind received his early education and training from the revered Sikh leaders of the time Baba Buddha, the first Sikh "granthi" and Bhai Gurdas, the scribe of the Sikh holy script, Guru Granth Sahib.

Guru Hargobind was married in about 1610 to Mata Nanaki also known as Mata Marwahi or Mata Mahadevi. They were endowed with a large family consisting of one daughter Bibi Viro and five sons: Baba Gurditta, Suraj Mal ji, Ani Rai ji, Atal Rai ji and Tegh Bahadar ji. Guru Hargobind was responsible for wearing two kirpans - one for Miri (temporal protection) and one for Piri (spiritual elevation) and began the rapid and irreversible militarization of the Sikh people. It was due to the tragic martyrdom of his father, Guru Arjan that the sixth Guru changed the Panth (the global Sikh community) into an effective, brave and determined army of religious supporters of righteousness (Dharam).

The Guru also built the Akal Takhat in 1608 - which is now one of five takhats (seats of power) of the Sikhs and is the place from where worldwide direction is given to the Sikh community on global issues. Guru sahib also founded the city of Kiratpur in District Rupnagar, Punjab. .....More

What's new in Sikhi...

Sarika Watkins-Singh
photo courtesy bbc

On February 5, 2008, at a preliminary hearing, a UK judge Sir Michael Harrison in Court 18 at the Royal Court of Justice in London decided not to allow a Sikh girl, Sarika Watkins-Singh to wear her Kara to school.

The Kara is one of the five articles of faith which is worn by all practising Sikhs. The decision was made before the case was heard at a full hearing several months later.

Fortunately, when the case was heard at a full trial by Mr Justice Silber, over 3 days from 17 June, 2008, he sided with the Sikh girl.

The deputy High Court judge decision at the first hearing was surprising as in 1983 the House of Lords, the supreme court in the UK decided that a school had violated the rights of a student, Gurinder Singh Mandla when he was not allowed to join the school because of his turban which he used to cover his kesh (uncut hair); one of the 5ks or Articles of faith. (see the full judgement Mandla v Dowell Lee).

In what appears an unbelievable statement, the deputy judge ruled: "Whilst I accept there will be detriment to the claimant (Sarika) if she is not able to wear the Kara in the interim, it does not seem to me that is anything like as significant as the detriment to the school if she were allowed to wear it."

This surprised a lot of Sikhs as it appears to encourage other organisations to freely discriminate and break the law as the "detriment to the claimant" may be less significant than to the opposite party. .....More

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.

Guruship endowed to Guru Granth Sahib

The tercentenary celebration of Guruship of Guru Granth Sahib is to be undertaken on a massive scale during this year at Takhat Sachkhand Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra, India. This historic town is an important place in Sikhi as here in October 1708, Guru Gobind Singh ended the chain of human Guruship and endowed the spiritual throne to the Holy Granth. .....More

Rohanpreet Singh, Prince of Patiala needs help
	Rohanpreet Singh, needs your vote NOW! 1. Go to this website, 2. Click on the ‘Sign Up’ blue tab under the password entry area 3. Fill out the registration. (Yes, it’s lame, but this one is easy, JUST DO IT!) 4. Vote as many times as possible (There is no limit......

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.”

NB Sub Bana Singh,PVC recipient of Param Vir Chakra, India's highest military honor.
See www.indianarmy.nic.in

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