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PAPERS
Buddha dal puratan gutka
This manuscript is an old manuscript of the ‘Khalsa Nitnem’ kept by the Nihang Singhs, officially known as the Shiromani Khalsa Panth Akali, Buddha Dal, Panjva Takht, Chakarvarti, Chalda Vahir, Vishav, the central organisation of the Akali Nihang Singhs.
The Gutka Sahib is a breviary or Pothi Sahib (hymn book), it contains mainly compositions that are invocations to the Adi Shakti by Guru Gobind Singh Ji from the famous compositions from within the sacred Sri Dasam Granth Sahib Ji, and rare compositions like the Ugradanti Sahib, and Bhagauti Astotra Sahib, officially called Sri Sahib ji ki Ustati.
These compositions are found in the Takht Patna Sahib sarup of Dasam Granth Sahib Ji, said to be compiled by Akali Nihang Baba Dip Singh Ji in 1698 AD, which contains daskhat or handwritten folios by the Tenth Master. This whole recension was later copied by Giani Sukha Singh Ji of Takht Patna
THE THIRTY-FIVE LETTERS - PAIṄTĪS AKHARĪ
The PaiṄtīs Akharī is an acrostic bani about the Gurmukhi alphabet said to be by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It is apocryphal as it is not in the Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
The Guru describes the experience or attributes of Ik OaṄkār with each letter, or the non-divisible advait Vahiguru, which is the ecstatic experience of non-duality.
The state of enlightenment or Nirvana is described, where the term turia is employed by Guru, he states that in actual fact there is no difference between the soul and the Super-soul, like water that merges back into water.
YOUNG SIKHS AND IDENTITY:
THE TURBAN & TERRORISM
For some Sikh Youth the tragedy on 9/11 was a turning point in how the turban was viewed by the general public and media. They were certain that the public and media considered the turban to have connotations with religious extremism. A number of leaders even went onto various channels to educate people about the distinctiveness of the Sikh dastar.
For initiated Khalsa Sikhs they are required to wear a turban as a religious obligation. As a result of this perception some turbaned-Sikhs have been victims of racial violence and had their identity challenged by calls to assimilate into Western societies.
A number of Sikhs and Gurdwaras were then attacked, resulting in a number of deaths. Sadly, the hate crimes culminated in the Wisconsin shootings, which was again a case of mistaken identity. The various Sikh channels, websites, all had a frenzy of activity at these various times, with lengthy discussions about how to tackle this issue ‒ many going into deep discussion about the ins and outs of Sikh theology and codes of discipline known as rahitnāme.
This paper seeks to address how the youth in this situation consolidated their identity within the wider communities they live in. For some Sikh youth it reinforced their identity, while for others they sought to make the image softer and modern. In many instances they re-negotiated and reinterpreted what it meant to wear a turban, and attempted to bridge the old with the new.
THE HISTORY OF THE NITNEM
In this short essay I present the traditional Sikh view about the Sikh liturgy known as the 'Nitnem'.
The short essay was written for a lecture at the Khalsa Jatha Gurdwara (ShepardsBush) on the Nitnem bāṆīā, which are also known as the Panj bāṆīā .
ATH MUL MANTRA GURU KHALSE KA
The Mul Mantra of the Khalsa - The first ever English translation. Written in the Court of the Tenth Guru about the first Khalsa initiation.
The Mul Mantra of the Guru Khalsa is very important for all Sikhs, and to recite it daily is important for all Khalsa Sikhs, in fact Nihang Singhs read this as a part of their amritvela Nitnem.
A WEDDING PARTY, SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW:
THE HISTORY OF THE FORMATION OF THE BRITISH-SIKH REGIMENTS
Although previously opposed to each other, the wedding party of the British and the Sikhs met after the dramatic fall of the Sikh Empire and death of the legendary Maharaja, Ranjit Singh.
The stalwart Sikhs made the conquest of the Punjab very difficult and it was the final Indian jewel in the crown of Queen Victoria. After the fall, the British recognised that the Sikhs were experienced warriors and that they would protect the British-India border from the Afghans, so they began recruiting Sikhs in their army in large numbers.
In this paper I will explore how the formidable British-Sikh regiments were formed, and how they later went on to participate in the theatres of World War I, and highlight their notable achievements. Sikh warrior or chattrīi deals, celebrate both martial arts and battle warfare, and praises martyrdom and heroism.
This is seen in the Sikh scriptural and bardic tradition known as ḌhaḌhī( Nijhawan 2006). A true wedding party is one that weds death and looks at fear with disdain. This tradition of ‘playing the game of love’ has been noted by a number of scholars (Fenech 2000).
As the title suggests, the purpose of this article is to illustrate how British-Sikh regiments were formed.
REFORMING SIKI AND RE-DEVISING THE PANTH:
THE INFLUENCE OF THE SINGH SABHA MOVEMENT ON THE MILLENIAL SIKHS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
The Sikh community in the UK consists of various ‘Jathebandia’, loosely translated as ‘units’ or ‘sects’.
All of these groups have varied histories, practices, and theological beliefs.
This paper examines the influence of the Singh Sabha movement on the millennial generation in some of the largest Sikh groups in the UK.
Some of the groups claim orthopraxy and orthodoxy, but this essay argues the majority of these groups are an amalgamation of different influences that have adapted their practices according to the Singh Sabha movement and concludes with an analysis of how these influences play out via Sikh media and the internet.
NASĪHATANĀMĀ
The hagiographies of Guru Nanak Dev Ji such as the Srī Gur Nānak Parkāsh Graṅth, and other older Janamsākhiā, narrate that the Nasīhatanāmā was said in a conversation between the King of Misar or Rum (regions around Egypt and Turkey), who was a cruel tyrant, and Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
It is a letter of advice from Guru Nanak to the Emperor or the King named as Hamid Karun. He is advised by the Guru to do good deeds and be kind as God has bestowed wealth on him. Money should be spent on good causes, and that money belongs to him who spends it. The world is transient, only the True God is eternal, therefore no one should feel proud of his possessions as we are all bound to perish, and one should remember the name of God (nām).
HANUMAN NATAK BY HIRDAYA RAM BHALLA
FOREWARD BY DR KAMALROOP SINGH
The Hanūmān Nāṭak is a play about Ram Chandra written in verse by the poet Hirdaya Ram Bhalla.
According to Bhai Kanh Singh Nabha some poets have recorded that Hanuman wrote it himself as, but in order to not decrease the splender of the Rāmayaṇ of Valmik he threw it into the sea
ARATI - ARATA
Āratī - Āratā is an evening prayer that is a part of the purātan nitnem of the Sikhs. Most Sikhs have heard of the Āratī of Guru Nanak and the Bhagats, but few have heard the full version that includes many inspiring verses by Guru Gobind Singh. The unedited version remains the preserve of the Akali Nihang Singh Khalsa.