Gurmit Singh can be seen to the right of the Hollebeek monument. See the previous post on the Ealing Gurdwara.
The Singh to the right of Gurmit Singh is another friend of mine, Mohinder Singh from St Truiden.
Gurmit Singh in Hollebeke, near Ieper, Belgium
Gurdwara London Sikh Centre Ealing
31/12/08
Yesterday I went to West Ealing to do a bit of shopping, and decided to look for the newish Gurdwara near the Drayton Green station on the Paddington – Greenford First Great Western railway line.
There is a story connected to this Gurdwara. About two years ago the committee of the Shepherd’s Bush Gurdwara had plans to sell their existing premises and to move to West Ealing. That caused a ’revolt’ and the committee was voted out, and the West Ealing Gurdwara was set up as an independent Gurdwara. The Shepherd’s Bush Gurdwara, the most central Gurdwara we have, with the Gurdwara Sikh Sangat, Harley Grove, Bow coming second, is still going strong.
I walked from the Sainsbury in West Ealing towards the railway line, went across the footbridge and walked straight to the Drayton Bridge Road, where I found the Gurdwara easily.
I also found my friend Gurmit Singh, who I first met in Panjab, and later in Southall, St Truiden and Ieper, but with whom I lost touch. I had langar with him and another local Singh and we had a very nice chat. I will definitely visit again.
Every 30 minutes Greenford – West Ealing – Ealing Broadway – Paddington trains serve Drayton Green station, which is right next to the Gurdwara. Bus E1 and E11 both run from central Greenford to Ealing Broadway via Drayton Green. Between Greenford and Drayton Green the E11 goes round the houses, E1 is both more frequent and more direct.
Two Nishan Sahibs ?
If a Gurdwara has two Nishan Sahibs, what does it mean ?
Please send your answers to :
harjindersingh.amritsar@yahoo.co.uk
or leave a comment underneath.
Some clues, as no correct answers have been forthcoming :
There are two nishan sahibs outside a Gurdwara to the east of the Amritsar – Batala railway line.
There a two nishan sahibs outside a Gurdwara in Sultanwind, just outside Amritsar.
There are two nishan sahibs outside Akal Thakat.
All these Gurdware are linked to one Sikh personality !
Harjinder Singh
Sikhs in Kabul
Send in by Pritpal Singh, bibaricky@yahoo.com
Subject: Sikhs in Kabul
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:22:58 +0000
Subject: Sikhs in Kabul
Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:22:58 +0000
Walk on with Nám in your heart and, you’ll never walk alone.
———ooo0————————————————
( ) 0ooo
\ ( ( )
\_) ) /
(_/
Pritpal Singh
Singh Sabha Southall seen from Hammond Road
Hammond Road is not exactly a main thorough fare, and this is a side of the Gurdwara that not too many people get to see. The Singh Sabha Ltd owns a number of houses on Hammond Road as part of their impressive ‘real estate’ portfolio.
Gurpreet Singh/Harjinder Singh & Gurmit Kaur/Gurdev Singh
Fellow Man in Blue : Gurpreet Singh
Saturday afternoon 27/12 Gurpreet Singh and Harjinder Singh (me) spoke to the sangat from the stage about how we had become Sikhs.
We did some simran before and after, and between his story and my story and dialogue between us, with Gurkamal Singh and members of the sangat the event lasted from 4 till 5.45 pm.
There was only a limited number of sangat present, but those present were really listening and spoke to us in the divan or later downstairs in the langar.
After the 6 pm Rahiras Gurmit Kaur (Dilruba) and Gurdev Singh (tabla) did kirtan in rág on traditional instruments. There is no allowing for tastes, and everyone has there own preferences, but I cannot understand why anyone would want to listen to Bollywood tunes played on vajas !
Gurmit Kaur and Gurdev Singh are not ‘top artists’ but they are both committed Sikhs, they have got good training and listening to them you do not just enjoy the beautiful music and words, but also feel the commitment of the two kirtanis.
Kirtan at the House of Harsevak Singh 27/12/08
In the morning of my busy Sikh day I went to enjoy kirtan at the house of my friend Harsevak Singh
352.The Man in Blue – Pammie Bains & the Sikh Identity
Simran on a Welsh Hill
I know several ‘Pammies’ and even more people called Bains, and this column does not target any of them. Most of my Sikh friends will not call themselves Mrs or Mr Sidhu, Bains, Sandhu or Grewal or whatever, and will also use their full given name, not Pammie Bains but Parminder Kaur.
Not that it is just women who use nick names or abbreviations instead of the name given by Guru through a hukamnama. There is a whole ‘Sikh’ world out there where to be too much of a Sikh is seen as eccentric, maybe even provocative to non-Sikhs or to people who are just of Sikh background.
I went to a consultation about the effects of the Heathrow expansion on the communities in Hounslow. A Sikh woman and man represented a local Gurdwara. They did not introduce themselves as ‘Something’ Kaur and ‘Something’ Singh but as ‘mrs Sidhu’ and ‘mr Bains’ (not their real names).
To me consultations like this are good occasions to project my Sikh identity, and not to hide it by trying to conform to UK customs. I can make a contribution to society and keep my Sikh identity. And most of the time when I attend meetings at government departments, the police or local authorities I get respect for knowing my subject, and for looking like a Sikh, trying to defend Sikh rights and working for the welfare of all.
Of course everybody must make their own decisions in life, but if you want to be a Sikh, if you want to play even a modest leading role in the Gurdwara, you should follow the teachings of Guru. It does not do you any harm not using your last name and it does contribute to the ideal of making us all equals, regardless of caste.
I often hear young people say that keeping 5 Ks, wearing a dastár and using your full Sikh name is too difficult, and they claim that they can be good people without it. Of course wearing the 5 Ks and a dastár is no guarantee for Sikh behaviour, but do not think that living the Sikh way of life is in any way easy. Guru requires from us not just to give up ‘sins’, we should be above them, we should not need them and not want them.
If you cannot keep your hair (no effort is required !), wear the 5 Ks, wear a dastár regardless of your gender, and use your full given name followed by Kaur or Singh, how will you face the challenge of living a Sikh way of life. I am not at all in favour to people rushing into taking amrit, but f you are seriously about trying to follow the teachings of the Guru Granth, you should work in that direction.
Guru Nanak told us that if we want to play the game of love (God’s love) we should carry our heads on the palm of our hand. Giving your head, without reluctance, is far more difficult than calling yourself Harjinder Singh.
