Newsletter 2011 Aug Sept 48 Web

8/3/2019 Newsletter 2011 Aug Sept 48 Web

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Objectives:

To promote Sikhheritage.

To meet the needs ofthe Sikh Community.

To organise andpromote the learning ofGurbani and Kirtan.

To lead the Sangat tobecome and remainAmritdhari Sikhs.

To propagate Sikhismby providing quality

religious services. To inculcate the practice

of the Sikh way of life.

HighlightsThe Bi-monthly Newsletter of the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board

Issue No : 48Aug/Sept 201 1

Insid e t h is issue

2. - MP Indranee RajahVisit

- Childrens Party- Mighty Khalsa Dates

3. - BMS Anniversary-Online PunjabiDictionary

- Global GurdwaraDirectory

4. - Sikh CommunityMentorship Prog

- Upcoming SikhiPrograms

5. - Turban Thursday- Punjabi Musical

Instruments6. - Marina Bay Skypark

- World Environment- Upcoming programsat SRST/ CST

7 - IRCC Visit- CST Palki- Renovation of CST

Kitchen8. - Documentary film of

Sikh Martyrs- Sikh CentreOn Going Courses

- Book of the Month

This is the 19th

article in the series Khalsa Mero Roop Hai Khaas (Who is a Khalsa?),started in Apr 2008. In our previous articles, we discussed some of the virtues of the Khalsa.

In this article we will discuss a few more virtues of the Khalsa.

A Sikh never tells lies, cheats or displays dishonesty in anyform

Jaswant Singh

The tendency of the ordinary mind is to hesitate to follow the truthful path and insteadlean towards false and corrupt ways. Indulging in vices, it gathers greed and sin. Liesand sin have an obvious relationship with each other. So where there is falsehood,there is sin.

How can those who fabricate be called pure? Those, who have deceit, corruption anddishonesty within can never find satisfaction and peace in their lives. The true Lordcasts them out like lepers. The founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Sahib pronouncesthat the one who recites the scriptures but still tells lies should be called faithless.Describing such a person, our third Prophet, Guru Amardas states:

The man of false mind practises falsehood. He runs after temptation but pretendsto be a follower of religious path. Deluded by doubt, he visits all the sacredshrines of pilgrimage. But, how can such a person attain deliverance? Only he,who practises truth in life, finds emancipation.

He, who tells lies with his tongue and tries to deceive others, is a Manmukh andignorant about the spiritual realm. The Creator dwells within everyone. He sees and

knows all of ones actions. Practising deception, how can one please Him? A Sikh never tells lies. He never cheats, robs, or displays dishonesty in any form. He is awareof his Gurus word that no one gives shelter to a swindler. How can a thief's actions begood?

Likewise, a Sikh always keeps his word of commitment. One who gives his word, butthen backs out is called false in Gurbani. He is hollow within and all he says is bogus.Sooner or later his falsehood brings pain for him.

Baba Fareed also reminds that once we realize we are to die someday, leaving everything behind in this world and never to return again, why do we ruin ourselves byclinging to falsehood? One should always speak the truth and never tell lies.The disciple ought to travel the route, pointed out by the Guru.

So, a Sikh always keeps himself away from these bad habits. He acts according to theinstructions of the Guru. This is the true way of living of a Sikh.

References:

1 J UT iv k wi r j wg Yih q c Iq u] p UMj I p wp l oB k I k Iq u] (153)2 j hw J UTuqh p wp u] (1372)3 i j n A Md i r k p t ui v k wr uJ UT u E i e A wp y s c Yv i K k F y j j mwl y] (304)4 p wT up V Ymui K J UT ob ol Y i n g ur yk I mi q E h Y] (1013)5 mn k w J UT w J UT uk mwv Y] mwi e A w n o i P r Yq p w s d wv Y] B r myB Ul w s i B q Ir Q g h Y]

E h u q p w k Ys yp r m g i q l h Y] g ur p r s wd I k os c uk mwv Y] n wn k s oq p w moK Mq r up wv Y] 1 ] (948)6 k p i t k Iq Yh i r p ur Kun BI j Y in q v yKYs ux Ys uBwie ]

A Mq i r k p t umn m uK A i g A wn I r s n w J UT ub ol wi e ] (512)7 c or k I h wmw B r yn k oi e ] c or uk I A w c Mg w i k a uh oi e ] 1 ] (662)

8 b c n uk r yq Yi K s i k j wi e b ol ys B uk c w ] A Md r h u QoQw k Ui V A wr u k UV I s B K c w ]

j mdUq I hYhyir A w d uK hI mih p c w] (1099)9 j yj wx w mi r j we I A YG ui m n A we I A Y] J UT I d un I A w l i g n A wp uv \ we I A Y] 2 ]

b ol IA Ys c uDr muJ UTun b ol I A Y] j og ur ud s Yv wt mur Id w j ol IA Y] 3 ] (488)


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Central Sikh Gurdwara Board HighlightsPage 2

MP Indranee Rajah visited the

Silat Road Gurdwara at 4.00pm on9 July 2011. She came dressed ina Punjabi suit andwas accompanied by the TanjongPagar Residents CommitteeMembers. The objective of the visitwas to familiarise herself with ouractivities as she is the new MPcovering our area.

Members of the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board received her at the Sikh Centre.

Mr. Gurcharan Singh gave her a short presentation about the Sikh Religion, how the Sikhsarrived in Singapore, and the other Sikh Institutions in Singapore. Mr Gurdip Singh Usma thendiscussed the challenges faced by CSGB with respect to Sikhs in Singapore, Sikh ForeignWorkers and S-Pass Quotas. Ms Rajah understood and appreciated our challenges andpromised to assist, where possible.After the presentation, the visitors were given a tour of the 7-storey Sikh Centre facilities, SilatRoad Gurdwara and the Bhai Maharaj Singh Memorial. The visit ended with a cup of Cha in thelanggar hall.

MP Indr anee Raj ah v i si t s SRST

In conjunction with the Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji Barsi celebrations, the Care & Share Group organized aChildren's Party at 6.30pm on Saturday, 9 July 2011 in the Sikh Centre Auditorium. The party aimed atacquainting children and youth with our rich history of traditions and culture. The Sikh Centre rendered itsunstinting support and the party was a great success. It concluded with a generous spread of food anddrinks for the kids to tickle their taste buds after delving into much informative Sikh History.

Chi l dr en 's par t y

MIGHTY K HA LSA

Mighty Khalsa is held every alternate

Sunday from 10.00 am to 12.00pm in theMini Darbar hall at the Sikh Centre

D A TES 14 August 28 August 11 September 25 September

9 October 23 October 6 November 20 November


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The Sikh community in

Singapore gathered together to

participate in the week-long

Barsi celebrations of Bhai

Maharaj Singh Ji.

The programme commenced on

3 July 2011 and was hosted by

SRST.

The enthusiastic participation ofour Sadh-Sangat was most

encouraging. There was an

exposition of Kirtan by three different Jathas which had the audience captivated and enthralled. It

was indeed a rare sight to have nine ragis recite the Gurbani shabads concurrently .The

congregation listened to the shabad-kirtan with rapt attention. The seven day celebrations

comprised many programs from morning till night. It was certainly heartening and encouraging to

witness a deep sense of feeling and pride in Sikhism amongst the Sikhs of today who stand

united and undaunted and keen to carry forward the tradition.

Bhai Mahar aj Singh Ji A nn i ver sar yCelebrations

In June 2011, the Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala, Dr Jaspal Singh, unveiled the first-of-its-kind "Online English-Punjabi Dictionary", prepared by the University's Department of Linguistics andPunjabi Lexicography.

The Vice-Chancellor explained how the new dictionary will cater to the linguistic needs of Punjabis aroundthe world in addition to facilitating a better understanding of the Punjabi language. This dictionary containsaround forty thousand head-words which include the vocabulary related to the new knowledge beingproduced in the fields of science and technology. The CD of this dictionary would be made available very

soon.

This Dictionary can be accessed from the universitys website at

Please note that you can punch in the words in English, which will then generate their Punjabi/ GurmukhiVersions.

Onl i ne Engl i sh -Punj abi Dict i onar y

Global

Gur dw ar aDirectory

Going overseas on business or pleasure? ......and

you have some spare time on your hands and would

like to visit a gurdwara in the city you are visiting.

Then browse the biggest database of Gurudwaras

around the world at http://www.gurudwara.net/
http://punjabiuniversity.ac.in/dlpl/e2p/http://www.gurudwara.net/http://www.gurudwara.net/http://www.gurudwara.net/http://punjabiuniversity.ac.in/dlpl/e2p/


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The Sikh Community Mentorship Programwas officially launched at the Singapore

Khalsa Association on 16 July 2011. Thisprogram was introduced as a result of a SikhCommunity retreat that discussed andexamined issues facing the Sikh Communityin Singapore. One of the challengesidentified was how to help our young workingprofessionals realize their true and fullpotential. The Mentorship program wasidentified as an ideal platform to guide ouryoung professionals to greater heights bytapping on the wealth of experience and expertise of their seniors. To date, there is a panel of

18 mentors with experienceranging from Finance, IT, Law,Med ic ine , and Corpora teCommunications to Educationand Military Services.

At the event where Mr. DavinderSingh, CEO of Drew and NapierLLC, was a speaker at the Top ofthe Job series of talks, he alsolaunched the Mentorship Programemphasizing how Mentorship canhelp the young in our communityto become better at what they do.He encouraged the young

working professionals to join the program and benefit from the tutelage of their seniors.The message was well received and many young working professionals signed up for thementorship program. There were also many who offered to be Mentors.The Central Sikh Gurdwara Board has adopted and incorporated this program as part of its SikhCentre activities and is providing administrative support for the success of this program.We urge you to sign up for this mentorship program by registering your interest at

[email protected].

Sik h Commun i t y Ment or shi p Pr ogr am

Upcoming Si k h i Cour sesBy Mast er . Jasw ant

Singh

Learn Punjabi ( Gurmukhi)

Date: 4 Oct 2011, TuesdayTime: 7.15pm - 8.15pm

Venue: Level 4, SC

Gauri Ki Var M. 4

(An Ode in Gauri Raag by the Fourth Guru)Date: 1 Oct,2011, SaturdayTime: 10.30am 11.30am

Venue: Level 4, SC


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Riverwalk Tandoor was a

meeting point for fifteen turbaned

Sikhs at 12.30pm on Thursday 7July 2011. They had responded

to the call for Turban Thursday

where turbaned Sikh

professionals network and have a

sumptuous lunch for only $10.

Like peacocks strutting their

feathers, these Sikhs were

smartly attired with matching

colourful turbans. This was thebest lunch I have ever had, said

Manmohan Singh who runs his

own business providing GST

consulting. Rashminder Singh, a young Sikh professional, who turned up to join the networking

session which included a sprinkling of professionals from various fields. Turban Thursday is a

monthly networking event for working professional Sikhs and it is conveniently located at

Riverwalk Tandoor. The next networking lunch will be held at 12.30pm on 4 August 2011 at the

same venue. Do come and join this networking group for a great lunch and even greater

company.

Tur ban Thur sday

This instrument might only have a single string and three notes, but its

sound is recognizable in nearly all modern Punjabi music. There are

numerous Punjabi folk singers who compose entire songs with the tumbi

and often perform without the aid of any other instrument. From folk

music to todays Punjabi music to reggae fusion and American hip hop,

the tumbi has carved an indelible niche in classical and world music.

TUMBI

Meaning snakes are a popular prop in competitive bhangra. Made out

of robust wood, the sups are a series of equal length flat wooden pieces

held together with metal nuts and bolts. The sups have handles on

either side which allow the bhangra dancer to

open and close the interlocking wooden

pieces. Each time the sups are closed theymake a clapping sound which is mostly in

rhythm with the beat and step of the dance.

Punj abi Musi cal I nst r ument s

SUPS


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On the evening of Sunday 3 July

2011, 50 senior citizens from theSikh community gathered togetherat Silat Road Sikh Temple for amemorable trip to Marina BaySands, SkyPark, organized by theCare & Share group.

The SkyPark is perched elegantlyon the 56th floor of Marina BaySands Hotel, an icon of Singapore.

Stretching longer than the Eiffel tower laid down on four and a half A380 Jumbo Jets, with an

impressive 12,400 square meters of space, the Sands SkyPark can host up to 3900 people. Thegravity-defying cantilever is one of the largest of its kind in the world. From the observation deck,the Sadh Sangat feasted their eyes on an unforgettable panoramic view of Singapore.

Mar ina Bay Sands Sk yPar k

Sunday, 5 June 2011 was WorldEnvironment Day. To commemorate thisday, the Central Sikh Temples Sunday

morning Kirtan Programme was dedi-cated to this day with specially selectedShabads from Gurbani on the environ-ment. Guru Nanak placed a very high im-portance on the environment when hestated, pavan guru pani pita (Air is ourteacher, water our father).In the local context, members of the san-

gat were given an opportunity to appreci-

ate how Singapore handled this precious resource. On 12 June 2011, participants learnt how

water is recycled during their visit to Newater Visitor Centre. The next stop was Marina Barragewhere many interesting facts came to light, including Marina Barrage being Singapores 15

th res-

ervoir and the 1st within the heart of the city.

Wor l d Env i r onment Day

UP COMING PROGRAMMES at SRST/ CST

Prakash Gurpurab Thursday, 1 September 2011 CST

Gur Gaddi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Thursday, 20 October 2011 SRST

Diwali/Bandhi Chhore Wednesday, 26 October 2011 SRST

Avtar Sri Guru Nanak Dev JI Thursday, 10 November 2011 CST


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The Sikh Centre had the

privilege of hosting a group of150 people from IRCC

(Inter-Racial and Religious

Conf idence Circ le) on

Saturday, 18 June 2011. As

suggestive of its name, the

group was seeking to get

acquainted with our rich Sikh

Culture and Tradition. They

were given a tour of the

Temple and the visit concluded

with a round of refreshments

in the car park area. It was an

enriching experience indeed.

IRCC V isi t

Cent r al Sik h Templ e Palk i

A new design for the Palki at Central Sikh Temple is in the

making. It will be designed by Artisan Avninder Singh who

arrived from India on 20 July. The prototype of the Palki has

been on display at Central Sikh Temple for the past few months

and we have received positive feedback and suggestions for

improvement.

Renovat i ons t o t he k i t chenat Cent r al Si k h Temp l e

When renovations to the kitchen commenced, it

was a big challenge to all staff and sevadars as

the kitchens temporary location was in the

carpark. The renovated kitchen has been

completed and an interesting feature is a new

collection centre for trays and cups where the

sangat can easily return these utensils.

Sikh Centre is looking for GCE OLevel Maths Tutor, available on

weekends.

Mat hs Tu t or
http://www.google.com.sg/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ircc.sg%2F&ei=5JYnTu6IK4XNrQegh-HCCQ&usg=AFQjCNHExGOSEeRaq6YDEwzd7j_4NMq6WAhttp://www.google.com.sg/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ircc.sg%2F&ei=5JYnTu6IK4XNrQegh-HCCQ&usg=AFQjCNHExGOSEeRaq6YDEwzd7j_4NMq6WAhttp://www.google.com.sg/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ircc.sg%2F&ei=5JYnTu6IK4XNrQegh-HCCQ&usg=AFQjCNHExGOSEeRaq6YDEwzd7j_4NMq6WAhttp://www.google.com.sg/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ircc.sg%2F&ei=5JYnTu6IK4XNrQegh-HCCQ&usg=AFQjCNHExGOSEeRaq6YDEwzd7j_4NMq6WA


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Central Sikh Gurdwara BoardPage 8

For info on Central Sikh Gurdwara Board activities,

Please visit our Website @ www.sikhs.org.sg

Docum ent ar y Feat ur e Fi l m on Sik h Mar t yr sMartyrs is the second documentary film produced by Jagmeet Singh Samundri, after his first awardwinning documentary on the Rise of The Khalsa'. This top-notch 90 minutes documentary feature film isa journey that starts with Guru Nanak Dev Ji and brings us all the way to the present. In the first 15minutes we are reminded of how and why Sikhism was created by The Guru Sahiban, the purpose of itall. Because without the basic knowledge, it is impossible to understand what is so important in Sikhismthat people are willing to die for it. After laying the foundation the journey continues with the audiencecoming face to face with the many martyrs that have laughed in the face of death. Starting with middle of17th century the film talks about the various Sikh Martyrs that lost their lives under cruel rule ofAurangzeb. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was one of the prominent figures of the time to accept Martyrdom toraise a voice against Aurangzab. This movie talks about Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's martyrdom and theimpact it had on the direction of Sikh religion. It goes on to talk about the establishment of Khalsa Panthand the many Sikh warriors that served Khalsa Panth with everything including their lives. Finally themovie comes full circle at the climax by connecting back to the present times.Trailers of this new upcoming movie can be viewed at

http://www.youtube.com/user/

sikhmediaworld

Sikh Studies in recent decades have been

marked by a prolonged controversy

involving most of the basic issues related

to the Sikh tradition.

The Authors comments and hisperspective based on his extensive study

of Sikh History and literature, meaningfully

moderate between the

opposing views held by the Western

a c a d e m i a a n d t h e S i k h

intelligentsia. As a result, this volume

becomes an

except ional ly

i n s i g h t f u l

introduction tot h e S i k h

tradition. It is

indispensable

for all readers

and scholars

interested in

Sikh Studies.

Book Of t he Mont h IKH CENTRESi khi Cour ses

Majh Ki VarSaturday -10.30am-11.30am

Gurbani PronounciationSaturday - 12.15pm-1.15pm

Gurmukhi (Punjabi)-Tuesday - 7.15pm-8.15pm

NIkke Khalse/FatehSaturday - 1.15pm-2.45pm

Chardi KalaAlternate Sunday - 10am-11am

Tu i t i on Cla ssesEnglish, Maths & ScienceSatturday, 2.00pm-4.00pm

Tae-K w on-D oSaturday, 1.45pm-2.45pm

And 2.45pm-3.45pm

Documents

Newsletter 2011 Aug Sept 48 Web