Last weekend was the London Sikh Societies' Akhand Paath Sahib (kindly organised by Bhenji Manmeet Kaur) at Shepard's Bush Gurdwara Sahib. So the weekend was busy, busy, busy. With Guru Sahib's Kirpaa I was fortunate to meet loads of Chardikala Sangat on the three days of the Akhand Paath Sahib. Here some photos of the Akhand Paath Sahib from Simrit Kaur's blog and R S Khalsa's blog.
Some memorable things from the Akhand Paath:
* Super-fast reading of Paath by some Paathis (when I mean "super fast", I mean "super duper fast") - definately makes you think what is happening and that instead it is better to do a Sehaj/Sadharan Paath (completion of Normal, Intermittent Reading of the Guru Granth Sahib jee)
* Very nice Keertan by Students on Saturday night (Bhaji Abinash Singh, Bhaji Maninder Singh (aka Minna Bhaji), Gursharan Kaur bhenji, Accapella Jatha and more).
* Thick star-shape and maps of India style rotis & parotay.
* Tasty birthday cake (eggless of course) to commemorate 100years of UCL Sikh Society.
* Being able to read along with the Akhand Paath on Sikhi To The Max (but after ten minutes of staring at the projector screen my eyes went blurry!)
* Realizing there is no warm or luke-warm water to have ishnaan, and instead having to warm some water in a pateela to have ishnaan (reminded me of India).
* Finding out that even Singhs keep dogs as pets.
* Having oppurtunity to do Guru jee's sewa.
* Beautifully sung Aasa Di Vaar keertan on Sunday morning.
* Most of all it was great to see Students taking part in the Gurdwara and doing sewa from their heart. Again I would like to thank Bhenji Manmeet Kaur and also Bhenji Simrit Kaur for their tireless sewa. May Guru jee bless Gursikhi jeevan, Naam di daat and Charan-Kamalaa da Pyaar to all those who helped out and everyone else.
On Sunday evening I went to do the show on radio. Waheguru! It was bit of a nightmare for me because I had to do all the controls as the bhaji who usually does it was away on holiday. I accidentally played the news a minute or so early and instead of the news, a live football match came on (don't know much about football but apparently it was the Liverpool match). Deary me! Thankfully help came along and the news was played!
Then yesterday morning I went to Hounslow Singh Sabha Gurdwara to see Princes Charles. I was surprised that most of the people there had their beards tied up and gelled, wearing coat pent kameej. Shame that there weren't enough people wearing BaaNaa and Kurtaa Pyjaamaa. When Charles walked pass Ravjeet Singh and me, he smiled and said: "At least you two are dressed properly." lol. He is a funny guy and seems very down to earth.
Bhai Sahib Uptej Singh (Teji) with his students did a Gatka demonstration. It was pretty funny, bechaari Camilla jee (if you didn't know that's Prince Charle's wife) got really scared of the Kirpaanaa being swung around. By the time Bhai Sahib got to the part where he was going to cut a water-melon placed on a Singh's stomach while being blind folded, poor Camilla looked shaken up. First of all she started looking down, then started to sweat, then she tried to (unsuccessfully) push her chair back. Eventually bechaari (poor lady) covered her face. Waheguru!
Photos of Camilla and Charles watching Gatka.
Picture of Bhai Sahib Uptej Singh (Teji).
Some memorable things from the Akhand Paath:
* Super-fast reading of Paath by some Paathis (when I mean "super fast", I mean "super duper fast") - definately makes you think what is happening and that instead it is better to do a Sehaj/Sadharan Paath (completion of Normal, Intermittent Reading of the Guru Granth Sahib jee)
* Very nice Keertan by Students on Saturday night (Bhaji Abinash Singh, Bhaji Maninder Singh (aka Minna Bhaji), Gursharan Kaur bhenji, Accapella Jatha and more).
* Thick star-shape and maps of India style rotis & parotay.
* Tasty birthday cake (eggless of course) to commemorate 100years of UCL Sikh Society.
* Being able to read along with the Akhand Paath on Sikhi To The Max (but after ten minutes of staring at the projector screen my eyes went blurry!)
* Realizing there is no warm or luke-warm water to have ishnaan, and instead having to warm some water in a pateela to have ishnaan (reminded me of India).
* Finding out that even Singhs keep dogs as pets.
* Having oppurtunity to do Guru jee's sewa.
* Beautifully sung Aasa Di Vaar keertan on Sunday morning.
* Most of all it was great to see Students taking part in the Gurdwara and doing sewa from their heart. Again I would like to thank Bhenji Manmeet Kaur and also Bhenji Simrit Kaur for their tireless sewa. May Guru jee bless Gursikhi jeevan, Naam di daat and Charan-Kamalaa da Pyaar to all those who helped out and everyone else.
On Sunday evening I went to do the show on radio. Waheguru! It was bit of a nightmare for me because I had to do all the controls as the bhaji who usually does it was away on holiday. I accidentally played the news a minute or so early and instead of the news, a live football match came on (don't know much about football but apparently it was the Liverpool match). Deary me! Thankfully help came along and the news was played!
Then yesterday morning I went to Hounslow Singh Sabha Gurdwara to see Princes Charles. I was surprised that most of the people there had their beards tied up and gelled, wearing coat pent kameej. Shame that there weren't enough people wearing BaaNaa and Kurtaa Pyjaamaa. When Charles walked pass Ravjeet Singh and me, he smiled and said: "At least you two are dressed properly." lol. He is a funny guy and seems very down to earth.
Bhai Sahib Uptej Singh (Teji) with his students did a Gatka demonstration. It was pretty funny, bechaari Camilla jee (if you didn't know that's Prince Charle's wife) got really scared of the Kirpaanaa being swung around. By the time Bhai Sahib got to the part where he was going to cut a water-melon placed on a Singh's stomach while being blind folded, poor Camilla looked shaken up. First of all she started looking down, then started to sweat, then she tried to (unsuccessfully) push her chair back. Eventually bechaari (poor lady) covered her face. Waheguru!
Photos of Camilla and Charles watching Gatka.
Picture of Bhai Sahib Uptej Singh (Teji).
21 comments:
Whoa Manvir Singh is pretty well-connected :-) Friends with Prince Charles and all...lol
He seems pretty cool by what he said to you.
Sat Siri Akal!
Hi,
What a fun weekend u had. Wow that gatka show looks really cool especially when the Singh cuts the mellow in half.
mandeep
wicked.... teji bhaji is really amazing at gatka... he comes down to vancouver every year with a few other instructors (the year i went it was baljit bhaji and raju bhaji) to teach gatka at west coast camp (wcsya.org)
on one of the days of camp they did a demo where bhaji sliced 4 melons (?) on four different people one after teh other in different parts of the room WITH a blindfold (he was led to each melon beforehand but had no help in locating them throughout his demo)
paji do we have the audio for the akandpaath?
thx vARINDER
:)
Varinder Kaur bhenji i don't think anyone made recordings of the actual Akhand Paath sahib. Even if someone did, the Paath was bit too fast to be useful for people to listen to on audio.
If you would like to hear full Akhand Paath Sahib audio, then the following website may be useful:
http://proudtobesikh.com/khalsa/SharedFiles/linktracker.aspx?name=PTBSSGGSJIAudio1
I have most of the mp3 files of Akhand Paath reading, which is the same as from ProudToBeSikh.com, however it will be difficult to email them as they are very large files.
Veer,
Manvir Singh
the keertan program was recorded it will go on sweetsikhi.com as soon as the audios are ready.
I was just wondering about this point?
Finding out that even Singhs keep DOGS as PETS (Waheguru! Rab Rakha).
Why shouldn't Singhs have dogs as pets? You're adopting an animal into your family, is that not noble? Dogs are very clean animals. Please let's not make this into another 'oh my god dogs are anti-gurmat' debate...
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh,
I was just about to write something about Manvir Singh Khalsa's comment about having Dogs as pets. But it appears the anon above me, beat me to it. Agree with you 100% ji.
I dont't know if Manvir Singh Khalsa was trying to be funny or something. Anways, I love dogs :)
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
HAHA omg that was so funny. Gosh we couldn’t stop laughing it was hilarious his story and dogs, Especially when singh started showing pics of there dogs.
BTW I have uploaded the film of Monday Gatka!
Sat Naam.
I would like to apologise to any veerjis or bhenjis have pets.
Daas, was just suprised that Singhs or matter of fact Panjabis have pets, in particular dogs. The reason for my perception was because most Panjabis I know, family, relatvies and friends etc, dont keep pets. I was just suprised that people keep dogs. This is because "generally" Panjabis think dogs not to be a domestic animal.
Sorry if my style or writing twinned with the comment sounded offensive to anyone.
Rab resides in all.
Daas,
Manvir Singh
That's interesting I always thought the opposite because back in India or Africa, etc many Punjabi families have animals. Perhaps it's because once they move to Britain it's not as spacious, which is understandable. My little sher has taught me so much, yes kudrat's radiance resides in all his beings. Vismaad!!!
lol, dogs are funny!!
lol, dogs are funny!!
Gurfateh
Lol. If it is of any interest, i would just like to vouch for Veerji and say he meant no offense to anyone when this 'veechar' was taking place, many singhs were discussing, and was just a bit of joking around.
But as a faesla to the situation, we have decided to let my dog loose in Manvir Singhs dorm room.
Jasjeet Singh
i love dogs, but having a dog is a lot of work. im not saying its bad to have a dog, its great fun, i use to have one when i was young but my mum gave him away :( i think the only problem with having a dog is that it takes up alot of your time. this time can be spent praying or doing sewa, or going gudwara. :) i want another dog, lol. na seriously, it takes up alot of time. our campanion should be Guru Ji.
lol i dont think anyone is saying a dog is a replacement as a companion for Guru Ji.
If thats the reasoning, then why get married, why have friends.
Guru Ji has his place, other things have their own.
lol, i didnt mean thatt, lol i meant we should spend more of our time in meditation :) big smile :)
OMG can't believe this dog business has taken up so many comments. lol.
yesterday i was on the underground and i was next to a guide-dog. i have to say that i like guide-dogs.
1) they don't bark at you
2) they don't growl
3) they don't wipe their nose on you
4) they are very calm, peaceful and don't jump at you.
5) they look like nice and sensible.
reasons why i "personally" wouldn't keep a dog:
1) hygiene issues - they leave dog hairs everywhere, bring muck inside house etc
2) they can get psycho at some people (had some bad experiences)
3) expensive to maintain - its like having a child!
4) takes up time - you cant just leave the dog alone so obviously you have to take time out and keep the dog occupied (which i personally would prefer to spend going to southall gurdwara, doing keertan or paath)
5) cleaning up after the dog and vet bills - too much hassle
thats daas' personal vichaar.
P.S Jasjeet Singh I will keep my corridor door locked. lol.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fatheh.
Satsriakal.
I was wondering if you know of any local Gatka classes in Leamington. I am very interested in attending, but so far where ive looked on the internet they are all in London.
There are "plans" to have classes in Leamington but none at the moment.
Nearest place for Gatka is Coventry. Best to contact Guru Nanak Prakash Gurdwara or Singh Sabha Gurdwara on Cross Roads to ask where and when classes are.
Guru Raakhaa.
lol
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