When we went to Jalandhar we went shopping to buy a few things. As I needed to get some new Dastaar material my relatives took me to 'Paghri House' shop in Renak Bazaar. When I arrived there I asked for some black and navy blue Dastaar material. The shopkeeper asked where I had come from. I replied, "I am from England." Then he asked, "When did you settle in England?" I replied, "I have been born and brought up in England." The shopkeeper looked over the moon and decided to shake my hand and then gave me a hug! I was bit surprised by the reaction considering the amount of people from UK, Canada and America come to Jalandhar!
The shopkeeper then asked, "Do you wear jeans and trousers?" I said, "I wear Baana (Kurta Pyjama). In the case of going to work etc I would wear trouser shirt uniform." Hearing this he got really overjoyed.
The shopkeeper sat down and we had a conversation. The shopkeeper said, "I am so happy to see a Gursikh born abroad in this day and age when Panjab is seeing a storm of youngsters cutting their hair, throwing away their Dastaars, and turning to drugs." It was very touching to see Bhai Sahib being so emotional when he was speaking. You could feel the pain and anguish he was feeling at the state of Panjab and the Panjabi Sikhs. He shared that as time goes by he is getting fewer and fewer customers and the number of youngsters who had flowing uncut beards has gone down.
That morning the shopkeeper said that he heard Kathaa on 'Chardikala Channel' (a local TV channel I assume) early in the morning (about 4am) from Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi. With watery eyes the shopkeeper shared what the Gyani jee at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib had said:
The shopkeeper told me that as the Gyani jee did Katha he was crying and couldn't control his tears. He said the he was speaking the truth from his heart and the Kathaa made him cry.
Although we may think the whole Panjab gone asleep, there are souls who are are wide awake and following Guru jee's Path. One day the awaken souls will awaken the minds of the others. May Guru jee do Kirpaa.
To be continued...
The shopkeeper then asked, "Do you wear jeans and trousers?" I said, "I wear Baana (Kurta Pyjama). In the case of going to work etc I would wear trouser shirt uniform." Hearing this he got really overjoyed.
The shopkeeper sat down and we had a conversation. The shopkeeper said, "I am so happy to see a Gursikh born abroad in this day and age when Panjab is seeing a storm of youngsters cutting their hair, throwing away their Dastaars, and turning to drugs." It was very touching to see Bhai Sahib being so emotional when he was speaking. You could feel the pain and anguish he was feeling at the state of Panjab and the Panjabi Sikhs. He shared that as time goes by he is getting fewer and fewer customers and the number of youngsters who had flowing uncut beards has gone down.
That morning the shopkeeper said that he heard Kathaa on 'Chardikala Channel' (a local TV channel I assume) early in the morning (about 4am) from Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in Delhi. With watery eyes the shopkeeper shared what the Gyani jee at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib had said:"Wake up O people of Panjab! Wake up! You ungrateful people! The Guru gave us life worth living for, the Guru gave us everything! Guru Gobind Singh jee sacrificed his four sons, mother, father and everything he had for the sake of us, and now we repay the Guru with cutting our hair, drinking alcohol, shunning our Dastaars and turning to drugs. O people of Panjab wake up! How will we ever repay the debt of Kalgidhaar Paatshaah! Where has the Sikhee of my dear Panjab gone? Where has the Sikhee of my dear Panjab gone?"
The shopkeeper told me that as the Gyani jee did Katha he was crying and couldn't control his tears. He said the he was speaking the truth from his heart and the Kathaa made him cry.
Although we may think the whole Panjab gone asleep, there are souls who are are wide awake and following Guru jee's Path. One day the awaken souls will awaken the minds of the others. May Guru jee do Kirpaa.
To be continued...
4 comments:
I remember my mum dragged me to a clothing store. The owner kept commenting on how girls there, in Panjab, hardly cover their heads and how I looked so respectful with my head covered. And then he kept staring at my forehead and kept telling me how he could tell I have a Guru. Forehead reading! Kind of cool but it was obvious that I was Amrit Shak. I mean you can tell. Very considerate of him though for reminding me again. But I guess in reality that shop owner actually wanted us to do some serious shopping. My mum ended up doing just that. She would spot something 'nice' everytime I said 'mum lets go now'. And then owner would start on about how happy he was to me see all over again and at the end he gave us roadside salty orange juice...sigh
Touched souls there are but hardly do they even realize their own potential. May Maharaj Ji give them courage.
ps: please continue soon... =)
Vaheguroo Ji Ka Khalsa, Vaheguroo Ji Ki Fateh!!!
Very touching reality you have mentioned above. The state of Punjab is so bad at the moment, only with Guru's Kirpa things will change there.
However Pyare Manvir Singh Ji, i was wondering how u managed to renember the exact words of what the man from the 'pagri house'. If u can renember im impressed...
thats all 4 nw!
Amli Jee, I kept a diary on holiday that I used to update and use to briefly note down people I met and things I did. The diary helps to jog the memory and remember what people said etc. :)
Vaheguroo...
Thats a really good idea to do u know. my next visit to the Punjab i may do that aswell. i jus reread my last message, i think i might have unintentionally gave the impression i was being cheeky. Maaf Karna ji, it was a genuine query. Sometimes Amli's like me get carried away.
Bhul chuk maaf...
Vaheguroo...
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