nishaan@magazine

Imagine the joy of visiting the shrine of Baba Farid in Pakpattan, where your ancestors served Baba Farid more than 750 years ago, imagine the ecstatic feeling of stepping on the land of Guru Nanak Sahib where he was born and passed away, imagine visiting the Gurdwara in Lahore’s Chuna Mandi where Siri Guru Ram Das Sahib was born, imagine praying at the Gurdwara where Guru Arjan Sahib was martyred, getting…

The name of the lionhearted Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa (1791–1837) is one of the most revered and loved names in Sikh history. If  Sher-i-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh was a policy maker, then Nalwa Sardar was an adventurous commander-in-Chief of the Khalsa Army, who implemented those policies. Sardar Hari Singh’s bravery, courage, fearlessness and benevolence were unparalleled. He was known for his dauntless courage and unique chivalry. Some historians consider Sardar…

Early relations between the United States and India are yet to be fully assessed, particularly in their triangular connections with France in the aftermath of the Treaty of Versailles (1783). The result of this treaty was the exit from the British Empire of a new world power in North America. But in this same period, in Asia, almost every Indian state quickly passed under British hegemony between 1792 and 1818.…

The first troops to land in France were, in fact, the XV (Ludhiana) Sikhs, part of the 8th (Jullundur) Brigade, themselves part of the 3rd (Lahore) Division, whose other battalions were the 47th Sikhs, 59th Scinde Rifles (Frontier Force) and 1st Manchesters. They were on the convoy which had reached Marseilles on 26 September 1914, the Indian Corps disembarking the same day and proceeding to camp. This was the first…

Panjab had a rich tradition of arts and craftsmanship that reached its zenith during the rule of Ranjit Singh. Mural Arts had become common in Panjab from the 18th century onwards, but flourished in the 19th century. Ranjit Singh patronised the arts, especially in Amritsar, and taking cues from the most powerful ruler and the most important city, the mural arts permeated throughout society and graced almost every important building.…

  Since ancient times mankind has formulated customs for the different phases of life. Thus every society/culture has followed the customs prescribed for various events in life. These can be correlated to birth, death, wedding, and other aspects of life. The Sikhs have distinct customs for these aspects of life. One of these, the customs adopted for weddings has been analyzed in the following paragraphs. The Sikh wedding ceremony is…

By: Bhupinder (Bo) Singh The earthen lamp Deewa has become antiquated, thanks to the invention of electricity. Still one time of the year during Diwali, it makes a comeback as a gentle reminder of its earlier thriving heydays. But 550 years back it was ubiquitous, as well as a daily essential, providing illumination after darkness. The continued fast pace of technological advancement is soon going to relegate this icon of…

Guru Gobind Singh had prepared his people well for the 90 years of strife with the Mughals and their satraps, the Afghans, the Persians and other marauders from the north, who regularly invaded India, between his death in 1708 and the founding of the Sikh kingdom by Ranjit Singh in 1801. The fellowship of the Khalsa, the principle of meeri-peeri (the temporal and spiritual underpinnings of the faith), and the…