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…
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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.…
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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…
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I get asked a number of times – “You are a man of science – how can you believe in the concept of God ?” . I think it is just the reverse – a true scientist knows that nothing is random – the complexity of the Universe shows that there has to be someone who planned it down to the minutest details – like a master web designer !.…
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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…
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Many readers of Gurbani, particular those who proudly see themselves as superbly dedicated, when it comes to reading or writing Gurbani, become aggressively nit picking about the bases of the vocabulary of Gurbani – its pronunciation, precise unchanging interpretation, even possible translation, meaning, and applications. Their care is genuine, deserving admiration. Yet, I wonder! Should we be so unchangingly bound to a rich and hoary past, even in grammar and…
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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…
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According to Police sources, Sardar Satnam Singh, a well-known Sikh ‘hakeem’ was shot dead by unidentified gunmen inside his clinic in Peshawar, Pakistan.Satnam Singh, was at his clinic when attackers barged into his cabin and opened fire at him, killing him on the spot. A police team rushed to the site, however, the killers managed to escape. The reason behind the murder was not ascertained yet, but in all probability,…
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The National Commission for Minorities stated that it has come to its notice that Sikh students are asked to report at centres for examinations like NEET and JEE hours in advance for scanning of ‘Karas’ and ‘Kirpans’, and urged the National Testing Agency to ensure there is no discrimination against Sikh candidates on the basis of their articles of faith. In an official release, the commission said that in light…
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Since I sat down with this editorial in mind, competing alternate titles have flashed their presence and pushed their appeal, even though I am not yet clear about the contents and the direction that I prefer. For instance, The Last Frontier sounded just right as the title. Or perhaps of Life is Full of Rude Awakenings. Life offers many a closed box to honestly parse some ideas imaginatively and honestly. …