Ahead by a century

Preparations are underway to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Abbotsford's Gur Sikh Temple - the oldest building of its kind in North America

This new year will be a particularly special one for Abbotsford when its Sikh population and the larger community unite to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Gur Sikh Temple located on South Fraser Way.

Satwinder Bains, director of the UFV Centre for Indo-Canadian Studies, said the historic temple, or gurdwara, is a testament to the pride, vision and community commitment of early Sikh immigrants.

A designated national historic monument, the temple was completed in 1911 by struggling pioneers.

The oldest, and longest standing building of its kind in North America, it is the only gurdwara to have a national historic designation outside of India and Pakistan.

with thanks : abbotsfordtimes : link above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

Cruise for Patna Saheb on cards

PATNA: The state capital seems to have no dearth of innovative ideas aimed at attracting tourists and local revellers. After revolving and floating restaurants, a cruise will very soon be set afloat to ferry tourists from Patna collectorate ghat to Patna Saheb.

Patna saheb is famous for Sikh pilgrim centre Harmandir ji, the birthplace of tenth Sikh guru, guru Gobind singh. It has been attracting lakhs of tourists from Punjab, its adjoining areas and overseas for years.

A river route to carry these tourists as well as local visitors will be opened soon to save the tourists from traffic jams that usually greet the passengers throughout the road route to Patna Saheb (also known as Patna city).

Director tourism, Bihar, Vinay Kumar said, "We are in touch with shipping cruise companies based in Howrah. We will try to start this cruise service as soon as possible, which will be a huge relief for the travellers."

According to him, they are looking for smaller vessels that can carry between 50 to 150 passengers. In between the route, there will be two to three stoppage points. In the beginning we will start with one vessel and depending upon the response of people, we will soon introduce another vessel, added Kumar. The fares will also be quite economical.

With thanks : Times of India : link above for detailed news.

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A luxury train trip across Sikh takhts

A luxury train will carry the devout and sightseers to four of the country’s five Sikh takhts, with a flight to the fifth takht on the ninth day completing the circuit.

The Deccan Odyssey, taken on charter from the Maharashtra government, will make its first trip from Delhi on December 29, so that passengers can spend the New Year at the Golden Temple. “A Spiritual Journey to the Guru’s Abode” will cover Kiratpur Sahib, Anandpur Sahib (site of the takht Keshgarh Sahib), Amritsar (Akal Takht Sahib), Bathinda (Damdama Sahib), Jaipur, Agra, Nanded (Hazur Sahib) and Mumbai, from where passengers will take a flight to Patna on January 5, visit Patna Sahib, and fly back to Delhi the next day, Luxury Trains and Luxury Holidays CEO Sajivve Trehaan told The Indian Express. The Amritsar leg will include a trip to the Wagah border and back.

“The USP is the New Year at the Golden Temple. We have sold 60 of the train’s capacity of around 80 seats,” Trehaan said from London, where his company is wooing NRI passengers.

The train’s 21 coaches include two with two presidential suites each, called Platinum Class, for which the daily fare is $1,250 for single passengers and $1,060 per head when shared by two. Forty rooms in 10 other coaches have gold class ($920 single, $730 shared) and silver class ($750, $585) seats. The train includes two dining cars, a spa car, a lodge and a business centre-cum-conference hall.

With thanks : IndianExpress : link in headline above for more detailed news.

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The fare will cover the meals; the Taj Group will take care of the catering.

Indian envoy insulted, asked to remove turban

Texas: After Indian Ambassador to the US Meera Shankar was subjected to a pat-down at an airport in the USA, another Indian envoy has been humiliated in America. India's permanent representative at the United Nations, Hardeep Puri, was frisked and asked to remove his turban.Puri, a Sikh, was asked to remove his turban at the airport in Austin, Texas three weeks ago where he had gone for a lecture. He was asked to remove the turban even though the airport security had been told of his diplomatic status.Puri refused to remove his turban and the matter was resolved but only after local police intervened.

The Government has already lodged a formal complaint with US authorities.

The incident involving Puri is the third such incident in the last three months in which Indian envoys have been signalled out for intrusive security checks.

Earlier, Neera Shankar was pulled out from an airport security line and patted down by an American security agent in Mississippi despite being told of her diplomatic status. The incident took place on December 4 at the Jackson-Evers International Airport where saree-clad Shankar was about to board a flight to Baltimore after attending the Mississippi State University's programme.

The USA had on December 11 tendered an official apology to India and Meera over her pat down by an American security agent. The US government said that Meera's pat down was not meant to be a put down, while promising a review of airport screening guidelines.

William Burns, a senior State Department official, personally conveyed his regrets and promised Meera a review of airport screening guidelines.

The apology was issued after External Affairs minister SM Krishna, in line with public opinion and opposition protests warned that US diplomats, too, would be frisked in India if such incidents recur.

with thanks : IBNLive & In.com

SikhsIndia

FBI chief regrets remarks about Sikh Americans

FBI director Robert S. Mueller has apologised to a Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization for remarks linking Sikh Americans to terrorism at an intelligence conference in October. The apology came in response to a letter of concern from the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF) over a report in The Washington Times about statements made by Mueller.

"I would like to apologize for, and clarify, any misunderstanding that the account in this newspaper story may have caused," his office said in a letter to.

"The statement cited was intended to reiterate the FBI's responsibility for, and commitment to, deterring and investigating terrorist threats and activity. I can assure you it was not meant to single out any specific community, including Sikh-Americans."

Recognizing SALDEF's partnership with the FBI, the letter said: "The FBI and you, representing Sikh Americans and communities across the country, have worked closely together and developed an ongoing dialogue on a variety of issues of mutual interest,".

with thanks : Hindustan Times : link in headline for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

Anil Kapoor's No Problem gets into trouble with Sikh community

Hemkund Sahib Yatra - Slide Show : SikhsIndia

Hemkunt Sahib Gurdwara Slideshow: Sikhsindia’s trip to Hemkund sahib, india (near Mahe), Union Territory of Pondicherry, India was created by TripAdvisor. See another Mahe slideshow. Take your travel photos and make a slideshow for free.

Daswndh to help others !

GUR FATEH JI,

Plz forwrd this mail to all ur contacts and help generously 4 the cause. Daswndh can't be only donated in Gurdwara Golaks. Golaks r overflowing but management comitees will not part wth a rupee to help the needy.Their only interest is in MRBLE and GOLD.Gurdwaras are being laided with MARBLE and GOLD and then this will be the cause for all the disputes. We r supposed to AKLI KICHE DAAN -TO DONATE WITH WISDOM. YOUNGSTERS SHOULD take the initiative and bring the movement of change.

A GURSIKH FAMILY FROM KASHMIR IS BADLY IN NEED OF UR SUPPORT AND HELP AS BOTH MOTHER AND SON R A CASE OF RENAL FAILURE AND HAVE TO UNDERGO TRANPLANTATION SURGERY AT PGI CHANDIGARH.THEIR CONTACT NO IS

09815439834 ; A/C NO MANJEET SINGH SBI 11354264685

THANKS SATWINDER KAUR 9999982994

Kawal's Help drive - sad demise

Sat Shri Akal,

All the respected people I Papinder Kaur would like to thanks you a lot for helping me in Kawal's Medical Drive. Yesterday when I was searching something I came across the SikhsIndia blog where we had request for help, is still there. I was not able to post the changes.

I would request you to post in the sikhsindia blog that Kawal has passed away on 19th September 2010 after a long fighting journey of one year and thirteen months.

Regards
Papinder

We are really very sorry to know about the sad demise of Kawal ji. Donno if we could do anything for the departed soul. We had uploaded on 29th January, 2010, asking : CAN YOU HELP / ASSIST HER IN ANY WAY ?

with best regards

B S Vohra
SikhsIndia

Drug addiction blights the Indian state of Punjab

There is growing concern in India about the rapid rise in drug addiction cases in Punjab, one of the country's wealthiest states.

The main university in the region has claimed that 70% of young Punjabi men are hooked on drugs or alcohol.

The problem is at its worst along the border with Pakistan where heroin originating from Afghanistan is smuggled into the country.

The BBC's Mark Dummett reports from Amritsar.

PLEASE VIEW THE DETAILED NEWS ON BBC VIDEO FROM THE LINK BELOW :www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11920796

with thanks : BBC News

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Mughal Emperor Zafar’s descendant to visit Pak Sikh shrines to seek forgiveness

Attari, Dec.6: A descendant of former Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar has said that she will go to Pakistan to seek forgiveness in Sikh shrines there. “My life has changed after I had visited the Golden Temple in 2004 to seek forgiveness for the atrocities committed by my ancestors – the Mughal Emperors on Sikh gurus,” said Sultana Begum, the great grand daughter-in-law of Bahadur Shah Zafar.

Sultana Begum has been living a life of penury on the pavements of Kolkata.

She told ANI on Monday before leaving for Pakistan via the Attari-Wagah border that she was getting Rs.400 as pension earlier, but the government had now raised it to Rs.6000 per month.

She also claimed that President Pratibha Devisingh Patil had given her assurances about providing her with a house.

She said that after her return from Pakistan she would meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Sultana has led a harsh life, especially after the death of her husband, Prince Mirza Mohammad Badar Bukht in 1980.

She was married to him for 15 years. Badar Bukht was the son of Prince Jamshed Bukht and great grandson of Prince Jawan Bukht who was son of Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and Crown Queen Zeenat Mahal.

with thanks : dailyindia : link in headline above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia