Happy Diwali

Wishing you a Very Happy Diwali.

With Best Regards

SikhsIndia
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www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com
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Sikh place of worship: The gurus of Gravesend

A cash-strapped project to build a Sikh place of worship in Gravesend procured the large marble domes, arched windows and highly ornate stonework from India - and saved more than £2m along the way

Even putting its striking appearance to one side, you still couldn’t describe the gurdwara in Gravesend as a conventional build. As a place of worship for the UK’s third-largest Sikh population, the project has been on site for the best part of eight years. When it started there was only enough money to complete the foundations; the rest of the cash still had to be raised, most of it from donations. And to get the best value for money, and keep control of the complex project, the local community set up its own construction company.

Added to all this was the intricately detailed stone cladding.

Teja Biring, a partner in Calford Seaden, the architects behind the gurdwara (door to the guru), says: “The community wanted a very traditional-looking building.” As a result, it incorporates plenty of the design cues of a traditional gurdwara such as the five large marble domes, the arched windows and the Indian motifs which embellish the stonework. Procuring such an ornate design was always going to be tricky given the tight budget, and it quickly transpired that the best way to achieve the traditional detail at a realistic price was to obtain the stone, already carved, directly from India.

Teja Biring, partner in charge at Calford Seaden, spent two weeks touring India until he found a company capable of handling the project. Trivedi Tectonics based in Ahmedabad in western India had expertise in hand carving and also the CNC machine tools to cut and carve large quantities of stone, which was a must if the project was going to complete in the next decade.

It also had its own marble quarry. However, Biring had concerns about using marble because of the UK climate and the porosity of the stone. “I was looking for a life expectancy of 100 years plus, like a church or cathedral,” he says. For this reason a mix of pink and grey granite has been used for a large proportion of the building, particularly where weathering might be an issue, such as ledges. Marble, easier to work with, has been used where there is intricate detailing and to create the traditional covering for the domes.

The entrance porch

The structure of the Gravesend Gurdwara has been kept simple to make it cheap and easy to build. It uses conventional insitu reinforced concrete clad with ready carved granite and marble panels. The entrance porch is one of the most detailed sections of the building, bringing together intricately carved columns, marble Jali windows, traditional Indian motifs and a marble clad dome.

1 Gold finial

2 Screen created from marble

3 Solid marble petals

4 White marble sections

5 Insitu concrete structure

6 Concrete soffit clad with ceramic mosaic tiles

7 Pink granite

8 White marble

with thanks : Buildings.co.uk : link in headline above for more details.

SikhsIndia

Law officer in the dock gets 'Sikh of the year' award

NEW DELHI: A day after the law ministry asked him to explain his conduct in connection with two incidents, additional solicitor general (ASG) Amarjit singh Chandiok was conferred with `Sikh of the year' award by a UK-based organisation.

`The Sikh Forum International' in a press release said the ASG was chosen for the award because, apart from his other achievements, "he has maintained the dignity of the bar and its members by setting high standards in judicial practices at national and international forums''.

The senior law officer took the opportunity to deny having violated any rules and claimed he was yet to receive any communication from the law ministry.

"I have always abided by rules. At no point of time I have flouted any rule. I would certainly reply if I get any communication from the government,'' Chandiok said.

with thanks : timesofindia : link in headline for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

BJP demands punishment for guilty in anti-Sikh riots

New Delhi, Nov 2 (IANS) The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by its senior leader Arun Jaitley Tuesday took out a candle-light march here to demand punishment for those guilty in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Addressing the workers, Jaitley blamed the Congress for the murder of thousands of Sikhs in the aftermath of the assassination of then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.

'It is regrettable that today one of the Sikhs is the prime minister but he is unable to ensure justice to the Sikhs. Not a single guilty person of the riots has been punished. Due to delay in justice, there is great anger among the community,' he said.

BJP workers tried to march from Jantar Mantar in central Delhi to parliament, but were taken into preventive custody midway.

Leaders of Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) also took part in the march.

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

SikhsIndia

Sikh-born Haley elected governor in South Carolina

Washington - South Carolina on Tuesday elected Republican Nikki Haley, the daughter of Sikh immigrant

parents, as the first Asian woman to become a US governor.

She beat fellow state legislator Vincent Sheheen, taking 51 per cent of the vote to his 47 per cent.

'Tomorrow morning there's going to be a lot of news and a lot of observers who say we made history. And in some ways, you can look at me and say, 'Yes, we did,'' Haley said Tuesday night in her victory speech.

'But what I want this to be is that we're turning a page. We're turning a page on where we've been, but the history is going to be on where we're going to go.'

She made little of her immigrant family background during her speech, aside from a reference to her parents reminding her how lucky she is to live in the United States. Instead, the speech accentuated that she is through-and-through American, with references to family, '80s music and politics all delivered with the hint of a southern drawl.

'Regardless of how you voted, I'm going to get to work for you,' she assured voters.

An accountant and businesswoman, she has served in the South Carolina legislature since 2004, when she became the first Indian American elected to a state office.

Haley, 38, was born Nimrata Randhawa in Bamberg, South Carolina, one of three children of parents from Amritsar, India. She eventually went to work in the family's prosperous apparel business.

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

SikhsIndia

Punjab bandh call: Radical Sikh leaders arrested

CHANDIGARH: Punjab police on Wednesday arrested radical sikh leaders as a preventive measure after many groups called a state wide shutdown to highlight the delay in justice to victims of the 1984 anti - sikh riots.

"Keeping in mind the law and order situation in the state, we have made some preventive arrests. Only those people were arrested who were trying to damage public property and to halt rail traffic. We did not use force against anybody," a police officer said here Wednesday.

The Khalsa Action Committee (KAC), the Dal Khalsa and some other Sikh groups had Oct 28 given the call for state wide bandh.

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

Sikhsindia

Victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots stage protest in Delhi

A large number of victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots staged a protest rally here on Monday against the Central government's failure to punish the accused in murder of innocent Sikhs.

Atma Ram, one of the relatives of the riots, said that the Supreme Court should punish the main accused in the 1984 riots at the earliest.

"We want to appeal to judiciary that criminals like Sajjan Kumar (1984 riots accused), who is facing charges under section 302 according to the Indian Penal Code should not be given bail and he should be behind bars. This is how we will get satisfaction.

with thanks : ANI : SIFY : link in headline above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

khalsa

Khalsa mero roop hai khaas

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US embassy, FAD join hands to restore Sheikhupura Fort

LAHORE: The US embassy, in collaboration with the Federal Archaeology Department, is all set to restore the neglected Sheikhupura Fort, a national monument. It seeks support for a three-year initiative to restore, conserve and protect the historical garrison.

The Sheikhupura fort is a high priority cultural site for the Pakistan Ministry of Culture and the Archaeology Department.

The restoration and conservation project is focused on architectural preservation and would encompass historical research and conservation technology.

The project’s large-scale impact and efforts would provide an opportunity to promote importance of the country’s cultural heritage, and would strengthen academic and cultural ties between US and Pakistani scholars. Sources told Daily Times that the US embassy has allocated Rs 1 million for the project, while the Archeology Department provided Rs 16 million to restore the fort.

The official said the fort is unique as it is a symbol of both the Mughul and Sikh culture. Its construction and early use began under the Mughul era, which is reflected in the fort’s architecture and external design. Cultural elements of the Sikh era are also present in the artwork and internal design of the buildings, which had been constructed during the period.

with thanks : http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\11\01\story_1-11-2010_pg13_6

for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

Orakzai Sikhs picking up their shattered lives

SAM FEROZKHEL: For 11-year-old Rajindar Kaur, life was full of joy in the picturesque village of Sam Ferozkhel in the Orakzau Tribal Agency. But then everything changed. The village’s serene atmosphere was disrupted by gun-toting bearded Taliban who unleashed a reign of terror on the entire area.

Kaur and her family, like dozens of other Sikh families, had to abandon their cherished village and flee in the face of advancing Taliban, who were gaining power and wanted to impose their own hard-line version of Islam on the area.

Kaur does not want to speak about her ordeal. She is now happy to have returned to her native village located in the lap of thickly-forested mountains and surrounded by walnut and apple orchards.

“I’m very happy to have returned to my village,” a beaming Kaur told The Express Tribune. She said when they left the area, they feared they would never see their village again. “We returned to our village after the authorities told us that the area is safe,” Kaur said.

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

SikhsIndia

Punjab bandh to protest ’84 riots

Urging the people from all walks of life to extend their cooperation to make the Punjab bandh called by them on November 3 against the 1984 anti-Sikh riots complete and peaceful, the Khalsa Action Committee, the Dal Khalsa and other Sikh groups have declared that buses and trains would be stopped on the day.

Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh clarified that private vehicles would not be stopped and no hospitals or emergency service would be disrupted. Schools and colleges will be, however, not allowed to function.

Describing the 1984 incident as “genocide of Sikhs”, he said a written request had been extended to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, all factions of the Shiromani Akali Dal, Bahujan Samaj Party (Karimpuri) and Lok Bhalai Party (Rammowalia) to participate in the bandh.

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

SikhsIndia

Diwali with a difference !

This Diwali and till justice is done to Victims of 1984 Genocide,let's light a Candle/Diva in the Gurdwaras to pay homage to the departed souls.

Candle Light Vigil at India Gate on Ist November 2010 !

The Sikh Forum along with Volunteers from Human Rights, Civil Liberties, Democratic Rights and other organizations will assemble at India Gate with Candle Lights on Ist November 2010 between 5.30 PM to 8.00 PM in memory of those killed during 1984 anti-Sikh carnage and to demand justice for the victims. It will be a totally peaceful vigil with Candle Lights.

No upkeep for over 30 years, war memorial fights neglect

Paintings gather dust, weapons left to rust at Anglo-Sikh War Memorial in Ferozepur

Layers of dust on old paintings, rusting weapons of historical importance, dirty floors of the rooms housing rare artifacts and an almost crumbling heritage building — this is what greet you at the Anglo-Sikh War Memorial located on the banks of Ferozeshah canal here. It goes without saying that the memorial had ceased to draw visitors.

This was the place where Sikhs fought the British army in 1845. The memorial set up to salute the martyrs was dedicated to the nation by the then chief minister, Giani Zail Singh, and Sanjay Gandhi in April 1976. There has been no repair work at the memorial ever since. On the other hand, while not even a penny has been spent on the maintenance, the tourism department has sanctioned Rs 1.23 crore to make kiosks, shops, an interpretation centre and a food court in the complex and these have been under construction at the site for the last one year.

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

SikhsIndia

A taste of India

Daniel Scott journeys to a Sikh temple in Woolgoolga and unravels some of life's mysteries.

I've always been intrigued, as we've driven past Woolgoolga on journeys north, by the ornate white edifice with domes and minarets crowning a hill above the Pacific Highway. The Guru Nanak Temple, opened in 1970, is the most visible sign of Australia's largest regional Sikh population, a thriving pocket of India in the land of the Big Banana, 20 kilometres north of Coffs Harbour.

As a callow teenager, I learnt to travel in India on an epic 25,000-kilometre journey across the subcontinent. But I never visited the Punjab region, where Sikhism originates, so the religion of turbanned, big-bearded men has remained a mystery to me.

This morning, the second of a two-day family visit to Woolgoolga, I've finally made it to the temple and the mystery is unravelling.

"Sikhism is very close to Buddhism and the Baha'i faith," says a prominent Sikh on Coffs City Council, John Arkan, who is showing a small group around the temple.

"We have no caste system, no priest," he continues, as we remove our shoes and cover our heads with bandannas before entering the temple, "and the guru instilled the idea of equality between men and women."

Founded by Guru Nanak in the 15th century and based on his teachings and those of 10 subsequent gurus, Sikhism is the world's fifth-largest organised religion. In Woolgoolga, 300 families worship at the gurdwara (temple) and there are plans to build another nearby.

We make our way upstairs and into a large open room, at the centre of which is a palki, an altar upon which the scriptures are placed each day. It's a welcoming, colourful space but not overelaborate.

We sit cross-legged and Arkan explains more about his faith. "We don't cut our hair because nature created it that way," he says, "so we normally wrap it in a turban together with a wooden comb to keep it clean." The uncut hair (kesh) and comb (kanga) are two of the five "Ks" worn by baptised Sikhs; the others are circular bangles (kara), symbolising God's eternity; a small double-edged sword (kirpan), representing day and night; and undershorts (kachera).

with thanks : smh : link in headline above for detailed story.

SikhsIndia

White House denies rumors about Obama and Sikh temple

(RNS) The White House has denied reports that President Obama will avoid a Sikh shrine while visiting India next week because the required head covering might have fanned false rumors about his faith.

"The decision we made was driven by ... the interests of time, how to best advance our common interests with India in these three days," said Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser on Wednesday (Oct. 27).

Sikh leaders had hoped the president would visit the temple, which they consider their holiest site. Obama has been dogged by persistent -- and false -- rumors that he is not Christian, but Muslim.

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

SikhsIndia

Britain's longest serving Asian police officer retires

It's a career that took a fresh faced 17-year-old cadet with Thames Valley Police in 1975 to the country's elite anti-terrorism branch.

Along the way he has protected the royals and senior MPs, and worked on the drugs squad.

Now 52-year-old Detective Constable Harinder Singh Sangha is hanging up his truncheon after 35 years service.

"I have had a fantastic career. There's been a few lows. But lots of highs," he said.

It's rare for anti-terrorist officers to give interviews. But Asian colleagues and the Metropolitan Police Sikh Association (MPSA) encouraged Det Cons Sangha to go public because of his ground-breaking career.

"He has been the first in many things and is a good role model," said Det Sgt Gurpal Virdi of the MPSA.

with thanks : BBC News : link in headline above for detailed news.

SikhsIndia

The empty-headed twenty per cent

One aspect of the planning for President Obama’s trip to India is downright depressing — and there’s no weighty issue to blame, just the ignorance of a surprisingly large group of Americans. White House organisers are reportedly considering taking the city of Amritsar off the itinerary. The reason? Amritsar is home to the Sikh Golden Temple, which is more or less a mandatory stop for a head of state visiting the city, but those who enter it are required to cover their heads.

Something like 20 per cent of Americans still falsely believe Obama to be Muslim. Sikhs aren’t Muslims, but Obama’s staffers are worried that any picture of him wearing religious headgear (Golden Temple officials have said baseball caps and the like aren’t acceptable substitutes) would spread like wildfire among the paranoid minority who remain unconvinced of Obama’s faith. It’s a reasonable fear, given the crazed intensity of some of Obama’s critics, but the White House shouldn’t give in to it. If it fits his itinerary, he should go to Amritsar and visit the temple, wearing headgear.

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

SikhsIndia

16 years of Sikhnet !

With best wishes to SIKHNET.
Plz view the link from headline above.

SikhsIndia
www.sohnijodi.com
www.sikhsindia.blogspot.com
www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.com