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Showing posts from April, 2019

Turban a Target of Racism or Inferiority Complex?

In Sikhism, Kesh (sometimes Kes ) is the practice of allowing one's hair to grow naturally out of respect for the perfection of God's creation. The practice is one of The Five Kakaars, the outward symbols introduced by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 as symbols of Khalsa , the spiritual Sikh warrior. The hair is combed twice daily with a Kanga , another of the Five Ks, and tied into a simple knot known as a Joora or Rishi knot. This knot of hair is usually covered by a turban. Young Sikh Men with No Turbans Young Sikhs of Today In modern times the trend of short hair has encroached upon this age old tradition. It is estimated that half of Sikh men have already abandoned the turban and cut their hair. The reasons for them cutting their unshorn hair include the following Simple convenience (avoiding the daily maintenance and tying turban) Social pressure from the mainstream culture to adjust their appearance to fit the norm Desire to indulge in activities like smoking, dr

Gian Godri - Message of Guru Nanak

ਹਕੁ ਪਰਾਇਆ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਉਸੁ ਸੂਅਰ ਉਸੁ ਗਾਇ ॥  हकु पराइआ नानका उसु सूअर उसु गाइ ॥  To take what rightfully belongs to another, is like a Muslim eating pork, or a Hindu eating beef.  With these strong words, Guru Nanak condemned those who grab what rightfully belongs to someone else. The concept of " Haqq " or the " Rights " of all human being is enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib by our Gurus.  Unfortunately, we all have forgotten these teachings of Guru Nanak. His beloved followers from Punjab fought with each other whether to cremate or bury his pious remains after he passed away. The same Punjabi Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs killed each other and forcibly laid claim to each others's properties during the partition of Punjab in 1947. Guru Nanak at Hardwar Gurdwara Gian Godri The people of Hardwar have not only forgotten the message of Guru Nanak but the local administration has tried to prove that the historical Gurdwara never existed at "Har ki

Sukhdev Thapar - The forgotten Revolutionary

Sukhdev Thapar (15 May 1907 – 23 March 1931) was an Indian revolutionary. He was a senior member of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association . He was hanged on 23 March 1931 at the age of 23. Sukhdev, born in Nau ghara Mohalla of Ludhiana, Punjab to Ramlal Thapar and Ralli Devi in a Khatri family. Sukhdev's father died and he was brought up by his uncle Lala Achintram. Sukhdev Thapar Sukhdev was subjected to physical abuse as a child, some of it self-inflicted. Under the influence of socialist communism, he once used Nitric acid to remove a tattoo of the Hindu symbol ‘Om’ on his skin. He was subjected to  caning at school for not saluting a British military officer. He reportedly gave himself the nickname ‘ Maarkhaana ’, which was the equivalent of the English term ‘ punching bag ’. Sukhdev had witnessed the brutal atrocities that the Imperial British Raj had inflicted on India, which then led him to join the revolutionaries, vowing to set India free from the shackles of

Origin of Life as Described by Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak - The Scientific Philosopher Abiogenesis , meaning the origin of life, is the natural process by which life has arisen from non-living matter, such as simple organic compounds. According to science, the transition from non-living to living entities was not a single event, but a gradual process of increasing complexity that involved molecular self-replication, self-assembly, auto-catalysis, and the emergence of cell membranes. We know how life, once it began, was able to proliferate and diversify until it filled (and in many cases created) every niche on the planet. Yet one of the most obvious big questions—how did life arise from inorganic matter? Five Elements Theory The ancient Vedas describe the "five great elements" asbhūmi (earth), jala (water), agni (fire), pavan (air) and shunya (ether or void).The Vedas suggest that all creation, including the human body, is made up of these five essential elements and that upon death, the human body dissolves int