Freed

OOOOh you won't let that Morrissey disclosure lie will you ! 'I am human and I need to be loved ' he sings to himself as 'he reels around the fountain' with a bunch of daffs in his back pocket....... he just wouldn't let it lie ..............

News 1984 Bibi Amarjit Kaur AKJ Gurfateh ! I have seen a few posts about Bibi Amarjit Kaur, wife of Bhai Fauja Singh - Shaheed of 1978, on the internet recently - it reminded me of this ITN news report from early 1984. The quality is very bad ( a 2nd generation copy) but you can see and hear everything fairly well. It features a mini interview with Bibi Ji and examines the events that led up to the army attack - including a piece by the disgruntled shopkeepers of Amritsar, it also features Indarjit Singh (UK ) and Jagjit Singh (Rep. of Khalistan ). It is an interesting snapshot of the time --- please do not shoot the messenger - I am posting it as I feel it is interesting and important - not because I have any particular agenda or axe to grind. Bhul Chuk Maaf Ranjit Singh 'Freed' Click on link to see clip ; http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...05&hl=en-GB

Gurfateh Dynamic ji ! I'm glad you asked, most people think I'm a little bit mad with my obsession with all things Punjabi - especially my relatives in India. I'm always telling them to look after the wealth of heritage they have - I'm scared they might just sell it all and buy a 'Kothi' in the city - I do have grounds to worry as one time I went I asked them to keep the old Sandooks (Dowry Chests ) kept in the 'Dalaan' off the floor and dry - they said who wants those old things, last winter we were going chop them up for firewood ! - they've already knocked down the old haveli - where my Dad was born and sold off all the 'pital de Bhandey' - I only managed to save my Mum's Gagar she got in her 'Daaj' because I brought it to England for my Mami to do the 'Jaago' at my wedding !! I'm rambling now, back to the topic here are some pictures of the Kentha - modern ones don't have the triangular stops that you see at the ends. The one my Baba wore had a central pendant an 'Enaam' on it - but thats been lost (probably reset ) - an interesting note is that when my Mum's chacha got married in the 1950s his in laws gave him a choice of gift - either a Ghori (horse) or a Kentha or a radio - he chose a radio ! The stopper at the end In these pictures Pammi Bai is wearing a modern copy - with a central 'enaam' In this picture the sufi dhadhi - Des Raj Lachkane - is wearing one without the enaam Here are some more ornaments given to me by my Baba Ji A Taveet and a pair of 'Nattian' - flat earrings A silver taveet with compartment to put something - usually religious in In this picture of the 'Lahore Lifeguards' - you can one Singh is wearing an elaborate 'Taveet' In this mural of an Akaali - you can see he is wearing what could be a Kentha - but is probably a Taveet with gold 'Tavey' All this talk of Taveets has got me thinking about a Sakhi from the 'Bijai Mukht Granth' - and you Dynamic Ji are probably the best person to ask about it ! This sakhi , number 42, relates a Bachan of Guru Gobind Singh ji - on how Singhs can become invincible on the battle field against 'turks' when greatly outnumbered -- I know many will find this offensive or inauthentic, but each to his own. The sakhi gives a particular 'yudh jantar' to wear as a taveet and the Singh will be invincible and equal to a 'Lakh' and as the last section says Invincible and Invisible !! - Waheguru !!! Waheguru !!! Have you ever read or heard of this sakhi among the Dals Dynamic ji ? - if you dont want to make it public PM me I would love to know ! I have posted the sakhi below ( * taken from Sau Sakhi - Bijai Mukht - CSJS 2002 edition - pg 107-8 'Sakhi Batalisavi') Sorry for the long winded post - when I get started I don't know when to stop !! Gurfateh ! Ranjit Singh 'Freed'

Sign at the 'Jora Ghar' Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, Delhi. "Keshan di beadbi ate patka banan vale Sikh sewa nahin kar sakde" to read such a sign in The House of Guru Nanak makes my heart sink (Picture from Flickr.com)

Daljit Nagra - The bard of Dollis Hill Being the 'Methuselah' of SA and having parents who used to have a corner shop I can quite relate to some of Daljit Nagra's work! -- give the article a read and see what you think. here is a clip of him reciting 'Singh Song' http://www.faber.co.uk/uploads/Singh%20Song.mp3 and here's the article The bard of Dollis Hill Having the country's biggest poetry publisher take on your debut collection is a dream come true for an unknown poet. But Daljit Nagra's greatest feat is capturing the experience of British-born Indians, says Patrick Barkham Patrick Barkham Thursday January 18, 2007 Guardian 'Puts Keats to shame" and "A wonder to behold" are not bad verdicts for the first ever review of your debut volume of poetry. And this five-star critique gets better. "If you enjoy poetry, genius, or PURE UNRIVALLED QUALITY of any kind," runs the customer review on Amazon, "buy this 21st-century bible of poetry and bask in the teachings of The Nagrameister." Sadly for Daljit Nagra, the reviewer is one of the sixth-form students at JFS school, where he works in north-west London. Nagra is that rare thing: an unknown poet whose debut collection is being published by Faber, Britain's leading poetry house. The English teacher's pupils are baffled by his continued presence in class. "They think, 'What are you doing in school if you are a poet and you've got a book coming out?' They assume you're going to earn millions because it's a book," he says. Nagra is still as penniless as any poet, though he could soon become better known than many. The bright cover of his debut collection, Look We Have Coming to Dover!, matches the ebullience of his word play, which stirs English, Punjabi and Punjabi-accented English into a series of funny and poignant poems that defy easy categorisation. Racism, belonging, alienation and assimilation are ever present themes but Nagra is too witty to file under worthy. And while he cites the influence of Milton, Browning and Blake, there is also a slice of Ray Davies or Jam-era Paul Weller in some of his clever character sketches. "You either do it quietly and describe the Indian community in half a dozen poems or you think sod it, and go all out. The most Indian way I could think of was to do monologues and voices," says Nagra in his flat overlooking the park at Dollis Hill. So there is the new husband of Darling & Me! whose "Darling is so pirouettey with us"; the mum of In a White Town, who "No one ever looked without looking again/ at the pink kameez and balloon'd bottoms"; and the effervescence of the careless shopkeeper in Singh Song! above whom "high heel tap di ground/ as my vife on di web is playing wid di mouse". Much of it begs to be read aloud and, while slight and sotto voce in person, Nagra is already making a name for himself with accented performances of his work. Like many second-generation British Asians, Nagra, who has just celebrated his 40th birthday, avoided the open fist of racism when he was growing up by acting as white as he could. Most of his best friends now are white British, who tend to bring out that side in him. So he has found it liberating to explore his "Indianness" through his poetry. "I'm working in a school, I'm teaching English, I'm living English and breathing English all the time. Some part of me wants to be Indian as well. I really enjoy writing about Indian people, Indianness. I find that far more liberating. All that stuff you grew up with - the intensity of India - has to find its outlet somewhere. Poetry feels like a natural form." One of "about four" Asians when he was growing up in Yiewsley, west London, he would meet his white friends at his front door so he didn't have to invite them into his "Indian" house. Several of the characters in his poems, such as the boy who would "lavender-spray the hallway when someone knocked", reflect his teenage desire to fit in. "Because you didn't want to get bullied and didn't want to get your house attacked, you'd make it as unrecognisable as possible. There was that kind of shame factor," he says. The Indianness of his home was kept hidden, even though it was full of wonder. Distant relatives would pitch up at their door and stay for a few weeks, bringing fantastic tales from Nagra's parents' home village of Nogaja, named after a 9ft giant who lived and is buried there. Nagra looks back with something like bemusement at how he survived the racism of the 70s. "There were quite a few National Front kids in the class whose parents openly supported the NF. I was always the OK one. 'We hate Pakis but you're OK, Dal.' I got away without ever being physically attacked. I survived. That was quite lucky. How did I get away with it? There were some Asians in council estates nearby and the kids would tell me on Monday morning what they had been doing to 'Pakis' on the estates. For some reason they didn't attack me and my brother. Because we both played sports for the school teams we were in with the right people and that helped a bit." There was no poetry at school. Nagra took CSEs, where the closest he got to literature was Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected. After his family moved to Sheffield, he dropped his science A-levels for English literature, which he studied at night while working in the shop bought by his parents. They did not really understand his desire to study English - "My mum said, 'You speak it, why do you want to do it at university?'" - but by then Nagra, on a whim, had bought a slim volume by William Blake and become fascinated by poetry. The first verses he wrote were song lyrics inspired by Paul Weller's character sketches in the Jam's Setting Sons album. "That took me back to Ray Davies and the Kinks and other 60s bands," he says. At university, he began mixing English and Punjabi words in his poems (Nagra speaks Punjabi fluently but was never taught it and cannot write it). Despite praise from one professor, the well-known critic Martin Dodsworth, Nagra did not seriously sit down to work on his poetry until the late 1990s. Diffidence was gradually replaced with confidence as he was published in the Rialto, Poetry London and then Poetry Review within 18 months. Then he won the Forward prize for Best Individual Poem in 2004 for the poem Look We Have Coming to Dover!, which nods to Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach. Where Arnold gazed from the cliffs towards France, "In my poem I'm bringing people into the country," says Nagra. Frequently alighting on terribly English suburban settings, Nagra's verse also tells of the growing affluence of British Asians. By the 1980s, his parents' shop was doing well and an attack on his dad's "champagne-gold Granada" inspired the poem Parade's End. Their store was robbed so often they found it cheaper not to insure it. "People just didn't have jobs. It was Thatcher's era, the early 80s. The shop did OK because people lived hand to mouth. I guess in the poem I didn't want to say, 'Oh, the whites are terrible, they are attacking us' because we were doing quite well. We lived in the nearest area that felt safe." His subject matter is very English but the humour, Nagra thinks, is probably Punjabi. He found his family's community "vibrantly comical". "They expressed themselves through comedy rather than seriousness. There isn't an attempt to be overly formal. You go to a party and everyone is trying to tell funny jokes or relate silly stories." Nagra says he does not seek verisimilitude in his characters. He abandoned trying to turn Punjabi voices into English and tried to "re-create the experience more, and create an artificial English voice". When he performs poems such as Singh Song!, he says he tends to read them with "an Indian voice, black it up, minstrelise it". Where once he was anxious around white schoolmates, he is now more self-conscious when reading to British Asians. He is concerned that people do not think his performance mocks that first generation of Indian immigrants. "The few times I've read the poems in an accent in front of other Indians I'm a bit more nervous." It is, he says, like "showing what's in your house to other Indians". If he causes offence, he believes at least it generates a debate about how British Asians represent themselves. "Should we be selling ourselves or should we be honest? There's an attempt in the poems to be really honest and present the community as it really is." While several poems self-consciously play with the idea of being boxed into the "other" - post-colonial - section of earnest anthologies for yawning schoolchildren, Nagra says he hopes he will be regarded as a British poet rather than an "Asian" one. "Whatever else, the tool I am using is the British language. I was born here, I grew up here, I know the English lifestyle much more than I do the Indian lifestyle. To some degree, I feel more outside Indian life than I do English." What would happen if he ended up on the syllabus? Would he teach his own poems? He grimaces. "That would be horrible". · Look We Have Coming to Dover! will be published by Faber in February, price £8.99. To order a copy for £8.99 with free UK p&p go to guardian.co.uk/bookshop or call 0870 836 0875. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian News and Media Limited 2007 http://books.guardian.co.uk/poetry/feature...1993158,00.html

Gurfateh ! After a long unexplained break the 'Sikh Cyber Museum' is back online. This is a wonderful resource - it has 100s of photographs , biographies and lists many interesting places to visit. Click to visit this excellent site ; http://www.sikhcybermuseum.org.uk/index.htm The site has loads of interesting pictures - one of my favourites is this one It shows Colonial troops gathered at Alexandra Park , for the Coronation festivities in 1902. I love the central Sikh Soldier - looking extremely dapper in his great-coat ,Large smart Turban and tied military beard. You can tell he is in all his finery, probably on his first trip abroad to England - the 'finery' includes a wonderful 'Kentha' around his neck and elaborate pocket watch and chains. I love this picture as it reminds me of my own Baba Ji and Nana Ji - and probably everyones grandparents - they were textbook 'Jatt Babey' - My Baba is in his late 90s and still going strong - in his youth when he was 'going out' say to a wedding, mela or as he was 'Sarpanch' of the village , on official business - he would wear his 'Finery' this included a gold 'Kentha' (a large gold necklace made of heavy gold beads on a silk cord - the only ornament Punjabi males wore - as worn by 'Bhangra' Dancers and traditionally worn by the Groom at his wedding ) and as he was a proper Pendu Jatt a large white turban with a tall Turla (Fan) at the top and a long tail at the back - he also wore a starched 'Tamba' or chadara and carried a heavy 'Daang' studded with brass nails. A sight to behold. My Nana Ji was more 'sophisticated' he was the 'Lumbardar' (numberdar) and 'Sardaar' of the village - His Finery included a tight fitted 'Aichan' (frock coat) and churidar pajama and a pocket watch with chains and he kept his beard tied military style. - also a fine sight to behold. My parents gift to me on my wedding day was a vintage gold 'Kentha' - they know I have a passion for all things associated with Punjabi Heritage - it was the best gift ever - I wore it proudly on my wedding day. When my Baba Ji saw it - his face lit up - despite being in his 90s and unable to read or write He has memorized large amounts of Gurbani - The Influence of Nirmala Sants who stayed at our village - when he saw me wearing the Kentha he said ; ਬਾਬਾਣੀਆ ਕਹਾਣੀਆ ਪੁਤ ਸਪੁਤ ਕਰੇਨਿ ॥ baabaanee-aa kahaanee-aa put saput karayn. (M 3 ang 951) Which just made my day even more special ! Do visit the site - apologies if I've bored you with my 'Raam Kahani ' !! Ranjit Singh 'Freed'

Here is an illustration of how neglected the Built Heritage of Punjab is - an example of Past Glories In this first picture we see The Maharaja of Patiala in procession at the Qila Mubarak, Patiala - Late 19th / early 20th century In this picture we see the same scene today - looking decidedly 'rough' around the edges and unloved --- but not beyond help.... 'Freed'

Gurfateh ! Here are two more examples Sri Darbar Sahib circa 1840 (* from the Kapany Collection ) Fresco from the walls of the Darbar Sahib , Amritsar (* from Sikh Architecture - P S Arshi - 1986) Guru Gobind Singh Ji - the Nishan is both decorated and has 'Shasters' on it. Gurfateh Ranjit Singh 'Freed'

Image Nerds indeed !!! Those of us in the Image collection / appreciation / collecting / magpie / out and out theft / tea leaf - 'Fraternity' prefer the term 'Image Anorak' not the Americanism 'nerd' !! Anyway - welcome back to dear old Blighty - that's funny - asking what pind youre from !! He must of been eyeing you up as a potential son in law !! you know Punjabis are suckers for a - how shall I put it - a certain complexion !! to use the Punjabi euphemism 'Kanak Vana' or 'wheatish complexion ' - you see it in every 'matrimonial' column ! I've always loved the Baba Gurditta Gurdwara - it's a favourite of my grandads - I remember going with him once when I was around 8 - and being dissapointed that it wasn't Guru Gobind Singh Fort - it does look like a fort - in those days it was really hard to get to like most of Anandpur - there were lots of steps - i remember inventing counting games with my sister to pass the time ! Back to your question I do have some pictures of the birth place of Guru Harkrishan Ji - Gurdwara Sheesh Mahal - I've posted them in this thread on built heritage ; http://www.sikhawareness.com/sikhawareness...opic.php?t=9129 Going back to Baba Gurditta - The gurdwara always gives me a strange indescribable feeling - it must be the hills and the quiet ---- you may laugh but I've only ever got that feeling there and at Glastonbury Tor -- one of my flatmates at college was from Bristol and she had lots of weird and wonderful friends and I went to Glastonbury Tor with them once and had a very strange experience at the top - though it might have been due to the Bristolians trancing out playing some African drums ! -- could be all the laylines - or could just be all those west country accents - I do love them - Ideal ! I'll stop there before I embarrass myself any more with tales from my sordid past ! Take Care Mate ! Glastonbury Tor , Somerset .

GurFateh ! Greetings to all Sangatan on this Maghi Mela weekend - Lakh Lakh Pranam to all the Mahaan Shaheeds of Muktsar. This post deals with the fast disappearing architectural heritage of Sikhi and Punjab, many of you may have seen Amandeep Madra Bhai Sahib's recent campaign to raise awareness about the destruction of historic buildings at Hazoor Sahib - if you haven't done so already please visit the UKPHA site and leave your comments on this page - and make your voices heard ; http://www.punjabheritage.org/editorials--...azur-sahib.html It is our duty to save this priceless heritage - or we will be remembered as the generation that stood by as all this destruction took place. Much of the built heritage of Punjab has been lost, neglected or changed beyond recognition , it is my hope in this post to show not only some of what has been lost and changed, but also to show a little of what can be saved. I find these pictures distressing as many of the buildings mark pivotal moments in Sikhi - many built by the Guru Sahibs themselves or by important Sikh Heroes and personalities and they have been changed beyond recognition in the name of Kar Sewa . If we all make enough 'noise' and make an effort to visit the neglected sites - the authorities will see that people do care (and will see there is money to be made !!!) . This first picture is of the 'Kachi Garhi' at Chamkaur Sahib - also known as 'Garhi Sahib' and 'Tilak Asthan' - the site commemorates a hugely significant event in Sikh History - it is here that Guru Sahib's bachan that his Singhs would fight thousands was realised - it is the scene of the Shaheedi of the Older Sahibzadas and Guru Sahibs Beloved Singhs. The popular image of Chamkaur Garhi is of large fort - however it was a kachi garhi - more like a strong house with thick walls and one secure entrance. It is known as 'Tilak asthan' as it is here that Guru Sahib accepted the Benti of the Panj Piare and left the 'garhi' - thereby conferring the 'Guru-ship' onto the Guru Panth - The Khalsa. This picture Shows the original 'Kachi Garhi' with the Gurdwara built by the Maharaja of Patiala, Karam Singh (* from Mahaan Kosh - Kahan Singh Nabha) This picture shows the Gurdwara as it is today This picture shows the Fatehgarh Sahib Gurdwara built by Karam Singh maharaja of Patiala in 1844 AD - the original memorial was built by Banda Bahadur in 1710 over the ruins of Sirhind Fort - the site of the Shaheedi of the younger Sahibzadas. (* from Sikh Architecture - P S Arshi - 1986) as it is today The Gurdwara Katalgarh , Chamkaur Sahib - marks site of the antim sanskar of the Shaheeds of Chamkaur Sahib - built around the 1830s by Raja Bhup Singh of Ropar - it was rare in that it had minarets - symbols of royalty. (*from Mahan Kosh) as it is today The Original Building - Patna Sahib as it is today The original KeshGarh Sahib Anandpur (* both from Mahan Kosh) This picture of the Baoli Sahib at Goindwal (Amritsar) - shows the decoration on the walls - most of the older buildings have been replaced with modern structures much of the painting and murals have been lost under marble and whitewash. (* Mahan Kosh ) as it is today some of the existing murals These next pictures are from Kiratpur Sahib (Ropar) - This is the original Gurdwara Sheesh Mahal at Kiratpur - birth place of Guru Harkrishan Ji - named Shish mahal because of the mirror work on its ceiling. - This has been replaced by a modern larger marble building. This was the first building built when Guru Hargobind moved to Kiratpur. (* from Arshi 1986) These next pictures show the original buildings of Gurdwara Patalpuri - Kiratpur - cremation site of Guru Hargobind Sahib,Guru Har Rai and Guru Harkrishan.Built by the Maharaja of Patiala - These have been replaced by modern buildings . as it is today Gurdwara Manji Sahib ,Kiratpur - this was the house of Bibi Rup Kaur - daughter of Guru Har Rai - it houses the seli topi of Baba SiriChand - gifted to Baba Gurditta and given to Bibi Rup Kaur as part of her dowry - this building was very recently demolished and a new one constructed. (* from Anandpur - Mohinder Singh 2002) These next pictures are of Gurdwara Dehra Baba Gurditta , Kiratpur. - this is one of the few sites at Kiratpur that has not been changed as drastically as other sites - access by car has been made easier -but it has been done at the expense of losing some of the fort like construction.This is a unique structure - one that needs to be protected. The site marks the spot Baba Gurditta breathed their last - it was built by Bhup Singh of Ropar and added to by the Maharaja of Patiala. From a distance Dehra Baba Gurditta looked like a fort (*From Mahaan Kosh ) The eastern gateway The Inner entrance Sectional Plan The Third Entrance as it is today This photograph shows Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das Ji in Lahore - you can see the walls are covered in murals ( * from Mahan Kosh) In this picture you can see that the Gurdwara is in a distressing state today (* picture posted by 'sat1176' - http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?showtopic=22474) These pictures are from around Anandpur Sahib - This is the Historic 'Baoli' or well that Bhai Ghanaiya Ji drew water from to give to the wounded in battle - near village Mohival This is the 'Killah Sodhian' - fort of the Sodhis - this is the only remaining example of original fortification in Anandpur - all other traces have been destroyed - this fort is also in bad shape. So far these pictures show a tale of neglect and destruction - sacred bricks that bear the touch of the Guru Sahibs feet have been covered in marble or demolished but all is not doom and gloom - while sites built by the Guru Sahibs are very rare, they do exist - and they must be protected. I have saved the best for last - Sri Hargobindpur ( Gurdaspur) and Thatte Khera (Amritsar) At Thatte Khera Dist Amritsar there is a sarovar built by Guru Arjan Sahib - the Dukhniwaran Jhulan Mahal ('the sorrow removing, swinging palace) - the name comes from the fact the walls of the pavilions 'swing' when they are shaken. This site is unchanged and gives an insight into how the other sarovers built by Guru Arjan may have looked ( such as the Harimandir Sahib, Amritsar) The buildings are plain brick and lime structures with traces of paintings - such a site needs protection as it is undoubtedly exactly as it was when it was built by Guru Sahib and bears the holy touch of Guru Sahib . (*From Marg Vol 54 No. 4 Gurmeet Rai and Kavita Singh) Sri Hargobindpur city was built by Guru Hargobind Sahib as his headquarters,it is on a cliff overlooking the river Beas in Gurdaspur district - it is no longer a busy city but it was a thriving city in the 17th century - it shows that Guru Sahib was a great statesman - it is an extremely well planned out city with a grid type design ,a thick 6 metre high boundary wall and good drainage system still in use. The buildings are mostly brick and lime in structure - Guru Sahib promised merchants free land and bricks if they settled in the city. Guru Sahib built numerous mandirs for the Hindu residents and the famous Guru ki Maseet for the Muslim residents.Guru Sahib built the Gurudwara Granthian - a simple octagonal building - this gives an insight into what gurdwaras during the Guru period were like. This whole city has been blessed by the touch of Guru Sahib - every effort should be made to preserve this priceless built heritage. The City of Sri Hargobindpur The Hanuman Mandir Guru ki Maseet interior ( after partition the mosque became a gurdwara - it has recently been given back to Muslims and is again a maseet ) Gurdwara Granthian , Siri Hargobindpur (*From Marg Vol 54 No. 4 Gurmeet Rai and Kavita Singh) I think I'll stop there !! I hope you can make some sense of my ramblings! This has been a long post , but I haven't covered anything in any real detail - I haven't even touched on Punjabi Built heritage, it is my hope it will prompt some research by you , the reader. - one way in which to help in the preservation of Sikh Heritage is to buy books, support authors, researchers etc - when you go to Punjab visit historic sites - Visit Patiala, Kapurthala ,Faridkot - even Doaba has fantastic sites (Usually people joke that Doaba is just agriculture no culture ) like Nur Mahal serai, Phillaur fort , Kapurthala - go off the beaten track , make authorities aware we want to see these things preserved - we DO NOT want fake nasty gaudy 'Punjabi heritage villages' like the disgusting 'Haveli' restaurant near Jalandhar - where everything is inauthentic - there are real Havelis out there - we want the real thing preserved !! Excuse my mistakes Bhul Chuk Maaf Ranjit Singh 'Freed'

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh !! I have received a lot of feedback from the pictures I posted of the Battle Standards at Lichfield Cathedral - some negative but mostly positive. Many asked for more pictures especially pictures of old Nishan Sahibs and pictures of the "Symbols" used before the introduction of the modern Khanda symbol. It is not my intention to offend anyone, that is why I carefully avoided the use of 'Nishan Sahib' in the first post and this one and used the more neutral term 'Battle Standard'. Hope you enjoy the pictures ! Bhul Chuk Maaf Ranjit Singh 'Freed' These are guilded panels from Gurdwara Baba Atal Rai Sahib - they date from the mid 19th century In this first panel you see Guru Gobind Singh Ji with his beloved Singhs - the Nishan Sahibs have on them 2 'Kirpans' a 'Katar' and what could be a 'Chakar' or a shield - it could also be a 'degh' - as it has been argued that the Nishan Sahib is a representation of 'Degh Tegh Fateh'. a detail In this panel Guru Gobind Singh Singh is with 5 Singhs - the Nishan Sahib is plain with a border a detail In this panel we see the Beloved 'Char Sahibzadas' - here also the Nishan is plain with a border a detail (* taken from The Sikhs - T S Randhawa 2000) In this painting of Guru Gobind Singh Ji , titled as 'Journey to Deccan', dated as circa AD 1770-80 painted in Rajastani style - we have an Akali Nihang holding a Yellow Nishan with a Kirpan Katar and Chakar/Dhal/Degh arrangement with a floral border. detail (* taken from Sikh Heritage - Dr Daljeet 2004) In this portrait of Guru Gobind Singh from the 'Military Manual of Maharaja Ranjit Singh' ,dated around 1822-1830, kept in the Ram Bagh Museum Amritsar - we have a red and gold Nishan with what appears to be a 'Kard' on it. (* taken from Maharaja Ranjit Singh - Jean-Marie Lafont 2002) In this portrait of Guru Gobind Singh we see a decorated red, gold and pink Nishan. In this painting of The Char SahibZadas we have a decorated yellow Nishan Sahib . detail (*taken from Dr Daljeet 2004) This is a detail from a late 19th century painting of Darbar Sahib - the twin Nishan Sahibs of Miri and Piri are shown - The colour is Kesri. (*taken from Dr Daljeet 2004) In this Woodcut of Sri Amritsar - titled 'Naksha Darbar Sahib Sri Amritsar ji ka' and dated AD 1874 (sambat 1931) - we can clearly see the Miri Piri Nishan Sahibs and the Nishan Sahib on the roof terrace of the Darbar Sahib - the Nishan sahibs are again decorated with a Kirpan / Katar / chakar,degh,shield arrangement - the 'flag poles' are all topped with spear heads . Detail (* taken from Pirtan, Cultural Kosh - Chanan Singh Chan ) In this plan of Darbar Sahib , from the early 1900s, we can see two Nishan Sahibs - one on the roof of the Harimandir, the other to the left of the Akal Takht - both are of a yellow / kesri colour. This plan from the Harry Mann Collection (Ontario, Canada) is fascinating because you can see all the Bungas around the parikarma the numerous trees and the original entrances . This address casket is on display at the Royal Ontario Museum - it belongs to the Royal Family and is in the form of a model of the Harimandir Sahib. It dates from the Late 1800s and was probably given to Queen Victoria. Note the Nishan Sahib is Kesri in colour and has a fringe and tassle. It is adorned with a Bhaugauti and a Chakar/Degh/shield symbol detail (* taken from The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms - The Canadian Collections - Seema Bharadia - 2000) The second Shahidi Jatha arriving at Jaito (1920s) - though the symbols are hard to see on the Nishan Sahibs - they are like the ones in the woodcut posted above - you can clearly make out a 'Katar'. detail (* taken from Warrior Saints - A S Madra P Singh 1999) This photograph is of the Darshani Deori of Taran Taran Sahib - you can see the Nishan sahib is similar to the woodcut from 1874 AD , it has the kirpan / katar/ chakr pattern - the photograph comes from Khushwant Singh's book published in 1953 (* taken from The Sikhs - Khushwant Singh - 1953) These next pictures are of Battle Standards The first is the famous 'Dussehra' painting of Ranjit Singh's Darbar by Schoefft - you can see the Red standard behind Lal Singh In this lithograph of Solykoff's painting of Sher Singh you can see the Battle Standards of Ranjit Singh - one with 'Karttikeya' on, the other I can't make out. In this last picture you can see the Sikh Battle Standards from the collection of Lord Dalhousie as they were displayed at the Mansion of Colstoun , East Lothian , Scotland. Family tradition states that they were captured by Lord Gough at the Battle of Gujrat 21 February 1849. (* taken from Maharaja Ranjit singh - Mohinder Singh Rishi Singh Sondeep Shonkar - 2002) GurFateh ! Ranjit Singh 'Freed'

GurFateh ! "carry me across the world-ocean" I saw these beautiful pictures on flickr.com - They were taken near Kiratpur Sahib and show a boat on the River Satluj - The scene reminded me of this beautiful shabad ਗੁਰੁ ਪਉੜੀ ਬੇੜੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੁਰੁ ਤੁਲਹਾ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਉ ॥ ਗੁਰੁ ਸਰੁ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਬੋਹਿਥੋ ਗੁਰੁ ਤੀਰਥੁ ਦਰੀਆਉ ॥ (*Photos from Upinder Kaur's collection - click link for more beautiful pics http://www.flickr.com/photos/upinderkaur/) Here is the complete Shabad Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Siree Raag Ang 17 ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥ ਗੁਣਵੰਤੀ ਗੁਣ ਵੀਥਰੈ ਅਉਗੁਣਵੰਤੀ ਝੂਰਿ ॥ ਜੇ ਲੋੜਹਿ ਵਰੁ ਕਾਮਣੀ ਨਹ ਮਿਲੀਐ ਪਿਰ ਕੂਰਿ ॥ ਨਾ ਬੇੜੀ ਨਾ ਤੁਲਹੜਾ ਨਾ ਪਾਈਐ ਪਿਰੁ ਦੂਰਿ ॥੧॥ ਮੇਰੇ ਠਾਕੁਰ ਪੂਰੈ ਤਖਤਿ ਅਡੋਲੁ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਪੂਰਾ ਜੇ ਕਰੇ ਪਾਈਐ ਸਾਚੁ ਅਤੋਲੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਹਰਿਮੰਦਰੁ ਸੋਹਣਾ ਤਿਸੁ ਮਹਿ ਮਾਣਕ ਲਾਲ ॥ ਮੋਤੀ ਹੀਰਾ ਨਿਰਮਲਾ ਕੰਚਨ ਕੋਟ ਰੀਸਾਲ ॥ ਬਿਨੁ ਪਉੜੀ ਗੜਿ ਕਿਉ ਚੜਉ ਗੁਰ ਹਰਿ ਧਿਆਨ ਨਿਹਾਲ ॥੨॥ ਗੁਰੁ ਪਉੜੀ ਬੇੜੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੁਰੁ ਤੁਲਹਾ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਉ ॥ ਗੁਰੁ ਸਰੁ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਬੋਹਿਥੋ ਗੁਰੁ ਤੀਰਥੁ ਦਰੀਆਉ ॥ ਜੇ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਊਜਲੀ ਸਤ ਸਰਿ ਨਾਵਣ ਜਾਉ ॥੩॥ ਪੂਰੋ ਪੂਰੋ ਆਖੀਐ ਪੂਰੈ ਤਖਤਿ ਨਿਵਾਸ ॥ ਪੂਰੈ ਥਾਨਿ ਸੁਹਾਵਣੈ ਪੂਰੈ ਆਸ ਨਿਰਾਸ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਪੂਰਾ ਜੇ ਮਿਲੈ ਕਿਉ ਘਾਟੈ ਗੁਣ ਤਾਸ ॥੪॥੯॥ sireeraag mehalaa 1 || gunava(n)thee gun veethharai aougunava(n)thee jhoor || jae lorrehi var kaamanee neh mileeai pir koor || naa baerree naa thuleharraa naa paaeeai pir dhoor ||1|| maerae t(h)aakur poorai thakhath addol || guramukh pooraa jae karae paaeeai saach athol ||1|| rehaao || prabh harima(n)dhar sohanaa this mehi maanak laal || mothee heeraa niramalaa ka(n)chan kott reesaal || bin pourree garr kio charro gur har dhhiaan nihaal ||2|| gur pourree baerree guroo gur thulehaa har naao || gur sar saagar bohithho gur theerathh dhareeaao || jae this bhaavai oojalee sath sar naavan jaao ||3|| pooro pooro aakheeai poorai thakhath nivaas || poorai thhaan suhaavanai poorai aas niraas || naanak pooraa jae milai kio ghaattai gun thaas ||4||9|| Siree Raag, First Mehla: The virtuous wife exudes virtue; the unvirtuous suffer in misery. If you long for your Husband Lord, O soul-bride, you must know that He is not met by falsehood. No boat or raft can take you to Him. Your Husband Lord is far away. ||1|| My Lord and Master is Perfect; His Throne is Eternal and Immovable. One who attains perfection as Gurmukh, obtains the Immeasurable True Lord. ||1||Pause|| The Palace of the Lord God is so beautiful. Within it, there are gems, rubies, pearls and flawless diamonds. A fortress of gold surrounds this Source of Nectar. How can I climb up to the Fortress without a ladder? By meditating on the Lord, through the Guru, I am blessed and exalted. ||2|| The Guru is the Ladder, the Guru is the Boat, and the Guru is the Raft to take me to the Lord's Name. The Guru is the Boat to carry me across the world-ocean; the Guru is the Sacred Shrine of Pilgrimage, the Guru is the Holy River. If it pleases Him, I bathe in the Pool of Truth, and become radiant and pure. ||3|| He is called the Most Perfect of the Perfect. He sits upon His Perfect Throne. He looks so Beautiful in His Perfect Place. He fulfills the hopes of the hopeless. O Nanak, if one obtains the Perfect Lord, how can his virtues decrease? ||4||9|| Waheguru ! Ranjit Singh 'Freed'

Gurfateh Slight Correction a Bhai sahib has informed me that in the Solykoff lithograph the figure on the standard is Karttikeya (aka Skanda) who is the leader of the Armies of the Devte not Durga. Bhul Chuk Maaf

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh !! Sikh Battle Standards at Lichfield Cathedral I recently went to Lichfield Cathedral (Staffordshire UK) to see the Sikh Battle Standards captured by the British during the Anglo Sikh Wars. I thought I would share some of the pictures I took with the Cyber Sangat . Lichfield Cathedral was dedicated in AD 700 to house the remains of St. Chad , the site is a pilgrimage centre as it is the site of martyrdoms during the Roman period. The present sandstone building was built in 1195. The cathedral is the only English medieval cathedral with 3 spires and is an amazing building. The cathedral houses the battle standards and memorials of the Staffordshire Regiment. It has a dedicated monument to the Anglo - Sikh Wars, Sikh Battle Standards captured during the Battle of Ferozepur on 21st December 1845 are displayed here. The inscriptions on this monument read: ‘The Sikh colours on this memorial were taken by H.M.’s 80th Regiment at the Battles of Ferozeshah and Sobraon. The capture of the Black Standard at Ferozeshah cost the lives of some of those commemorated.’ ‘To the memory of the brave officers and men of the 80th Regiment of foot soldiers and Staffordshire volunteers who fell during the Sutlej campaign of 1845 and 1847 by their surviving comrades’ ‘To the memory of the brave officers and men of the 80th Regiment of foot or Staffordshire volunteers whose names are recorded on this tablet and who fell in the actions of Moodkee, Buddewal, Allewal, Feerozshah and Sobraon including those who subsequently died from the effects of their wounds when serving with the army of the Sutlej in India.’ The monument has three battle standards - all 3 are of triangular shape , the flag pole or staff is in the form of a spear and about 6 foot high, this would indicate that the standard was meant to be held not planted in the ground. The standards are about 7 foot long , they are 'battle scarred' and are not in very good condition. Two of the standards are of Red silk with green floral borders , they are topped with a spear and have a tassle and ribbons draped from the top . In this picture you can see an example of the same type of standard from the collection of Lord Dalhousie - you can see the floral patterns and the 'Sun-Burst' motif on one and a 'Durga' figure on the other. The central standard on the monument is an Akaali standard, it is of a Black (perhaps Blue/Black) colour with a border that appears to have a yellow tinge. It also has a spear head with a tassle and long ribbons around the top draping down - like the blue 'Dastar' on a modern Kesri Nishan Sahibs. The material felt like fine silk - like a silk dupatta. The monument makes reference to the hard fighting needed to capture this standard. The memorial remembers the English dead - no mention is made of the Sikh dead --- The monument is quite sad from a Sikh perspective as it marks the end of Sikh Raj in Punjab -- it was quite a poignant moment thinking of all those brave Sikhs who fought to save those standards -- however my wife said something which lifted the mood - she said despite the fact the Standards are captured - they are still standing aloft in a Christian Cathedral - little did those 19th century soldiers know that the Black country would become a centre for Punjabi migration and that Nishan Sahibs would be flying proud on the streets of Walsall,Wolverhampton, Smethwick and all over the Black Country ! something to think about. The day we visited Lichfield was a typical midlands/Black country day - rainy and dark so some of the pictures are dark, also it was very dark in the Cathedral - plus I'm no David Bailey when it comes to taking pictures ! Here are the Pictures ; Lichfield Cathedral The Anglo Sikh Monument The Standards The Akali Standard This detail from a lithograph of Solykoff's picture of Maharaja Sher Singh shows the Standard with the 'Durga' figure This painting by John Dunlop shows the capture of Sikh Standards at Multan 1849 The cathedral houses the priceless St Chad Gospels - among the oldest books in the world - they were scribed by a monk from Lindisfarne - on vellum (calf skin ) in AD 730 - it contains the gospels of Matthew,Mark and part of Luke in Latin. It is kept in a special temperature controlled display case - perhaps the SGPC could take note ! Chad Gospels - ( St Matthew - 25/6 - 25/22 - Keep Awake ! - Parable of the Talents - " nocte clamor factus est ecce sponsus venit exite obiam ei ..." ) Icon of St Chad Interior of the Cathedral Hope you enjoyed the pictures ! Gurfateh ! Ranjit Singh 'Freed'

ਨਿਰਜੁਰ ਨਿਰੂਪ ਹੋ ਕਿ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਸਰੂਪ ਹੋ ਕਿ ਭੂਪਨ ਕੇ ਭੂਪ ਹੋ ਕਿ ਦਾਤਾ ਮਹਾ ਦਾਨ ਹੋ ॥ ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਕੇ ਬਚਯਾ ਦੂਧ ਪੂਤ ਕੇ ਦਿਵਯਾ ਰੋਗ ਸੋਗ ਕੇ ਮਿਟਯਾ ਕਿਧੌ ਮਾਨੀ ਮਹਾ ਮਾਨ ਹੋ ॥ ਬਿਦਿਆ ਕੇ ਬਿਚਾਰ ਹੋ ਕਿ ਅਦ੍ਵੈ ਅਵਤਾਰ ਹੋ ਕਿ ਸਿਧਤਾ ਕੀ ਸੂਰਤਿ ਹੋ ਕਿ ਸੁਧਤਾ ਕੀ ਸਾਨ ਹੋ ॥ ਜੋਬਨ ਕੇ ਜਾਲ ਹੋ ਕਿ ਕਾਲ ਹੂੰ ਕੇ ਕਾਲ ਹੋ ਕਿ ਸਤ੍ਰਨ ਕੇ ਸੂਲ ਹੋ ਕਿ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਨ ਕੇ ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਹੋ ॥੯॥੧੯॥ (Akaal Ustat) O Lord! Thou art the Invisible Cataract, the Most Beautiful Entity, the King of Kings and the Donor of great charities. Thou art the Saviour of life, the Giver of milk and offspring, the Remover of ailments and sufferings and somewhere Thou art the Lord of Highest Honour. Thou art the essence of all learning, the embodiment of monism, the Being of All-Powers and the Glory of Sanctification. Thou art the snare of youth, the Death of Death, the anguish of enemies and the life of the friends. 9.19. *Dhan Guru Gobind Singh Sahib * Dhan Guru Gobind Singh Sahib *

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale I was given these videos by a friend in 1984 - I have recently re - discovered them - so I thought I would post them for the Cyber Sangat. Regardless of your opinion of Sant Ji - and there are diverse opinions - These videos archive a very important figure and an important and distressing period in Modern Sikh History. The Videos give an insight into Sant Ji's thoughts and actions and I urge all to take the time to view them with an open mind. The videos are over twenty years old so are very dusty and not very high quality - the speeches are crudely copied using a Camcorder to film a TV screen - so I apologise for the quality. In this first video Sant Ji gives a speech at Manji Sahib Amritsar - as Sikhs prepare to 'court arrest' during the Dharam Yudh Morcha (around 1983) Click on link to see the video : http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...26&hl=en-GB In this video Sant Ji gives a speech at a Convention ( I think at Manji Sahib, Amritsar ) - you can see all the Akali old guard - Longowal, Badal , Barnala, Tohra etc. Click on link to see the video : http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...93&hl=en-GB In this video Sant Ji gives an interview from the roof of the Serai near the Langar Hall Amritsar - it is in the form of a Message / Sandesh to Sikhs living abroad - you see the buildings around Amritsar in around 1983 - including the original Akal Takt Sahib , Minars of the Ramgaria Bunga etc. Click on link to see the video : http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...07&hl=en-GB In this video Sant Ji gives an interview to Kesar Singh Mand (Southall) in Amritsar - it is also in the form of a Sandesh to Sikhs living abroad - you also see Baba Thara Singh and Bhai Amrik Singh Click on link to see Video; http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...26&hl=en-GB Part 2 of the video Click on link to see Video; http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...85&hl=en-GB Bhul Chuk Maaf, Gurfateh ! Ranjit Singh 'Freed'

Gurfateh ! Here is an illustrated version from the Classic book for Children "Stories from the Sikh World" by Rani and Jugnu Singh (illustrated by Jeroo Roy) (Macdonald 1987) Rani and Jugnu used to have a travelling childrens show that did plays in schools in the 1980s and 90s - I remember seeing them do the Donkey and Tiger skin story on TV - I think it was on 'Rainbow' with Zippy and George !!!! (Aw Geoffrey !!) any way back to the topic - the book is a classic and includes 9 stories - Duni Chand ,Guru Nanak in Baghdad, Guru Arjan and Prithia, Guru HarGobind and the 52 princes, Makhan Shah and the 500 gold coins, Baisakhi 1699, The donkey and the Tiger skin,Bhai Ghanaya and also Harmander Singh and the Dalai Lama -- It's a Great book for kids of all ages ! Here is 'The Donkey and the Tiger Skin' Enjoy ! Ranjit singh 'Freed'

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh ! Greetings to all on the Prakash Purb of Sri Dasmesh Pita , Karam Veer,Shamsher Bahadur, Sahib-e-Kamaal,Badshah Darvesh,Shah-e-Shahenshah,Sarbans Daani, Panth Ke Vaali Dasven Patshah Sahib Siri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj ! In celebration of this Gurpurb I have posted some films. The first film has footage from Siri Hazoor Sahib as it was in around 1969 - The Shabad is from Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Bani "Ray Man Aiso Kar Sanyasa" vocals are by Asha Bhonsle. Click link to see clip; http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...08&hl=en-GB This Film has footage of a number of Historic Gurdwaras - including Takht Patna Sahib,the Birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh - as they were in 1969 - vocals by Asha Bhonsle Click link to see clip; http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...36&hl=en-GB This Film is of a 1989 Yatra to HemKunt Sahib - Tapo asthan of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The Yatra starts from Rakab Ganj Sahib, Delhi travels by bus to Rishikesh then to Devprayag then SriNagar (UP), then Rudarprayag, then Joshimath, then Gobind Ghat, then on foot to Gobind Dham then on to HemKunt Sahib. Enjoy the beautiful scenery, the glorious Himalayas and the Darshan of Hemkunt Sahib. Click link to see clip; http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...47&hl=en-GB Vahu Vahu Gobind Singh aape Guru Chela Enjoy the movies ! Ranjit Singh 'Freed'

Gurfateh ! To mark the 107th Birthday of Shaheed Udham Singh (born 26 Dec 1899) - here is The Horace Ove film "The Equalizer" , it was shown on BBC 2 (UK) in 1995. BFI synopsis of film ; 'Drama documentary telling the story of a young boy Udham Singh who survived the Amritsar Massacre of 1919, in which British troops killed Indian civilian demonstrators. The boy vowed revenge and waited twenty years till all those responsible were together at Caxton Hall, London.' Please click link to see the film http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...23&hl=en-GB Here are some pictures of Udham Singh This picture shows the Sangat at the Old Shepherds Bush Gurdwara London on the Guru Nanak Parkash Gurpurb in 1937 In this detail you can see Udham Singh (standing right at the back) * Picture from 'Pirtan - Cultural Kosh, Bhag 1' -- Chanan Singh Chan Udham Singh being led away by Police outside Caxton Hall, after shooting O'Dwyer ,13 March 1940, almost 21 years after the Jallianwala Bagh killings Gurfateh ! Ranjit Singh 'Freed'

apologies for the typo that should be 'Sultan-e-Quam' not 'sultan-ul -quam'

Try this link - it should work http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...30&hl=en-GB

Gurfateh ! In this video you see Vaisakhi being celebrated in Jodhan village (Dist Ludhiana) in around 1980 - the height of the Green Revolution in Punjab. You see Village Vaisakhi celebrations - Beating of the Nagara Drum , Bhangra , a cavalcade of tractors , a flypast by a plane dropping rose petals and a fiery speech - I am posting the video because the Bhai Sahib recites the verses of Sayyad Baba Bulleh Shah - Verses in praise of Guru Gobind Singh "Na Kahun Abh Kee, Na Kahun Tab Kee, agar na hote Guru Gobind Singh, to sunnat hoti sab kee" I talk about neither yesterday nor tomorrow; I talk about today. Had there been no Gobind Singh , All would be under Islamic sway.(circumcised) Click on link to see the video ; http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=- 4898971193664857730&hl=en-GB Enjoy ! Ranjit Singh 'Freed'

Gurfateh ! This is a clip from the 1974 Punjabi Film "Sacha Mera Roop Hai" Despite the 1970s Cheesy feel and the Singh in the Red Turban doing his best impersonation of 'Julie Andrews' singing in the mountains - this is quite a sweet song - you see scenes from Anandpur Sahib - with Nihang Babey and Bhujangi - from 1974 -- one scene to look out for is a Singh displaying 'Shaster' while on Rollerskates !! proper 1970s stylee You also see a yatra to Hemkunt Sahib. Having said all that - it's heart is in the right place - and I do love this song ! Please post your comments !! Click on link to see the Film ; http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...78&hl=en-GB Ranjit Singh 'Freed'

Gurfateh ! As a Seasonal Festive treat for all 'Faujan' on SA here is a rare clip of Baba Santa Singh, in their younger days, on horseback in around 1974. The clip is from the title sequence of the 1974 Punjabi film "Sacha Mera Roop Hai" - it shows Baba Santa Singh - Jathedar of Buddha Dal - at Anandpur Sahib. It is a very short clip - but 'Sultan-ul-Quam' is looking exceptionally Regal with a fly-whisk in his hand (like an African Chief) and he is on horseback ENJOY ! Click link to see clip : http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...64&hl=en-GB

Gurfateh ! Hansraj Raj sings "patta patta Singhan da Vairi" Click to see video : http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=...39&hl=en-GB Enjoy !