Very Sad News: Ishmeet Singh Passes Away
Posted by Anandica in General on 07 29th, 2008 | 211 Comments
Ishmeet Singh, the winner of the “Voice of India” contest, passed away today after drowning in a hotel swimming pool in the Maldives. He was the only son of his parents, and was set to perform at an event in Maldives capital. Such a tragic story and such a great loss for the Punjabi community....
Giddha Pao Kuriyoo!
Is it just me or are we seeing Giddha increasing in popularity these days?
Giddha was the folk dance of choice for our Grandmothers and Mothers. It allowed them a platform to get together with other women, and through boliyan talk openly about their daily lives. I asked my Mum if this was a form of therapy...
A Positive Step For Our “Independence”
Posted by Anandica in General on 07 3rd, 2008 | 2 Comments
It was reported this week that a Court in Belgium has overturned a ban that had been established for five Sikh students wearing Patkas. This case began in May 2005, when these Sikh students were banned from attending KTA Domein Speelhof school in Belgium due to the implementation of a new uniform...
Are our Gurdwaras dividing us?
Posted by Anandica in General on 05 27th, 2008 | 25 Comments
In recent months I have witnessed the ceremonial openings of three new Gurdwaras in the Central Valley area. The number of new Gurdwaras are continually growing. Some people may applaud this action as an indicator of our success for having the ability to build million dollar Gurdwaras. But is this the...
Petition Kamal Nath’s Visit to the U.S.
Posted by Anandica in General on 05 9th, 2008 | 2 Comments
The Sikh Coalition was informed of Kamal Nath’s visit to speak at Northwestern‘s Kellogg School of Management tomorrow. There is a petition circulating for those of us deeply concerned about a Human Rights violator being hosted by Northwestern University. To have your voice heard, please...
What’s In A Name?
A Non-Sikh friend of mine recently asked me about the naming conventions in the Sikh religion. She was wondering why “deep” and “jit” were so common at the end of Sikh names, and did this take away from a person’s individuality. (Like Joe Smith?) I thought it was an interesting...
Britain’s Got Talent
Posted by Anandica in General on 04 28th, 2008 | 17 Comments
I just saw this video and thought I’d share it with you all. Look out for the surprise!
A Siropa For All
A Siropa signifies an honor bestowed on a individual for their commitment to Sikhi and their long-term dedication. Lately, however, I am witnessing the increasing distribution of Siropay being “gifted” out based on monetary contribution, or the completion of attendance to an event. Has...
Creating Your Own Path
Posted by Anandica in General on 04 1st, 2008 | 13 Comments
How many of you have ever heard the following words from your parents, “Become a Doctor, (feel free to interchange with Lawyer or Engineer for the same effect)!”?
Our generation is definitely starting to see the freedom to pursue career paths that are unconventional to our parents’...
The Art of Giving
Last week’s Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired company. Being a fan of Apple’s innovative products for some time, I read the article with pride. The article was very interesting and talked a great deal about Steve Jobs and his struggles to get where he is today. However, there was one...
Going Green in the Gurdwara
Posted by Anandica in Sikhi on 03 4th, 2008 | 48 Comments
“Air is the Guru, Water the father, Earth the great mother.
Day and night, Male and female nurses, In whose lap the whole world plays.”
JAPJI SAHIB, Guru Granth Sahib (p.8)
We as a community can do an enormous part in contributing to the preservation of our planet. Our Gurus were environmentalists,...
Are we losing our Punjabi language?
Posted by Anandica in Punjabi on 02 5th, 2008 | 184 Comments
My parents have always emphasized the importance of speaking Punjabi in our home. Their reasoning was that we would have the opportunity to learn English in our schools, but may never get the time to learn Punjabi again. My father was so passionate about creating an opportunity for children being raised...
A Sikh’s Rights
Lately there has been numerous stories affecting Sikhs around the globe, and an interesting number of them concern our innate rights as Sikhs. Sarika Singh, a 14 year-old Sikh girl living in Wales, was excluded from her school for wearing a Kara. Last November a legal fight began for Sarika to be allowed...
Rohanpreet, Little Prince of Patiala
Posted by Anandica in Entertainment on 01 8th, 2008 | 35 Comments
There is a singing competition on Zee TV called Sa Re Ga Ma, Little Champs. I’d usually not be so excited about it, apart from the fact that I stumbled upon Rohanpreet Singh’s performance one day. He is an impressive and talented young boy. You can view one of the performances below, pay...
Punjab NRI Conference
Economic development and investment opportunities in Punjab were discussed at the Punjab NRI Sammelan, in Chandigarh and Jalandar, on January 5th and 6th. This brings about an important topic of maintaining our heritage and the significance of NRIs giving back to their communities in Punjab. There was...
Santa Singh and the Khalsa Tree
Posted by Anandica in Sikhi on 12 25th, 2007 | 13 Comments
This time of the year always makes me wonder how children in our community perceive Christmas. As a child I don’t remember having a Christmas tree in my house or any talk about Santa Claus coming with gifts (maybe my parents wanted to “keep it real” for me!). However, now that I have a niece and...
