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Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Britain's got not only talent but bhangra talent

Picture from talent.itv.com

I was happy to hear bhnagra beats on Britain's got talent. It's time for bhangra beats.... I was wondering who is this Sikh guy? In this Britain's got talent (episode 3) they paid attention only to Suleman Mirza but not to dancing Sikh.

I wanted to know his name... his name is Madhu Singh. Good job! Good moves. Bhangra rules!
They have been brilliant this time ...I'm dying to see what they going to do next time?

Monday, April 28, 2008

Britain's got talent - Suleman Mirza and dancing Sikh

Britain has got talent - Suleman Mirza and dancing Sikh.

You have to see it! Britain's got talent. For those who don't know its a talent programme for anyone who can perform and entertain. This time its a mixture of Michael Jackson and bhangra. I love it! It made my day!

They are incredible duo! This act rocks! They crowd definitely loved it! Hilarious! Brilliant!
All judges liked it!



I hope they will surpise us more in next round! The guy who dances as Michael Jackson is Suleman Mirza. His You Tube page is www.youtube.com/user/SulemanInfo but who is this another guy? Does anyone know him?


New Sikh school in France

New Sikh school in France.

As you know, France banned Sikhs to wear turban in public places (offices or schools). Congratulations to creators of this school. They opened first new Sikh school in France, Paris. The foundation of “Guru Tegh Bahadur Public School” was laid on February 19. This school will be opened to all communities.

Emma Jane Kirby BBC News writes "A Sikh school is opening its doors in a Paris suburb for the first time on Saturday in the wake of tougher French laws on religious dress. The special school in Bobigny was set up after secularisation laws in 2004 prevented Sikh boys from wearing their traditional turbans in class. Several boys dropped out of mainstream education in protest.

The Sikh school was built by a local entrepreneur whose son was excluded from a public school three years ago. The boy had refused to remove his turban in class. The French laws ban the wearing of prominent religious symbols such as Muslim headscarves or Sikh turbans in public places like offices or schools. The Sikh school will start with fewer than 15 pupils but it is hoped that a Sikh college will open later in the year to allow older boys to take business qualifications.
Although the school will celebrate its inauguration over the weekend, it is unlikely to begin classes on Monday because it is still waiting for a final approval from the local education authority. " News from BBC

Again good job to school! Hopefully it will give a better chance to Sikh kids to be who they are without loosing identity and getting proper education.

Read another article about France and Sikhs.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Are you against mixed Sikh marriages? News from Birmingham - arson attack

Arson attack at home of Sikh temple leader
Jun 18 2007 By Shahid Naqvi, Birmingham Post


"The head of a Birmingham Sikh temple and his family had to flee their home after
it was targeted by arsonists in what is believed to have been been a reprisal
attack for allowing a mixed marriage
.

Three cars were set ablaze outside the Handsworth Wood home of Jarnail Singh Bhogal, president of the Ramgharia Sikh Gurdwara in Graham Street, Hockley. The attack in the early hours of yesterday comes in the wake of protests against the marriage, the details of which were posted on an online Sikh forum naming the temple leaders.

The website referred to a marriage between a Sikh woman and a man of another religion and called on Sikhs to protest outside the Gurdwara yesterday against "this disgraceful act".

It also demanded the resignation of Mr Bhogal and warns Gurdwara leaders there will be consequences if they allow mixed marriages.

According to the Gurdwara temple, however, the man involved in the marriage converted to Sikhism before the ceremony. Cars parked in the driveway of Mr Bhogal's house on Vernon Avenue were fire-bombed at about 3.30am yesterday.

Mr Bhogal said: "I woke up and there was a big bang and an orange light or flash. I opened the curtains and saw my three cars on fire so I asked the kids and my wife to get out and go in the garden and called the fire brigade."

A spokesman for the Ramgarhia Sikh Temple said: "The girl was a Sikh and the boy voluntarily changed his name to a Sikh name and promised to adopt the values of Sikhism.

"Committee members were incorrectly targeted based on vicious rumours which led to the horrific incident where three cars were burnt."The attack is the latest in a series of controversies which have hit the city's Sikh community. Last month more than 100 Sikhs protested outside the Indian Consulate in Birmingham against a cult leader publishing "anti-Sikh propaganda".

In a separate incident, a 44-year-old was stabbed during the Sikh Vaisakhi celebrations in Birmingham in April. Four men have already been charged with attempted murder over the incident."

Personally I cant' believe that something like this might happen. Sikhism is the most open-minded religion... (that's what I thought)...I've been married in the simple gurdwara in Amritsar and no one opposed to gora being married in the Holy city ...people were happy... So why thing like this are happening? What's your opinion?Is it racists? Inhumane?Is it forbidden to marry out of religion? Someone decided to become Sikh..is it bad? There are many white and black Sikhs in the world who follow Sikh way of life better than some real Sikh who were born into Sikhi, who cut their hair, forget their identities...

Look at this link about white Sikhs: http://desilegend.blogspot.com/2008/02/white-sikhs-have-you-ever-seen-them.html or http://desilegend.blogspot.com/2008/01/gora-sikh.html

If you are interested in this topic please click here to read opposite opinion on forum forums.waheguroo.com

News from The Birmingham Post

Friday, April 25, 2008

Jatt.History of Jatt surnames.

Who is Jatt? Is it caste or ethnic tribe? What is your answer to this question? Trying to discover the history of Jatt surname.

The Jat people are an ethnic group of people native to mainly the Punjab region of Northern India and Pakistan that have attributes of an etnic group, tribe and people.

The Jat people are considered by some to be the merged descendants of the original Indo-Aryans and a later addition of Indo-Scythian tribes of the region, merging to form the Jat people.
Others conclude a native Indo-Aryan lineage on the basis of ethnological, physical and linguistic standards. The Jat people of India and Pakistan are not to be confused with the peripatetic Jats of Afganistan, who are a distinct ethnic group.

The Jat people have a discrete and distinct cultural history that can be historically traced back to ancient times. (Courtesy of wikipedia)

I've found this amazing book online - Glossary of the tribes and castes of the Punjab and North -West provinces , compiled by H A Rose. To read few paragraphs from this book click here.

"This is a must read for people of Punjab and belonging to Jats, Rajputs,
Gujjars, Arain and a host of minor tribes."


Here as well few links to the world of Jatt:

Take a peak at DESI LEGEND JATT SECTION for jatt hoodies, tees and sweatshirts.
Look cool without breaking the bank. Our durable, high-quality, pre-shrunk apparel is what to wear when you want to go comfortably casual. Durable and guaranteed.


Monday, April 21, 2008

About Sikh movie Dream in Doubt. 9/11 Hate crime movie

Dream in Doubt movie by Tami Yeager (Director/Producer) and Preetmohan Singh.

One of America’s first post-9/11 hate crime murders punctuates a growing wave of violence in retaliation for the terror attacks.

When his brother is murdered, Rana Singh Sodhi finds himself coping with national tragedy and murder, finding support in community and attempting to reclaim the American dream.

A DREAM IN DOUBT follows Rana Singh Sodhi, Balbir’s brother, as he attempts to fight the hate threatening his family and community. The Sodhis had fled ethnic violence in India to pursue their version of the American dream. But less than a year after Balbir’s murder, Sukhpal Sodhi, Rana’s next-eldest brother, is killed in mysterious circumstances while driving a cab in San Francisco. Nine months later, Rana’s friend Avtar Chiera is shot by three men who yell, “Go back to where you came from!” Three weeks after Avtar’s shooting, another friend, Inderjit Singh, is physically assaulted and threatened with death while working at a convenience store. These incidents receive little to no coverage in the U.S. media, and a national dialogue concerning post-9/11 hate crimes and ethnic profiling is sorely missing.
Wanting justice for his brothers’ murders, Rana is motivated towards social action. He demands that America live up to its ideals of freedom, equality and justice for all. Or is it justice for some? To guard his own school-aged children from bullying and harassment, Rana and his wife visit their children’s school to answer questions about Sikhs. Rana educates Phoenix-area residents and meets with local Sikh Americans to discuss the increase in hate crimes. But with each new case of violence that targets his community, he is forced to question just how much he should suffer.
While the attackers in these crimes view themselves as proud defenders of America, Rana insists that their actions contradict the core values of his adopted homeland. In A DREAM IN DOUBT, he challenges his fellow citizens to think deeply about individual responsibility in the face of bigotry and what it means to be a true patriot.




All information taken from Independent Lens website.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

India gate in Vancouver, Canada

India gate in Vancouver, Canada

Vancouver is planning to have their own India Gate. The reason behind building this gate is to celebrate more than 100 years of Indo-Canadians in this country.The gate will be built in the city's Punjabi Market at 50th Avenue & Main Street at a price of 3 million dollars.The Punjabi Market or you can call it Little India is famous for Indian sweets and merchandise shops.
It is a very big tourist attraction in Vancouver, like Chinatown in Downtown Vancouver. With over 160,000 South Asians, mostly Sikh Punjabi Indians, Little India caters to all these people, and more.
Personally I love the architecture and I think this design represents more Sikh culture and architecture and they (whoever chose the name) should choose different name for this gate. Look at the picture! Gumbad (dome) is the main crowning feature (usually you can see it on gurdwaras). Even if they don't change the name it will still symbolize Sikh community.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Celebrate Mother's Day 2008 with desi gifts!

Celebrate Mom's Day 2008 with great selection of desi gifts from Desi Legend Shop. This year USA celebrates Mother's Day on 11th of May.

We have brilliant range of Mother's Day gifts like Kaur t-shirts, Desi Diva jerseys or t-shirt with her name, patriotic raglans, tote bags with your country khanda, mug or aprons, maternity clothing for new moms, short or long sleeve, black or white...

Wear proudly Desi Legend designs! Great gift for mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, sister, daughter or friend!

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Monday, April 14, 2008

Gordon's Brown Vaisakhi message

14 April 2003. Vaisakhi news from UK.
See what I have stumbled upon...Prime Minister's Vaisakhi message to the Sikh community below.
"I am pleased to send my very best wishes to the British Sikh community for the festival of Vaisakhi.
I know that British Sikhs have made a great contribution to the economic, cultural and political life of the United Kingdom and I firmly believe that your faith and culture have brought tremendous strengths and benefits to our society.
Vaisakhi demonstrates the enduring values of the Sikh community - a belief in equality, social justice, tolerance and respect for other religions and faiths. These are values shared by the wider British community and I am delighted to have this opportunity to send you my best wishes at this special time."

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Who is your legend? Who is the most influential / inspiring Sikh?

Little did I know that it will be so hard to get answers for these simple questions. Being a white sikh (you can call me gora), I'm learning Sikhi not the usual way but with the help of husband, Internet, online newspapers and etc. What should I do is to start reading Punjab history books and I will....

Did you hear about Sonny Caberwal from Kenneth Cole ad? Click here to read more about him. I've read so many good comments about him- NEW FACE OF SIKHS. Many young people are inspired by his success. He is like the coolest sikh guy in USA.

That day I was thinking who are those people who inspire Sikhs/Punjabis? Who are those Sikh legends? So to get some answers for my questions I decided to run poll on Sikhpal and Sikhphilosophy sites plus ask my friends.
Please explain 'Sikh' in 5 words!
Who is the most influential Sikh from the past and present?
Most inspiring Sikh literature you ever read?
Most inspiring Sikh woman/man?
Most inspiring Sikh poet/artist?
Most famous Sikh actor/actress?
Most famous Sikh comedian?
Most famous Sikh political person?
Your hero?
Comment by Gurdeep Singh
Most famous Sikh political person?
Sardar Manmohan Singh - Prime Minister of India.He has changed the economic shape of India.
Comment by Gurdeep
Famous sikh actor:- Sidhu
Famous comedian:- Jaspal Bhatti & Pratabh Faujdhar(laughter challenge)
Famous sikh politician:- Dr. manmohan singh
Comment by Anju Kaur
Please explain 'Sikh' in 5 words: hardworking, spiritual, volunteering, compassionate warrior!
[Although The Ten Sikh Gurus would be answer to many of these questions, I’m including only non-Gurus in my reply]
Most inspiring Sikh woman/man? Man- Bhai Kanhaiya; woman: Mai Bhago/ contemporary: Bhagat Puran Singh ji/Bibi Inderjit Kaur
Most inspiring Sikh poet/artist? poet: past-Bhai Vir Singh; present- Surjit Patar/ artist: past: Sobha Singh/ present artist: “ The Singh Twins”: Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh
Most famous Sikh comedian? Gurpreet GhuggiMost famous Sikh political person? Past- Banda Bahadur; present-Manmohan Singh
Comment by Jarnail Singh
Sikh-who am i to explain sikh? guru ji has already explained. you can search shabad "gur satgur ka jo sikh akhaye." you can search bhai gurdas jis vaaran also. "rahini rahe soyi sikh mera.." and all that. To get most of the answer you can repeat "ardaas". sikhs recites name of their heroes everyday in their ardaas. i am not able to add any other name into it. True sikh can not be a good politician as per todays standard politics.
Comments by Shivinder Singh
Who is the most influential Sikh from the past? All 10 Gurus & warriors
Who is the most influential Sikh from the present? Khushwant Singh / Manmohan Singh
Most inspiring Sikh woman? Mata Gujri
Most inspiring Sikh man?Guru Gobind Singh
Most inspiring Sikh book you ever read?Guru Granth Sahib
Most inspiring Sikh poet? Guru Nanak
Most famous Sikh actor/actress?Dharmendra Singh Deol
Most famous Sikh comedian?Bhagwant Mann
Most famous Sikh political person? Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Your hero? Baba Deep Singh
Who is the most influential Sikh figure in world/Punjab history? All 10 Gurus & warriors
Who is the” Sikh”? Who always seeks the Truth
So here you can see all answers. Amazing answers. Thanks to all people who participated in my first ever poll on http://www.desilegend.blogspot.com/. If you reading it, please leave your comment. I need your opinions. I would appreciate if you mention anyone who comes to you mind!

Monday, April 7, 2008

It's good that Sotheby's cancels the action of Sikh body armour

LONDON APRIL: Sotheby's auction house Monday stopped the auction a body armour after protests from Sikh groups. The 18th century armour, estimated at 10-12,000 pounds. Various Sikh websites were doubting the authenticity of this lot. The authenticity is not proven.
Some Sikh cultural experts claimed it might have belonged to the 10th Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh. The London auctioneers later clarified that it did not belong to Guru Gobind Singh.
Sotheby's has withdrawn the item from the April 9 auction at the request of the seller, who wanted it acquired by a member of the Sikh community.
The protests in India were mainly in the eastern Indian city of Patna - the birthplace of the Guru - and in Amritsar.
Info from BBC and indiatimes.com

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Sikh Punjabi names on t-shirts. Let's keep our heritage alive!

Looking for a custom desi gift?
Do you want to buy unique desi present?

Desi Legend T-shirt Shop offers you great designs – NAME DESIGNS on various merchandises.
Desi Legend T-shirt Shop is the only online t-shirt shop in the world which offers big selection of Sikh/ Punjabi/ desi names.

Get some of those name tees for yourself or your beloved ones. We have great selection of t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, jumpers, baby clothes and maternity apparel. As well we carry huge selection of coffee mugs, tile boxes, coasters, cooking aprons, clocks, house wares, perfect for everyone! Because Sikh names are of neutral gender, we created an easy alphabetical search.

Go to check if we have your name! If not then e-mail to us at 1st.desilegend@gmail.com and we will add your name to our Sikh name section ASAP without any obligations.
LET'S KEEP HERITAGE ALIVE!