Rare Sikh relics to be auctioned

Rare Sikh relics to be auctioned at Sotheby's.

Guru's Gobind Singh’s inscribed steel armor plate is going to be auctioned on 9th of April in one of London's most prestigious auction houses, Sotheby's.

The steel plate would originally have been part of a set of body armor known by its Persian name, 'char-aina' (four mirrors) comprising back, front, and two side plates. It is believed that this an identical piece of armor that belongs to the royal family of Patiala in Punjab.
This auction is the most important auction of Sikh heritage. There will be a lot of interest for this Sikh antique.

For more information go to:

http://www.sothebys.com

http://www.punjabheritage.org

First Sikh

Did you know that 1st Sikh.............was?

1. The First Sikh Settler in UK was Maharaj Duleep Singh
   
2. The First Anglo Sikh War started in 1845 and ended in 1846.
   
3. Sikh-Canadian Kashmir Singh Heed has become the Canada's first Sikh to become police chief of West Vancouver, British Columbia ("B.C.") with effect from August 2, 2007.
   
4. Baba Banda Singh Bahadur is revered as one of Sikhism's greatest warriors as well as one of its most hallowed martyrs and was the first Sikh king.
   
5. To the late Brigadier Dalip Singh goes the credit of being the first Sikh to represent India in the Olympics in 1924.
   
6. Baldev Singh was the first Sikh Defence Minister of India.
   
7. Giani Zail Singh (May 5 1916 - December 25 1994) was the President of India (1982-1987), and the first Sikh to hold India's highest public office and honour.
   
8. The first Sikh Indian prime minister, Singh was sworn in on May 22, 2004. He is a native Punjabi speaker. Manmohan Singh is the 14th and current Prime Minister of India, considered to be the "architect of modern India."

Picture is a courtesy from Wikipedia

For more information on first Sikh clich here.

PROUD TO BE A SIKH!

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh... Amazing and so truthful words about the Sikh identity. These words are taken from Project Naad website.

PROUD TO BE A SIKH!

Who is a Sikh u ask...

well I am a Sikh!

I am born and brought up in this county.

The turban and unshorn hair are part of the Sikh uniform.

No one believes me.

They think I am part of the Taliban.

They think I am an Arab.

They think I am supporting terrorism.

I keep telling everybody:"No! I am a Sikh!

Sikhs are not part of the Taliban.

Sikhs are not Muslims.

Sikhs are not Arabs."
"Are you part of Islam"people ask?"

Are you an offshoot of Hinduism"others say.

"I have never heard of Sikhs"says another.

I am not a Hindu, nor am I a Muslim.

My body and breath of life belong to Allah to Raam the God of both.

Sikhs are a distinct people.Sikhs are a distinct nation.

Sikhi is a distinct religion of peace, love and equality for whole humanity.

Sikhs worship the One Supreme Truth, the One Ocean ofMercy, the One Creator Lord.

Sikhs do not keep fasts, go to pilgrimages or pray to idols.

Sikhs follow three principles of constantly remembering the Lord,

living and working honestly, and sharing with others.

Racists say"Get the rag off your head!"

Ignorant people say: "Why do wear that hat?"

Misguided Sikhs say,"Turban or no Turban what does it matter.

Sikhs should move with the times and learn to integrate with society."

"I think you are mistaken", I say."My turban is not a hat.

My turban is not a mere piece of cloth.

My turban is a gift which I cannot discard.

"The Khalsa is my distinct image.

Within the Khalsa I reside.

(Guru Gobind Singh Ji)I explain,

"My turban is a crown blessed upon my head by my Father, Guru Gobind Singh Ji."

"My turban is a crown of grace, dignity and honour."

"My turban is a crown which protects my head,

keeps my hair tidy and is the image of my Father."

"Its backward to keep your hair!"says one person.

"What is the point of cutting your nails and keeping your hair"says the cunning person.

"There is no significance in today's world of unshorn hair,"says the Sikh who has been led astray.

The Naam, the Power of the Lord's Name, is the Innern knower of my heart.

The Naam is so useful to me.

The Lord's Name permeates each and every hair of mine.

The Perfect True Guru has given me this gift.

Defending my identity and religion I say:"You are mistaken dear friend".

"My hair is not useless.

My hair is a gift, a tool, and a technology bestowed upon by body by the Creator Lord.

Each and every hair on my body has a practical and spiritual function.

Each and every hair on my body is like electric wires, which vibrate and pick up spiritual energy. Each and every hair on my body vibrates the energy, the power and spiritual force of meditating on the Lord.

The hair on top of my head protects my skull and brain.

The hair above my eyes prevents sweat and water going into my eyes.

The hair on my body insulates my body, keeping me warm in the cold, and cool in the heat.

The hair under my armpits prevents friction and irritation when moving my arms.

My nails are dead material, which are cut to be hygienic, or they would snap off by themselves gradually.

My nails are cut to be clean and tidy, and my hair is combed twice daily to remove deadhair to be tidy.

My nails are not part of the Sikh uniform."I see!

That is amazing" says one person.

"Fair enough, I am sorry"says the cunning person.

"We have beautiful religion, a great gift given to us and we are so lucky to be blessed with such a technology and honour"says the Sikh who was led astray.

Don't hide your faith and identity.

Share it with the world.

Don't be ashamed of who you truly are, walk with your head held high.

Remember brothers and sisters your image is the manifestation of Guru Gobind Singh

Singh Ji & Mata Sahib Kaur.

I’M PROUD TO BE A SIKH!!!

Hope you enjoyed reading it. Please forward it to your friends, family and non-Sikh friends. CLICK HERE if you wish to buy sikh religious / patriotic t-shirts like 'Deg teg Fateh' , 'Khalsa t-shirt', 'Khanda', 'Singh Power' tees from DESI LEGEND.

Sikhpal - Cool Sikh online website

Recently I have stumbled upon cool Sikh website. For a long time I was looking for something like Sikh Stumbleupon or Facebook or Bebo social network website and I found it - http://www.sikhpal.com/sikhpal.com/

"Founded in 2003, SikhPal.com is an online community that connects young, educated, professional Sikhs through networks of friends. An ideal way to meet Sikhs is through people you already know. Put your social network to work!" by Sikhpal.com

At the moment they have 563 members which is not a big amount but it's a start and I wish them luck.They have different groups, discussions and forums. Perfect start! Founded in 2003, by Ash Singh http://www.sikhpal.com/ website is the largest networking website for Sikhs. Sikhpal is a spiritual, social, and business networking site, meant to connect Sikhs of all ages and of all nationalities.

If you are looking 100% Sikh online community website,visit SIKHPAL. I don't advertise them, I genuinely think it's a great sikhi website for everyone. I have met cool people there, made some friends and I have discovered nice photos and laughed at funny videos. You are welcome to become my friend, just look for Desilegend.

Khanda as a sikh symbol

In my Desi Legend t-shirt shop, I have a new design with khanda. It's selection of Khandas with country's flag inserted inside.

Let's say it's American Khanda for sikhs living in America and feeling strongly about their identity as well you will find British Khanda, Canadian Khanda and many more coming.

For every Sikh Khanda is very important symbols of Sikhi. Khanda - it is a collection of four weapons commonly used by Sikhs at the time of Guru Gobinf Ji.

Khanda, Chakkar and 2 kirpans. The Khanda is an important emblem in Sikhism . The Chakar is the circle that indicates that God and eternal life is without end and perfect.

If you have a relative or friend living in one of those countries it might be a great gift.

Guru Nanak Darbar in Dublin, Ireland

Guru Nanak gurdwara in Dublin.

If you are ever in Dublin, Ireland you are always welcome to Guru Nanak Darbar. This gurdwara is taken care by Granthi Singh - Bhai Jasvir Singh, very humble man indeed. I remember the first time I visited it in 2002, it was my first time in gurdwara. That was the time I knew very less about Sikhism but I felt like at home and I knew I will be back.

Now after 6 years it has grown and improved. Every Sunday there is a prayer and langar for everyone. Many people come to pray, socialise and meet friends.

(For those readers, who don't know about Sikhism quick info - Sikhism is the 5th largest religion in the world plus it's the youngest one. Still most people outside India and Asia know very little about who Sikhs are. The Gurdwara is the Sikh place of worship where the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book, is kept.

All gurdwaras around the world having a system called langar. Langar is free food like a community kitchen. Anyone regardless of religion, colour skin, cast are welcome to stay for a night free of charge and have free food. If you want to know more please click here.

The address for Dublin gurdwara is:
78 Serpentine Avenue
Sandymount
Dublin
Phone : +353 (1) 6671558

As well I'm providing you with Irish Sikh contact info:

Irish Sikh Council
Post Box No. 9828, Dublin 2
Republic of Ireland
info@irishsikhcouncil.com
http://www.irishsikhcouncil.com/ or http://isc.gsmodi.com/

Irish Sikh Council (ICS) is "an independent and non-profit making organisation that aims to advocate, campaign and make representations on the concerns and aspirations of the Sikh population, primarily of Republic of Ireland, on matters of education, race equality, spiritual development, community relations and other matters of relevance to the status and development of the Sikhs in Ireland.
Promote good relations and harmony between the Sikhs and other communities in Ireland; and inform and guide Sikhs in Ireland to contribute and participate actively in the life and development of Ireland. Promote responsible ethical and moral values in society.
Irish Sikh Council was established in July 2004. As the number of Sikhs is very small in Ireland, Irish Sikh Council faced a number of issues around organization structure, establishing strong base and arranging funds to set up basic infrastructure needed to run the organization.
As of today Irish Sikh Council has finally come to a position where it has formally started taking initiatives for community projects" (quote taken from isc.gsmodi.com)

Hopefully I provided you with some information which might help if you are coming to live and work in Dublin or Ireland.

WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH FATEH