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TUSSI BHI LANGAR CHAK LO
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Supple, yet strong, Sardarnis steal the spotlight in the city on the occasion of 500th anniversary of Guru Angad Devji and 384th birth anniversary of Guru Teg Bahadurji, says P. Sujatha Varma
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FEMINITY IS said to go hand in hand with frailty. It is a common belief that the smallest things upset women. Even in Bollywood blockbusters, we find girls swooning at the sight of blood or wait helplessly for their knights to come and rescue them.
If a girl or a woman deviates from this norm, she is considered overtly aggressive or at times, even abnormal!
But the Sikh women are different and a class apart. Charming and graceful, with their long lustrous hair usually drawn back and tied elegantly in a loose bun or neatly woven in a plait, their charm is very much a part of the beauty which is traditionally associated with their clan.
Amid shifting perspectives, changing times and a generation of women who have to pick an option, the clan of Kaurs has always made the right choice. Despite being blessed with all the happiness one could ask for, they have never gone overboard in what has come to be known as `enjoying life'.
Their imposing presence at the celebrations of the birth anniversaries of the Sikh Gurus, Angad Devji and Teg Bahadurji, on the gurudwara premises in the Gurunanak colony recently, made a fascinating spectacle.
The robust men were joined by their dainty wives who had their heads covered with their dupattas and all ears to the gurbani which preaches equality among all human beings and protection of the religion at all costs.
Sikhism has a chequered history. History is replete with incidents to show that the community has passed through a prolonged struggle, rigours of life, prosecutions and persecutions of all kinds.
Despite the travails and hardships, the Sikh Gurus always managed to emerge victors symbolising victory of the `good' over `evil'.
And walking hand-in-hand with them were their womenfolk who happily chose to withstand trials and tribulations rather than bowing their heads before Moghul rulers like Aurangzeb who insisted that they shun their religion to embrace Islam.
The Sikh women dreamt and set out to achieve them. Knowing that surviving challenges is an act of courage, they were well focused and determined to fight till the finish.
Taking cue from them, girls from the community have learnt to cast a glance around their living space and discover new clues to their desires and dreams for they realise that the ball is in their court and all they have to do is just hit in the right direction.
It was the 500th birth anniversary of the second Sikh guru, Angad Devji coinciding with the 384th birth anniversary of ninth Guru, Teg Bahadurji.
Gaiety and religious fervour marked the occasion when Bibi Baljinder Kaur was invited from Panipat for a special sermon.
Rendering religious sermons is by no means the only legacy of Baljinder. She has also inherited the ability to steadfastly abide by what she believes in and to have the courage of her convictions to see her beliefs through.
But what made her choose this line at a young age of 32 ? "Gurbani me mujhe sukh aur man ki shanti milti hai (I derive happiness and peace from Gurbani). I want to share the secret of real happiness with others,'' she explains. She wants to feel good about having made some use of the life she has been given.
Morning prayers are followed by the most-awaited part of the occasion, the sumptuous langar (Guru's prasadam). That's not all.
A nagar kirtan (religious procession), where a tusker was imported from Hyderabad to add that extra fizz to the event, was the highlight of the rally.
Ending the day with yet another round of the delicious langar was indeed the best way of winding up the traditional celebrations. "Tussi langar chak lo ji, phir gallan kar lenge," (you take the Guru's prasad first and then we can talk) insisted the hospitable hosts while greeting the visitors.
Special prayers were offered to the Vaheguru. Girls in punjabi suits in delightful colours, sporting bright shade bindis and lipsticks to match with, thronged the gurudwara to be a part of the event.
The Punjabi suit has survived the constantly changing dress code among modern women. How to dress, what's in and what's out. In the years of skimming through all this, one can't come across a better option.
The reason for the Sikhs to lead a tremendously successful life is simple. It stems from their ability to encompass all aspects of life.
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