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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

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.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

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

Here we present you desi t-shirt slideshow

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Truth about myself

Dear Readers,

I have decided to tell a little bit more about myself... some people prefer not to be very personal in their "personal" blogs but for me it's quite hard. People who read this blog might think that i'm Sikh from the birth but I'm not...I'm a simple girl from Latvia (how is your geography?). I have discovered Sikhi with the help of my gorgeous Punjabi husband and his family.

I feel that this blog can't metamorphose into good blog without being honest and truthful to itself.

I want to believe that my dear readers will support me and will give me a chance.
I have created this blog to express myself, explore new things in Sikhi and Sikh culture.I feel that I'm a Sikh and I need to know more....

I hope you will enjoy this blog...

Yours truly,

Danka Singh

P.S.
You are always welcome to DESI LEGEND T-SHIRT shop which was created by my husband and me.

Monday, February 18, 2008

White Sikhs

WHITE SIKHS
Have you ever seen them? Interacted with them?
The more I reseached, the more interesting this topic became.
White Sikhs !?! Someone finds it amazing, someone doesn't realise they exist.
Have you ever seen white sikh and what is your view?
There are some white sikhs in America, Europe and Asia. How many? I would not be able to answer but I would like to know.

Visit new blog from GORA SIKH.

White Sikhs - they follow sikhism more a lot of punjabis living abroad, they speak Punjabi fluently and can read Gurmukhi and Guru Granth Sahib and some of them are fully amrit dari. Although Sikhism does not have missionaries and it does not actively seek converts, people are eager to know more about Sikhism.

"Sikhism is a way of life, a universal faith without prejudice towards others, as you've shown with this video. People of all races, cultures can practice this wonderful faith. It doesn't preach, but offers insight into how to live a good life, to be respectful towards others, while leaving open interpretation of our universal creator."- you tube comment about this video.

Sikhism is the most youngest religion in the world and it's not well known in Europe and other parts of the world. More and more people discovering Sikhism in the 21st century.
Does it make you proud that someone chooses/embraces your religion?

If you are interested in this topic you might want to read about about Gurumustuk Singh who runs blog http://www.mrsikhnet.com/ and http://www.sikhnet.com/.

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Desi designs on Cafepress

Support This Site

Buy 1,930 desi designs on 42,900 products from Cafepress.
Punjabi t-shirts, desi t-shirts, sikh t-shirts, jatt t-shirts, desi fashion for girls, sikhi t-shirt designs plus religious and many more.

Places you do not do bhangra

These guys are having a lot of fun, don't they? Cast: Shane Gill and Baljeet Sangh. These are funny guys from Curry Comedy (founded by Davinder Mahal and Arminder Randhawa).

The best part is when they do it in Wall Mart! Happy watching!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

/Your country/ bred confident desi a.k.a. ABCD


Desi Legend presents 5 new designs in ABCD style:

American bred confident desi

British bred confident desi

Canadian bred confident desi

Australian bred confident desi

Irish bred confident desi

If you can't find your country please leave comment or e-mail to 1st.desilegend@gmail.com

T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts and other desi apparel available.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Sikh movie “Ocean of Pearls” in Hollywood by Sarab Neelam


Sikh movie “Ocean of Pearls” in Hollywood by Sarab Neelam

If you want to see new sikh movie, you are welcome to Miami International Film Festival in March 2008. This year a sikh movie “Ocean of Pearls” directed by Sarab Neelam will be shown March 2nd,5th and 7 th.

The plot of the movie:
AMRIT SINGH has always felt an outsider despite being born in North America. The turban on his head is a constant reminder to him that he's different. After enduring a childhood plagued by racism, Amrit moves to Detroit for a prestigious job as a transplant surgeon and a fresh start. All Amrit's ever wanted was acceptance and he'll do anything to get it. He immerses himself in work and before long, he's searching for happiness in all the wrong ways. Making money starts to take precedence over caring for his patients. Any time not working is spent with SUSAN CLARK, a beautiful hospital administrator.


But, Amrit's world crashes in on him when he feels responsible for the death of his favorite patient. He's forced to look himself in the mirror and is horrified at what he's become. Having hit rock bottom, Amrit agrees to volunteer at a Sikh camp for children at the advice of his father. There, Amrit finally opens himself up to his Sikh heritage. The teachings he's ignored his whole life now ring true to him.

Amrit returns to the hospital and immediately finds his new outlook tested. His patient desperately needs a liver transplant but the superiors don't want him to perform the costly procedure. Showing the resolve he never knew he had, Amrit sacrifices his promising career to perform the surgery; his first step on the path to true happiness and inner peace.

Sarab Neelam - Producer's Notes
“As a practicing Sikh living in the United States, I have undertaken this effort to reach out broadly to various communities after the events of 9/11. This tragedy has led to hate crimes - especially against Sikhs. It is extremely important to note, however, that this film and its characters are fictitious, though loosely based on my own experiences and observations. This film is not intended to be a definitive depiction of Sikhs or Sikhism. It is one characters journey to find inner peace.”

Director's Notes
I feel truly lucky to have been part of "Ocean of Pearls" as there has never been a lead character from Hollywood as a Sikh. I also recently learned that there is not a single Sikh director in the world that wears a turban. I feel blessed and thankful to have had this opportunity.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Punjabi language set to become fourth most spoken language in Canada

News presented by Gurmukh Singh, Indo-Asian News Service
Vancouver, February 11, 2008
Latest census showing a 35 percent increase in its speakers since 2001, Punjabi is set to become the fourth largest spoken language in Canada.

It is the 6th largest spoken language after English, French, Chinese, Italian and German, though it is already at the fourth position in the province of British Columbia.

But as India overtakes China as the largest source of immigration for Canada this year, Punjabi is projected to surpass Italian and German by 2011 to become the fourth largest spoken language in the country.

According to Balwant Sanghera, president of the Punjabi Language Education Association (PLEA) - 'Punjabi is growing by leaps and bounds in Canada, and within the next three to four years it will become Canada's fourth largest spoken language.'Citing the latest census figures, he said 367,505 people said Punjabi was their mother tongue, showing a growth of 35 percent since 2001.

'This places Punjabi as the sixth most spoken language (after English, French, Chinese, Italian and German). The difference between the number of Punjabi speakers and those of German and Italian is very small.

Sanghera, who retired as a school psychologist in British Columbia, said Punjabi is one among ten most spoken languages out of a total of 6,000 in the world.

'More than 150 million people in 150 countries speak this language. Mini Punjabs in Canada, the US, the UK, Australia and Singapore are testaments to it. Here in Surrey and Abbotsford cities, Punjabi is the second most spoken language after English,' he said.

In British Columbia province, Punjabi is taught in the University of British Columbia (UBC), Simon Fraser University, University College of the Fraser Valley, Kwantlen University College and many schools. Hospitals, city halls, airports and markets carry Punjabi signs. And it is common see the Punjabi sign of 'Aseen Punjabi Bolde Haan' (We speak Punjabi) at banks.
Guidelines on provincial issues - elections, health, old age and education - come out in Punjabi, as do government bills and notices.

Both Binning and Sanghera have pioneered the Punjabi movement in British Columbia province, which has the largest concentration of Punjabis outside Punjab.

Punjabi has been in Canada for over a hundred years, yet it is not recognized by the Canadian government because of its two-language policy,' said Binning.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Sikhism Philosophy Network

I have discovered quite a treasure.
Sikhism Philosophy Network - Venture into the Fascinating Philosophy of Sikhism.
Great website full of information about sikhism, sikh downloads and wallpapers, forums with quite interesting topics.
There are 5,713 members with 18,330 topics.
You can read member blogs and interact and debate with members.
Explore sikh religion, sikh origins and history and sikhi at Sikhism Philosophy Network.

Friday, February 8, 2008

U.S. Department of Justice puts educational video about sikhs


U.S. Department of Justice puts educational video about sikhs


"A law enforcement training video on Sikh cultural and religious sensitivity was posted Monday on the U.S. Department of Justice web site.


A year after the Sikh American video for training law enforcement officers was released on DVD, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service put it on its web site Monday, making it available to police agencies nationally and abroad.


The 17-minute video, called ‘On Common Ground: Sikh American Cultural Competency Training for Law Enforcement,’ informs police and security officers how to approach Sikhs in a respectful manner while still performing their duties effectively.


In Montgomery County, Maryland, where the video was created, every effort was made to show the DVD to community groups and police organizations, said David Baker. Now, with it available online, Baker said he would like it to be played at roll-call, at the early-morning briefings before patrol officers go on duty.“I want everyone to see it,” Baker said. “The academy should use it.”He is talking about the county’s Public Service Training Academy, which trains all officers in the various police agencies in the county.

Officers deployed in areas with larger Sikh populations around the county have seen the DVD, he said. “Law enforcement that have seen it were really quite thrilled with it,” Baker added, who also appears in the video. “They found it informative to their duties.”


‘On Common Ground’ was created by the DOJ and the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group.


Since its initial release in January 2007, more than 65,000 law enforcement personnel, including all Transportation Security Administration airport screeners, have viewed it said Rajbir Singh, SALDEF national director.“It’s now online to make sure as many people as possible can view it,” Singh said.

”Law enforcement and Sikh community representatives in other countries have also asked for the video, Singh added. The DVD was sent to Ireland (that's what we need here in Ireland), the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, India, and Brazil for use in their local law enforcement agencies.

Although the laws and policies described in the video are American-based, Singh said he expects those countries to use it as a template in their own training or their own country-specific video. “There seems to be a greater need abroad for this video,” Singh said. “There is nothing like it.” It’s a very proactive approach here and abroad, he added. Word gets out and they want a copy because they need it.


Singh said the video has had an especially positive outcome in the treatment of Sikh travelers at airports. SALDEF has received hundreds of positive letters in which travelers say they don’t feel like they are targeted. And even if they have to go through extra security, the screening is handled respectfully. Ondray T Harris, DOJ-CRS acting director, could not be reached for comment, but he states on web site: "…Awareness of cultural and religious observations can help avoid misunderstanding and tension. Towards this goal, On Common Ground can assist the public in understanding the challenges and realizing the contributions of the Sikh community in the United States…”


By Anju KaurSikh News Network staff journalist anjukaur@sikhnn.com


YOU CAN SEE THE VIDEO BY PRESSING ON THIS LINK


http://www.usdoj.gov/crs/video/ocg-video.htm



This article comes from SikhNNhttp://www.sikhnn.com/


The URL for this story is:http://www.sikhnn.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=571

Monday, February 4, 2008

Bringing desi back t-shirt





New designs on our new desi t-shirt shop:




You can find desi t-shirt designs there and many more:

punjabi t-shirts, Deg teg t-shirt,jatt tees and Pure Punjabi, Kaur apparel for ladies, famous singh is King design,Punjab citties.


Great gifts to buy online!






Kenneth Cole - Sikh model


"We all Walk in Different Shoes"
A few days ago, Kenneth Cole unveiled one of his new ads on a wall of Rockefeller Center in New York City. The model is, surprisingly, a sardar.
The campaign features Sandeep (aka: Sonny) Caberwal as a Sikh and in the below video he explains about being a Sikh and standing out.

Sonny Caberwal grew up in a small town in North Carolina.
He’s a practicing Sikh and an entrepreneur.
Still in his 20s, Sonny is the joint owner of Tavlon Tea Bar in New York City – a lounge that sells gourmet loose-leaf tea and tea accessories.
He graduated Duke University in 2001 and went on to graduate from Georgetown University Law Center in 2004.
He currently resides in New York.

You can see full video with Sonny at: http://www.kennethcole.com/thinkers/bio6.asp

Sunday, February 3, 2008

New Desi Legend Shop open now on Cafepress


We are happy to announce that we have opened our 1st desi-orientated Cafepress shop.
Please visit us at:



Thank to everyone for support.