By Guru Kirn Kaur Khalsa
We were expectant and excited as we started down to the Siri Harimandir Sahib at 12:10 AM on March 10th, 1996. This was the night for which I had prayed for years. Tonight we would be graced with the blessing of doing seva in our Guru's House in the Amrit Vela. Bibiji Inderjit Kaur, wife of Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, myself and several other ladies had traveled from America on Singh Sahib Manjit Singh's invitation to participate in the long awaited opportunity to participate in this holy seva. Together, we walked around the parkarma and made our way in silence to the Darshani Deori. We sat down with the other Gursikhs who had gathered there for seva. Soon we were joined by Bibi Amarjit Kaur, Shaheed Bhai Fauja Singhji, and other ladies from Amritsar. We meditated and read our banis in humble preparation of this blessed Amrit Vela.
Soon most of the men who had been sitting stood and moved away, joining a crowd which had formed by the Nishan Sahib. We stood up to see what was happening, and though we sensed hostility we were felt assured because Singh Sahib Manjit Singh, the Jethadar of the Akal Takhat Sahib, was there speaking to the men. Within minutes, the voices became loud and angry. Suddenly the crowd began to move and swept over to us. We were surrounded and engulfed by a crowd with angry faces and loud voices. The mob argued and screamed at Singh Sahibji and our group of ladies. With pointing fingers and hostile voices they opposed us. Bibi Amarjit Kaur and Bibi Inderjit Kaur, the warriors that they are, held their ground and spoke back with clear words. In anger and frustration, the men pressed against us, trying to push us back. The ladies grabbed onto each other and we firmly held our ground. One of the younger women started crying, and I put my arms around her to comfort her. The men screamed at the top of their lungs and beat their chests yelling "Bole so Nihal" and "Deg Teg Fateh", as if it were theirs and not ours. We yelled the battle cry along with them, as loudly as they did.
Singh Sahibji motioned to a group of men, moving them away from us over to the small office to the left of the main doors. The group moved with him, but maintained its anger and intensity. It seemed he stood alone against the crowd, and we feared for his safety. Still, he stood his ground and kept up the dialog.
With the crowd away from doors, we were left in somewhat quiet and we sat down to wait. A Gursikh resumed the Sukhmani Sahib which brought some peace to the morning air. But the crowd's mood remain unchanged.
With a sense of triumph, men from the knot of people around the Jethadar made their way to the small gate in the door and went through to begin cleaning the floors of Harimandir Sahib. In meditation, we sat and waited.
At about 1:20 AM, Singh Sahibji appeared at the door, motioning to us and said in hushed voice, "Come!" We walked down the long causeway, our breath short and anxious. It was the prayer of a lifetime with each step. We came to the door, and bowed our heads low and grateful, and then stood to one side. We waited for a sign of what to do, but we were completed avoided and ignored. Most of the work was already done anyway. Singh Sahibji motioned for us to go outside, and do whatever cleaning needed to be done. There were brooms, and several kind Gursikhs gave of cloths and showed us to wipe the brass and marble.
We put our whole hearts into that cleaning, wiping, and polishing with utmost devotion. Tears blurred our sight, and emotion shook in our hands. I looked up at the clock tower, and saw that it was 1:30 AM. I wondered when it was that a woman last had that same view at that time in the Amrit Vela. I wondered when I would have that blessing again?
A little after 2:00 AM the seva was completed and we sat to the right of the Manji Sahib. Soon, the traditional chanting began in preparation for the opening of the gates, prasad was brought in, and the morning routine continued. The sangat arrived at 2:45 AM. We stayed to listen to the holy Asa Di Var, and then left through the main gates which, by this time, were open to all.
The following night I returned to do evening seva at the Harimandir Sahib. When this was completed and the doors were closed at 11 PM, I sat outside the gates to the right of the line of men sitting and waiting to wash the floors. I brought with me prints of the painting I had made of the woman washing the floors and the poem "Pure Longing" translated into Punjabi. I sat in silence and read Sukhmani Sahib. One by one, the sevadars came over and took the prints until they were all gone.
At 12:50 AM the line of men stood up to go in for seva, and I stood up with them. But tonight, I had decided not to enter unless I was invited. A tall man with a white beard spoke for the group in a respectful voice, "Madam, it is ordered that women no wash the floors". I nodded my head and continued to wait.
The men presented their passes and one by one they filed pasted the sevadar at the gate. The sevadar was a tall, young man and he very carefully and thorough questioned several of the men. I recognized them as key agitators from the previous night. One of these men was not let in, and he argued fiercely. His right to seva had been revoked because of his actions. Finally, they were all in, the door was closed and we sat to begin Sukhmani Sahib.
As I turned to leave, I was stopped by an old woman. She smiled at me and asked for one of the prints, as did many other people that I encountered on my way around the parkarma. I had accomplished what I had set out to do: to repeat the prayer, in a quiet way by my presence, for the women to wash the floors of Harimandir Sahib. Time will do the rest.
Posted May 5, 1996
http://www.yogibhajan.com/articles/sewa.html
http://www.sikhs.org.my/thesikh/96_may/96my_e2.htm
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