Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa! Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!
History Making Action by Sikhs Worldwide on Environment
Dear Sikh Fellows,
The Sikh Environment Day 2014 was celebrated with a enormous pride by Sikh community worldwide taking this event to next level, in honour of our nature loving Guru Har Rai Ji on his enthronement day. Over 2000 Gurdwaras, social organisations, educational institutions and Sikh business groups organised a variety of nature focused events and programmes. The day was commemorated in over 13 countries including India, USA, Canada, England, France, Norway, Dubai, Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, Ghana, Pakistan and Nepal taking pride in celebrating Guru's vision of preserving and conserving nature via:
- Singing nature focused hymns from Sri Guru Granth Sahib
- Planting trees in Gurdwaras
- Seminars in colleges
- Plant gifts or buta prasad
- Cloth/tote bags
- Switching to steel cutlery
- Environment rallies and bicycle rallies
- Poetry contests and environmental plays
- Flowering and medicinal plant exhibitions
- Painting exhibitions and so on
It took us a little while in receiving all the stories but here we got some of the extremely inspiring stories of this Sikh Environment Day and hopefully they will encourage you make your upcoming environmental programmes better and better each year.
Glimpses of Sikh Environment Day 2014
Delegation from UK attended events on Sikh Environment Day:
Watch a short interview with Director of Communications from UK based Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), Victoria Finlay on her first visit at the historical Naulkha Garden in Kiratpur Sahib, where as a child Guru Har Rai ji happened hit a rose bush and the story of the green Guru began from the very incident. The ARC, launched by HRH Prince Phillip in 1995, is helping and encouraging all the major faiths to create concrete programmes for their respective communities based on their religious beliefs and teachings.
Check out how Victoria feels about the historical garden of Sikhs, and how influential is Sikh Environment Day as what she saw during an event at this inspirational garden, on March 14, 2014.
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| Victoria Finlay at Naulkha Garden, Kiratpur Sahib |
Celebrations in Surrey, Canada:
The Gurdwara and its sangat organised a special nature focused kirtan diwan, powerpoint presentations and katha sessions to inspire how Sikhi relates love for environment and how being a Sikh we must adopt eco-friendly lifestyles as an answer to current environmental issues. Special programme was organised for children as well.
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| Celebrations in Surrey, Canada |
The Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University, Fatehgarh Sahib:
This SGPC run educational institution organised a special seminar "Nanakian's Philosophy on Environment" and a plantation drive at campus. Huge number of students and faculty attended the event. Dr. Chahal from Canada and EcoSikh Project Manager, Ravneet Singh were the guest speakers at this seminar. Inspired from the speeches the VC of the University, Dr. Gurmohan Singh Walia took pledge that their Eco-Club will take on the city cleaning sewa at annual Shaheedi Jorr Melas from this year onward. It is notable that this festival attracts about 2.5 million pilgrims during that month where cleanliness and sanitation becomes a huge challenge for the city.
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| VC, SGGS University, Dr. Gurmohan Singh Walia planting tree at Fatehgarh Sahib campus |
Bicycle (awareness) Rally in Mohali:
The Bhaddal Group on Institutes situated in Ropar organised a huge bicycle rally as a part of their celebrations, spreading awareness about environment care through eco-friendly transportation. Watch the video from rally below.
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| Bicycle rally in Mohali by Bhaddal Group of Institutes |
National Seminar at Chandigarh University:
The university invited EcoSikh team as Guests of Honour at their National Seminar on Water Resource Conservation. Various critical issues were discussed. The key speakers shared valuable solutions including making environment an entrepreneurial subject, an excitement for improving the world around us.
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| Sikh Environment Day March 14, 2014- Pledge Ceremony at Chandigarh University |
Street Plays in Chandigarh:
The youth groups of Bhaddal Professional University performed Nukkad Nataks at 17-Sector main market in Chandigarh on March 14. The message of conserving our nature and its resources was well received by public.
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| Nukkad Natak performance by NSS at 17 Sec, Chandigarh |
Celebrations in Oslo, Norway:
Miljø Sikh (the Norwegian version of EcoSikh) organised two parallel programmes in collaboration with Punjabi School and Gurudwara Shri Guru Nanak Niwas Sahib, Lier, Norway engaging over 200 Sikh families of the city. The programme included Gurbani kirtan on Nature, environment stories from Sikh history, picture quiz for all age groups. Miljø Sikh also presented the PowerPoint show "Being Sikh Means Being Kind to Nature" and live acts on leadership and environment protection. Checkout their worth reading story here on Sikhnet.
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Kirtan on Nature in Oslo Gurdwara, Norway |
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| Children in Norway during story telling |
Disposable Ban at Gurdwara Guru Nanak Foundation, Tidewater USA:
Sangat and Management of Guru Nanak Foundation of Tidewater, USA courageously stopped the use of disposable cutlery in the Gurudwara. This is a huge step towards sarbat da bhalla. Read their media coverage by Liz Carey on the Facebook link here.
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| Kirtan at Guru Nanak Foundation, Tidewater USA |
Celebrations at GGSF, USA:
The Gurdwara and Khalsa School organised special gurbani kirtan on nature, activities for children, environment plays, powerpoint presentation and ceremonial plantation. The Gurdwara committee planned to switch to steel thalis very soon. Watch the kirtan recording from the celebrations here.
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| Kirtan at GGSF, MD, USA |
Guru Nanak Darbar, Dubai:
This Gurdwara in Dubai engaged the local sangat with enormous plans to celebrated Gurgaddi Diwas of Guru Har Rai. Special kirtan darbar on gurbani on nature was was organised. Displays on Guru Har Rai's environment stories, Gurbani on nature, eco-lifestyles were organised. Exhibition of medicinal plants and its uses along with buta prasad was conducted. A few ceremonial trees were planted at Gurdwara's parking.
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| Celebrations at Dubai Gurdwara |
Celebrations at Glasgow, UK:
The Gurdwara organised a special display on Guru Har Rai's passion for environment and how being Sikh is being kind to environment in their premises. The youth groups successfully conducted over 100 surveys on environment inspiring Sikh families to make environmentally friendly changes in their lifestyles for the love of Mata Dharat.
Announcements from Nepal:
Volunteers of Shree Guru Nanak Service Foundation, Research Centre, Nepal, joined the cleanup of River Bagmati.
Baba Seechewal organised plantation drives in villages around Sultanpur Lodhi continuing his remarkable sewa in the area.
Sikhs in Bengaluru took a very appreciative participation in helping EcoSikh outreach and their local programmes. A special thanks to Ulsoor Gurdwara Committee and local youth group which has been taking environment education as one of the important subjects in their Gurdwara and making their local nagar kirtans and Gurpurabs green. The sangat in this area is also ambitious for revival of lakes in their city.
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| Plantation by Sant Seechwal | Kids Painting in Bengalore |
Celebrations at historical Guru Ka Baag, (Naulakha Garden), Kiratpur Sahib:
Sri Ganga Nursery of Zirakpur, which has been responsible for the revival of historical Naulakha Garden of Guru Har Rai ji on March 14, 2013, organised plantation of 50 Cinnamon saplings in partnership with SGPC. The aim is to utilize this medicinal herb for tea langar at Sri Anandpur Sahib.
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| Celebrations at Naulakha Garden of Guru Har Rai, Kiratpur Sahib |
Also watch (below) the full event coverage by Gurpreet Singh of Sangat TV to witness the event at Guru Ka Baag and listen to Jathedar Kesgarh Sahib, Giani Mull Singh, Bhai Manjit Singh of Sri Ganga Nursery, Victoria Finlay from ARC, UK, and Ravneet Singh of EcoSikh. This event was relayed worldwide on Sangat TV on the same day.
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| Episode Sikh Environment Day 2014 at Naulakha Garden - Sangat TV |
Khalsa Schools in Punjab:
The Khalsa Schools of Punjab celebrated the day in their own unique ways connecting children to environment care via paintings, songs, dance, clean ups and eco-assemblies. The organisations like SGPC, Guru Nanak Multiversity, Chief Khalsa Diwan and Satnam Sarab Kalyan Trust were the key partnering organisations who welcomed this idea in their Khalsa schools. Congratulations to all the teachers and staff members of these schools who put their high energies to prepare their students to face the environmental challenges of our mother earth via teachings of Guru Har Rai.
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| Celebrations in Sri Guru Har Krishan Public School, Amritsar | Children of Khalsa College Public School, Amritsar in action |
Sikh Naujwan Sabha, Malaysia:
The Malaysian celebrations raised to next level again this year. They planted mature trees in the local open areas with children and Sikh youth, organised special physical workout sessions, composting of green kitchen waste and kirtan darbar on nature. Tote bags were given as green gifts to all the participants to help reduce the use of plastic poly bags as an inspiring Eco-Sikh lifestyle. Wow! What an enormous celebration...
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| Mature Trees planted in Malaysia, by Sikh Naujwan Sabha Malaysia |
Watch their variety of pictures here.
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| Tote bag gifts | Composting session |
Plantation at Bhai Vir Singh Niwas, Amritsar:
EcoSikh along with its Eco-Amritsar team organised five Juju trees (Beri) to be planted at Bhai Vir Singh Niwas at Lawrence Road Amritsar. The five tree saplings were sponsored by Sikh Spirit Foundation, one of the key partners of EcoSikh which has been supporting the organisation in its Amritsar programme. The saplings were planted by Jathedar Sri Akal Takhat Sahib followed by a prayer. It was an honour for EcoSikh to be able to hold a plantation at an esteemed nature lover, the saintly poet and writer, Dr. Bhai Vir Singh's residence.
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| Jathedar Sri Akal Takhat Sahib addressing media at Bhai Vir Singh Niwas after celebrations in Amritsar. Left: Chairman EcoAmritsar Gunbir Singh, Right: Director of Communications of Alliance of Religions and Conservation, Victoria Finlay from UK |
Guru ka Baag Launch in Moga, Punjab:
A historical Gurdwara in Patto Hira Singh village near Moga, under the leadership of PETALS organisation, launched a massive landscape plan of 11 Acre nature park. The major features of this park included; trees mentioned in Sri Guru Granth Sahib; a water body with water animals and birds, and other features like organic kitchen garden, solar lighting, composting pits, bird houses and a long walking route within the park for visitors.
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| Celebrations at village Patto, Moga |
Celebrations by Ludhiana NGO:
A Ludhiana based Sikh organisation, Gursikh Family Club comprising of its 200 families organised a special gathering to celebrate March 14. Discussions on how Sikh families can play a better role reducing their carbon footprint on earth and poetry recitation by children was a special attraction. Watch and listen to the inspiring Punjabi poem by young champs.
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| Kids reciting inspirational poems on environment in Ludhiana |
Celebrations in Delhi:
The Khalsa Schools under DSGMC celebrated this day with various colourful programmes like eco-assemblies, talks, poems, plantation and acts.
Celebrations by Guru Har Krishan Public Schools, New Delhi
Celebrations by Guru Har Krishan Public Schools, New Delhi
Environment Rallies and Flower Shows at Ludhiana:
What if Ludhiana is India's top polluted city, it has still got hope in future where local schools, organisations and Gurdwaras are playing a major role in promoting planet-safe lifestyles through Sikh teachings. Watch school students in a rally and a flower show at Gurdwara Sarabha Nagar a leading Green Gurdwara of the city, which also organised bicycle rally, photography competition, awareness about organic food and preserving bird life in the city.
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Environment rally in Ludhiana
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| Gurdwara Sarabha Nagar, Ludhiana flower show 2014 March |
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| Gurdwara Sarabha Nagar on routine plant care in surrounding market places |
Events in Kolkata:
Khalsa English High School, a very progressive green school has been celebrating Sikh Environment Day each year with all the new plans to inspire its students and make a firm change in the society through Sikh environment teachings. This year they had nine different events to mark this day, a tribute to Guru Har Rai.
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| Students of Khalsa English High School ready for clean up drive in the school's surrounding areas |
With a huge hope that Khalsa spirit will ever rise to cultivate good for the world and work hard to save the Mata Dharat, we thank and congratulate all the supporters of this great green event throughout the world. May God bless us all with the positive energy to live a planet friendly life and follow our Guru's teachings.
Important Links:
Who took part SED 2014
Gurbani on Nature
EcoSikh Facebook
Eco-Amritsar Facebook
Support the efforts of EcoSikh
by becoming a Volunteer or with your kind donations
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There is a garden. It has so many plants created within it. And each bears the sweet-nectared Naam as its fruit. ||1|| Consider this, O wise one, In this garden you may seek the means by which to attain eternal bliss. O brothers and sisters of Destiny, This garden has dark pools of poison here and there, But it also contains the ambrosial nectar within it. ||1||Pause|| There is only one gardener who tends it. He takes care of every leaf and branch. ||2|| He brought all these plants and planted them there. They all bear fruit – none is without fruit. ||3|| The one who receives the ambrosial fruit of the Naam From the Guru – O Nanak, Such a servant has a way to pass over the ocean of illusion. ||4||5||56|| (Translation by Albel Singh) |