By Jagdesh Singh | Opinion |
The smell of vegetarian rendang chicken wafted ever so gently, my nostrils sensitive to how my stomach would greedily accept the rendang along with scented rice and peanuts. Clutching a With a full plate, I walked to the Langgar table with my good friend already swallowing his second bite, oblivious to his good manners of waiting for me. I didn’t blame him one bit.
Wadda Gurudwara Sahib Kampung Pandan is sort of an enigma. It has a certain small town feel to it, with the infrastructure seemingly aged from the 60s, yet the modern landscape of Kuala Lumpur city as its background is so hard to ignore. I mean, the Twin Towers are literally there, right in front of you. My early dinner of vegetarian chicken rendang with my good friend was at this Gurdwara, snugged right in the centre of busy KL City.
The other noticeable trait of the Gurdwara, apart from the fantastic meal and metropolitan background, was the palpable energy that we could physically feel from the many activities going on at the same time. It was exuberant and gave me a subtle jolt increasing my own energy levels. I’m normally sedentary at around dinner time, but I had this energetic feeling while chatting with some of the regulars in the Gurdwara.
Everything happening around us while we conversed nonchalantly seemed typical. But it wasn’t typical to me, my last time being there was probably before the pandemic. The hustle and bustle, the noise of delighted kids, the clanking of things being moved from the kitchen to the dining area, would be something I’d expect from the Samelan gurmat camps that Sikh Naujawan Sabha would organise every year, not on a weekly basis, at least for me. When asked of the frequency of what I was witnessing, I was told that this Gurdwara would be brimming with activity every Saturdays and Sundays since pandemic restrictions eased.
I know, for a fact, that Wadda Gurudwara Kampung Pandan isn’t an exception or anomaly. There are more Gurdwaras that are very active across our country, with prayers and keertan events organised on large scales, attracting large crowds, spreading the interest on our Guru’s teachings and messages. But the reason why I found this Gurdwara to be a little bit special is that it isn’t really just a place of worship specifically. It’s more a place of education and activity for the youth.
I was requested to give a small lecture to the older secondary students attending classes in the Punjabi Education Center in the Gurdwara that weekend. That’s how destiny landed me there, in the first place. Both me and my friend were pleasantly surprised to be in a room filled with these kids that didn’t seem tired from their long day of Punjabi classes. We both were invited as guest speakers to teach or lecture on anything Sikhi, the topic was upon our choosing. The Gurdwara organises these lectures on top of the Punjabi classes and Keertan sessions.
It’s interesting and so very encouraging for me to witness a Gurdwara that emphasises on the education and nurturing of their youth, balancing between being a place of worship with being a centre of activity for their youth to grow and learn while imbuing Sikh values and principles. I’ve always believed that this was the true design of Gurdwaras from the very beginning. Gurdwaras were the centre of everything for that society. I would imagine the Granthi or Gyani to be practical advisors or even leaders of villages across Punjab from during the time of our Gurus, advising villagers on educational matters, organising societal and cultural celebrations in lieu of any medium of entertainment like we have today.
I would imagine, exhausted from a day of farming, villagers would converge at this centre of the village to partake in keertan, in prayers, sharing of food, learning to read and write, soliciting advice on family or household matters. Basically do everything together daily, across the four seasons.
With modern development, the role of Gurdwaras has also evolved. Nowadays, especially in the metropolitan areas or cities, the Gurdwaras are only busy during the weekends. The Granthi or Gyani normally dispenses his or her duty on prayers and keertan, perform ardaas for those in need of, and that’s pretty much it. So much so we import them from our Motherland, just to play this small role.
So, Gurdwaras such as Wadda Gurdwara Kampung Pandan and Gurdwara Shah Alam are like a breadth of fresh air, with their emphasis on youth, even sports and education. The coming generation of Sikhs, nurtured by Gurdwaras like these two, are really in good hands, and give great encouraging signs to our generation that our society and our values will be around for a few more generations. I’m pretty sure I’m missing out on many more Gurdwaras with the same vision and passion, so feel free to drop me a note or comment, and tell us about your Gurdwara and your youth. Vegetarian Rrendang chicken isn’t a hard requirement, but it helps.
Jagdesh Singh, a Kuala Lumpur-based executive with a US multinational company, is a father of three girls who are as opinionated as their mother
* This is the opinion of the writer, organisation or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.
RELATED STORY:
The plight of the Rohingya (Asia Samachar, 29 April 2020)
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. When you leave a comment at the bottom of this article, it takes time to appear as it is moderated by human being. Unless it is offensive or libelous, it should appear. You can also comment at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here.
