Gurudwara Gurusar

There is a beautiful Gurudwara called Gurudwara Gurusar which is about
5 kilometers from Jagraon and about 1 km farther than Nanaksar.Today
we were served Dal,Parshada,butter milk and teaat langar.We also had
Karha Parshad at the Gurudwara.The oid hall has been replaced by a new
one.The present hall is indeed a big one.The road to Gurusar has also
been diverted near Nanaksar as the circumfrence of Nanaksar dera has
increased a bit.While returning we gave lift to an old lady. We went
an extra.Kilometer to drop her at the bus stop.She gave us a lot of
blessings.

Kite flying

Basant the spring season is the most lovely season in
Jagraon.Although kite flying is not very popular these days some
children enjoy flying kites while basking in the golden and crispy
sunshine.

The story of the cows

One needs to think twice if he wants to own a cow in Jagraon.It is a
holy animal in India.When it stops giving milk the farmers abandon
it.If they give it to the Gau Shala(charity based cowshed) they are
charged.So the farmers drive them away in the darkness of the
night.Since the cows damage the crops.The farmers often remain awake
at night to save thier wheat crop.They drive them away to another
persons farms or to another village.They do it stealithly lest others
should object.Sometimes they pool in funds to drop them in trucks at
far of villages at night.The villagers remain ever vigilant lest some
truck shouid drop the holy passengers(cows)near their fields.Some
farmers give bath to the cow,tie a thread accross its neck before
abandoning it.In this way a farmer may take it to his home thinking
that it is a milk giving cow who could have escaped from somebody's
house.He pulls the cow by the rope and takes it to its house little
knowing that it then becomes his liability to dispose of the
animal.About 10years ago we were getting our Kothi constructed when I
was misguided by the mason to domesticate a stray cow.the mason
misguided me to get it artificially insemenated.It had to be abandoned
with difficulty.

Murder at the Chowk

There has been a shooting incidence at the roundabout Jagraon.At least
one person is reportedly killed on the spot.The car from which the
firing took place sped away.The victims were said to be on a two
wheeler.

Good news or bad news

Punjab government has declaired a holiday today as a mark of respect
for the late Jyoti Basu the ex CM of west Bengal.This bad news would
be a good news for the students of the govt. schools as it is very
cold and nobody likes to come out of the quilt.

Village Sherpur Kalan

Sherpura is a village which is abov 5 kms from Jagraon.The bigger
Sherpura is called Sherpur Kalan where as smaller Sherpura which is
further 2 kms away from Jagraon is called Sherpura Khurd(I believe
that the bigger village is always kalan and the smaller one is always
khurd).Sherpur Kalan is known for Baba A(nand) Singhji.There is a 13
storey Gurudwara at the birthplace.It also has a village Gurudwara and
two more Gurudwaras.The farmers of the village are
Toor,Khela,Sohi,Gill,Dhillon,Grewal etc.Mistri,Chamar,Bauria,Jheaor
also live in this village.Landholdings are small.Farmers other than
Khela and Toor have settled here after partition.People milk their
baffalos and put the milk in dairies.The get payment after 15
days.Baurias cultivate vegetables and sell it in the vegetable market
Jagraon.Other farmers cultivate wheat and paddy.Some Jats also
cultivate vegitables.Financer Bindu Khela is the Sarpanch.He has
beautiful horses and dogs in his kothi.He keeps a revolver and his
finance company is at Mandi Road Sherpura Chowk Jagraon.

Wedding in a village

We were three on a motorcycle.I,my wife and my youngerson Sewapreet
who sat in the middle.It was a sunny day and we reached Sherpura at
12-45 noon.It took us 10 minutes to reach there.The road is in poor
condition.Baraat had also arrived at the same time. Generally the
marriages are arranged in the Palaces but the one we attended was in
a tent house. Knowing that the baraats are late these days we weren't
in hurry.Unlike a marriage palace there was stink of the drain water
coming out of the houses at the entrance.We were served dry fruit at
the enterance.We reached a huge tent hall.There was a plot that lay
vacant adjecent to the house of the bride.It was used for drying the
dung cakes.A tent was erected there.There was no stink of the drain
water here.First the groom's side had the breakfast of Pakoras,sweets
and a few other things.We pulled the chair from the last lane and sat
in the sun as sunlight came in one corner of the tent.Unlike
the marriage palace smell of the dungcakes was coming as the tent
could only block vision and not the adjoining smell. After that the
men of bride's side had the breakfast.After that the women from the
bride's side had the breakfast.For health concious people there is
hardly any suitable dish.Either the things are fried or extra
sweet.Fruit chat and orange juice were the exceptions.Even the juice
seemed to have some sugar base.After the breakfast the main members
from both sides went to the Gurudwara sahib for the Anand karaj.We sat
and the singers started singing.The singing party consisted of one not
so smart probably a majbhi and a slightly healthy but tall probably
Majbhi female,Half a dozen instrument players and two
announcers.Performence of the party was quite satisfactory.The waiters
kept serving liquor to the guests.They also kept serving vegetarian as
well as non vegeterian food.Some guys started doing Bhangra near the
stage. It was 3-45pm and snacks were being served one after the
other.We gave Rs 200 Shagun to the mother of the bride and left
Sherpura.Actual Shagun ceremony and actual lunch could have taken a
lot of time indeed.Imagine lunch at 4-30pm or 5-pm.

Guests are becoming a thing of the past

Now that everybody is having mobile phones there are hardly any guests
in the houses.People talk their heart out while sitting in their
homes.May be in future nobody would ever know what a guest is as video
calls would also be possible in an year or so.

Sugar and the Sugar Mill

Sugarmill of Jagraon is closed for several years now.The employees
adjusted their lives with alternative occupations.They get the salary
from the non functioning mill as well but irregularly.Now why should
the society repent when sugar is Rs 50 per Kg.

Only two wrestlers in the political scene of Jagraon.

Politics in Jagraon is Bipolar.Akali Dal and the congress are the main
parties.Earlier Bhag Singh Malha of Akali Dal was the MLA for two
terms and now there is Gurdeep Singh Bhaini from the congress.Those
who contest for other parties merely do so for dividing the
votes.There isn't any third party in Jagraon.Not even the Lok Bhalai
Party.

Daan(Charity)and the month of Maagh

I didn't know much about the importance of the month of Magh untill I
came and settled in Jagraon in 1999.Both Hindus and Sikh serve free
food as charity (daan).People go to the Gurudwaras where they get tea
and several other things after Path in the early morning.If one is in
the Bazaar one may often spot a shopkeeper distributing Pooris and
Channa or Halwa.Some people remain vegetarian and thus in a way do
daan(charity)by sparing the lives of hen and goat that could have
otherwise been eaten.At Gurudwara Nanaksar they offer in Charity the
free Darshan of the place where a revered saint called Baba (A)Nand Singh meditated.In
other months a person is asked to do a lot of Path in order to see that place(which is written at
that place).Offering Darshan in charity can well be understood as
Guruji says'Nanak mange dars daan kirpa karo Hare'(Nank begs the holy
glimpse-darshan). In Baramah Guruji says that holy bath of Magh can
well be the dust of the Saint's feet.In charity one could well do
simran and distribute it(spiritual knowledge)in charity.As a teacher I
may give some vidya(education)daan by waving off the fees of some poor
student.I am thinking of spending some money in improving the lane in
front of the kothi were my parents live(otherwise it is the
responsibility of the minucipal committee).Gurbani,however,promotes
positive things like daan(charity)irrespective of the month.

Why are we crazy about anything that is foreign?

Why do we like anything that is of foreign. It can be called
inferiority complex.I don't remember to how many people I might have
told that my brother is a very high official in IBM in USA or my niece
or nephew who live in US know swimming.Once I met an elderly couple at
their Kothi at Royal city of Jagraon.They are NRI and had come from
Barmigham UK.I boasted that I also have a friend in London little
knowing that he lives at some other place in UK.Long ago I was
probably unmarried and was sitting in a bus in NOIDA.A slightly plump
girl(NRI from UK) was on a front seat.She took out some toffee and
asked her father to give it to me on the seat behind them.I told to
several people that I had tasted an imported toffee.If a person would
own a broom made in UK,she might tell it to 20 people.It might be an
exageration but if you shake hand with some villager after coming from
UK he might not wash it for some time.Why do I forget the words of
Gurbani that say 'Naal iane dosti batahoo siuon neh Pani ander leek
jion tis da thao na theoh?'Silly me I take so much pride in telling my
students that I have a friend called such and such who has converted
to Sikhi or a person who is of Holland and ties a turban.Little do we
know about the difficulties that are faced by Punjabis'in London or
Australia.

Businessman Abhishek Sehgal

Shiva Datta Ram and Sons is one of the best shop were one can buy Sofa
Material and foam Mattress.Ladders,Bamboos,cots, cot Jute,mats,ropes
and brooms are also available.Contact Abhishek Sehgal, LajpatRai road
ph No (S)-01624-227240
M-94633-54120

Nitin Garg of India is killed in Australia.

Nitin Garg of Jagraon died in Australia.He went there to pursue his
studies(work and live).He was allegedly killed in a racial attack.This
can dampen the spirits of other students who wish to study
abroad.Banya families of Jagraon,as such,are not keen to send their
children abroad.It is unfortunate that such an incident took
place.Nevertheless the boys of Jat families would most likely keep
going abroad for foreign studies(read earn dollars).