New Minister Takes Vows in Estonia
On September 11, 2021, new Sikh Dharma Minister SS Sukhdev Kaur Khalsa was ordained in a virtual/in-person vow ceremony. The vows were administered via Zoom by Secretary of Religion SS Dr. Sat Kaur Khalsa (assisted by Executive Assistant SS Sarb Nam Kaur).
The ceremony was held in a beautiful countryside gurdwara at the Rajaama Ashram in Harjumaa, Estonia.
The gurdwara space beautifully reflected the sacred and solemn vow ceremony, attended by students of Sukhdev Kaur at her ashram retreat, as well as family and friends who attended virtually via Zoom.
Following the administration of the Sikh Dharma Minister’s vow and oath by Dr. Sat Kaur, a brief gurdwara service was held. Sukhdev Kaur played the Anand Sahib. SS Shiv Charan Singh of Portugal was present to offer a beautiful Ardas and take the Guru’s hukam.
Sukhdev Kaur wrote to the Secretary of Religion to share about her experience:
“Thank you again for the beautiful ceremony that we had on Saturday. It was magical; everybody enjoyed it so much.
“After we finished and closed the Zoom, the sangat gifted me and the ashram with a Linden tree, which is a symbol of female power in the Baltic tradition, and we planted it all together.”
Sikh Dharma Offers Winter Solstice Kirtan Workshop
Sikh Dharma International will present a workshop on Celestial Communication at the upcoming 3HO Winter Solstice (virtual) celebration. The course will focus on the many types of sound current practices ~ including recitation, chanting, and kirtan. The workshop will be facilitated by Adarsh Kaur.
Kirtan, in the broadest sense, originated in various spiritual traditions from the Indian subcontinent. Kirtan is the music of storytelling and devotion, and involves multiple instruments and people, and can include movement, call and response singing, and expression of emotion.
In the Sikh tradition, kirtan is the sacred poetry and hymns shared by the Sikh Gurus, bhagats, and saints primarily from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib and the Dasam Granth.
While not traditional, Celestial Communication is a form of kirtan, where a mantra or shabd (traditional Sikh hymn) is musically sung and where the hands and the sound meet. In this practice, the body becomes the instrument, much like a harmonium or a stringed instrument would be played with a shabd.
In this class, particpants will focus on the experience of Celestial Communication as kirtan with the pauri from Japji, Eka Mai, and with the shabd So Purkh. The intention is to bring one into a deeper understanding and relationship with these sacred words.
For more information, and to register for free participation in the 3HO workshops (including this Celestial Communication class): https://www.sikhdharma.org/winter-solstice-2021-sikh-dharma-international-class-schedule/