Minister Vows at Summer Solstice

by SS Dr. Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa, Assistant Secretary of Religion
Fall 2012

At Summer Solstice 2012, by Guru’s grace, seven individuals were ordained as Sikh Dharma Ministers. This is the largest number of people that have taken Minister vows at one time in many years.

The early morning was charged with the Prana of the Ransubhai Kirtan and the sadhana that followed, which included the Bowing Jaap Sahib kriya. The Amrit Ceremony had just ended and the Gurdwara door rolled up, revealing the majestic energy to the sangat.

The seven Minister candidates were called forward. Each of them bowed, then stood before the Siri Guru Granth Sahib.

They repeated the Sikh Dharma Minister vows that were written by the Siri Singh Sahib. There were a few smiles as the seven attempted to speak in unison. They bowed and rose to recite the Minister oath.

Before we could begin, however, three  “Bole So Nihals” were spontaneously called out with enthusiasm by members of the sangat. When it was noted that the ceremony was not yet complete, the sangat held its warm support at bay.

The candidates recited the Minister oath and bowed again. It was my honor to introduce the new Sikh Dharma Ministers to the sadh sangat:

Sardarni Sahiba Nirbhe Kaur of Espanola, NM
Sardarni Sahiba Varnjeet Kaur of Espanola, NM
Sardarni Sahiba Sada Bahar Kaur of San Leandro, CA
Singh Sahib Gurvinderpal Singh of Herndon, VA
Singh Sahib Amar Atma Singh of Phoenix, AZ
Sardarni Sahiba Japa Kaur of Espanola, NM
Singh Sahib Siri Vias Singh Khalsa of Los Angeles, CA

The air resonated with the joyful voice of the sangat as “Bole So Nihal, Sat Siri Akal” was called out five times. May this sound continue to resound in the hearts of all.

Procedures for Becoming a Sikh Dharma Minister

“Each day you live. Each day you pray. You pray for each day. It is the creative consciousness and the essence of human beings, which is all of us and we are all it.”—The Siri Singh Sahib (September 29, 1977)