Summer 2025 Edition
Table of Contents
Celebrating SYWA
Nadhri Kaur
On Amrit
Uday Singh
Langar: A Tradition of Equality
Sayva Kaur
Rooted in Sikh Values Beyond the Gurdwara
Umang Kaur
Being Sikh in a Non-Sikh School
Iknoor Kaur
About Sikhi
Harnoor Singh
Celebrating SYWA
By Nadhri Kaur
As I looked at my class yearbook, I came to a realization; aside from my brother, there were no other Sikh kids in my high school. Lacking a sense of community, I felt lost and the need to constantly explain myself and my background. Talking with Sikh friends from camp, it seems I wasn’t alone in this feeling of isolation. Thus, my best friend Sayva and I began an online publication to educate the world about who we are as Sikh youth and to foster an online virtual community. Seeing the camaraderie fostered by this organization and witnessing people who previously didn’t know about Sikhism reading articles about our faith demonstrates the significance of Sikh Youth Writers Association (or SYWA) to me.
Now with over 55 published articles on sikhwriters.org about various topics from the role of Sikhs in the Italian Parmesan Industry to analyses of religious texts- being part of this organization has shown me the value of organization and teamwork. The organization taught me the importance of managing my time wisely and being organized in coordinating with others. By setting up interviews, planning issues, and reaching out to potential collaborators, I learned that working with a team requires commitment in order to be reliable to those I work with and contribute to the success of the organization.
Someone recently asked what I am most proud of. The first thing that came to mind was this organization. I love that I’ve built something meaningful and that I’ve grown so much in the process. I am proud of the writing I’ve contributed to, and the website viewership from tens of countries around the world that shows the community I brought together. Mostly, I am proud of how this group taught me about communicating with others and showed me that commitment yields excellent rewards. We have managed to bring over 18 writers together to not only create a writing platform but also to create a community.
On Amrit
By Uday Singh
Introduction
Many of us remember and reflect on the installment of Khande Di Pahul: A form of Amrit created by Guru Gobind Singh to initiate Sikhs into the Khalsa fold. Colloquially, when we as Sikhs speak of receiving Amrit, it almost always relates to Khande Di Pahul. However, Khande Di Pahul is not the only form of Amrit that Sikhs would receive during the Guru-Period, and even in contemporary times, other forms of Amrit exist beyond Khande Di Pahul. If we dissociate the concept of Amrit from the ritual of Khande Di Pahul, upon what basis can we define Amrit?
Etymology & Mythology
Where does the word “Amrit” originate from linguistically? “Amrita” (Sanskrit: अमृत) is first mentioned in the Rig Veda, dated roughly 4000 years old, and it literally means “immortality”. It’s used as one of the many epithets for Soma, the ritual drink which was thought to be the drink of the gods in early Vedic Religion. In the Puranas, Amrit takes on a role in mythology as a literal drink of immortality, which gods and anti-gods would wrestle over to attain eternal life. In the Mahabharata and Vishnu Purana (also referenced in the Valmiki Ramayana), the Asuras (anti-gods) and Devas (gods) churn the Kshirsagar (Lit. “The Ocean of Milk”, one of the highest dimensions of reality where God as Mahavishnu rests) for a millennium to attain Amrit. The Asuras eventually obtain the Amrit, but Vishnu incarnates as an enchantress and steals the elixir back and distributes it among the Devas. This understanding of Amrit’s role as an elixir of immortality provides us with an Indigenous Contextual Backdrop from which we can start to understand why this word was specifically used and chosen for rituals like Khande Di Pahul and others we will now delve into. Connecting these ideas of Amrit as a literal potion of immortality with the receival of Amrit from the hands of the Guru points to a clear picture: The Guru is the one who bestows immortality. Amrit becomes more than just an initiation ritual, but takes on a multitude of colorful and deeply symbolic meanings.
Sikh Amrit Rituals
Sarovar Water: When Kirtan or Gurbani is sung in the presence of a body of water (or even Prasad), the water is understood to transform into Amrit. This is why the body of water surrounding Harmandir Sahib is understood as the Amritsar (The pool of Amrit). This understanding is not just clear through our oral traditions of names and words, but is also specifically explicated in traditional Sikh Works such as the Gurpratap Suraj Granth (1843), the largest and most advanced Pre-Colonial Sikh Historical Text.
Charan Pahul: Charan Pahul was an initiation ritual during the Early Guru Period where the Sikh would receive initiation into the Path of the Guru by drinking water from the Guru’s feet. This is a traditional Indic practice which is found in Indian Spiritual Traditions which predate Sikhi. Bhai Gurdas recounts this in Vaar 1, Pauri 23:
ਸੁਣੀ ਪੁਕਾਰਿ ਦਾਤਾਰ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਜਗ ਮਾਹਿ ਪਠਾਇਆ।
ਚਰਨ ਧੋਇ ਰਹਰਾਸਿ ਕਰਿ ਚਰਣਾਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਸਿਖਾਂ ਪੀਲਾਇਆ।
ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਪੂਰਨ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਕਲਿਜੁਗਿ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਇਕੁ ਦਿਖਾਇਆ।
ਚਾਰੇ ਪੈਰ ਧਰੱਮ ਦੇ ਚਾਰਿ ਵਰਨਿ ਇਕੁ ਵਰਨੁ ਕਰਾਇਆ।
ਰਾਣਾ ਰੰਕੁ ਬਰਾਬਰੀ ਪੈਰੀ ਪਾਵਣਾ ਜਗਿ ਵਰਤਾਇਆ।
ਉਲਟਾ ਖੇਲੁ ਪਿਰੰਮ ਦਾ ਪੈਰਾ ਉਪਰਿ ਸੀਸੁ ਨਿਵਾਇਆ।
ਕਲਿਜੁਗੁ ਬਾਬੇ ਤਾਰਿਆ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਪੜ੍ਹਿ ਮੰਤ੍ਰੁ ਸੁਣਾਇਆ।
ਕਲਿ ਤਾਰਣਿ ਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਆਇਆ ॥੨੩॥
Translation by Shamsher Singh Puri:
Heeding to the wails of the righteousness, benefactor Creator sent Gurū Nanak to this world to appease the destitudes. In order to teach his followers humility and devotional worship, he commenced the tradition of serving them with consecrated water touched by his toe. Weaning them away from plural worship that had become the bane of society in Kalyug, he taught them the worship of One Supreme Formless Lord. He taught them all the four essentials of a religion and amalgamated the four sections of society into one. Treating a pauper and a king as equal, he showed humility to all. This was a quality that he professed in the world. Look at the reciprocal wonder of the Lord, head (that is at the top of the body) was brought down to the level of feet (which are at the lowest part of the body). He taught the people to become humble. Bābā Nānak emancipated the world of the Kalyug by giving them the incantation of SatNam. Gurū Nānak came to the world to emancipate the Kalyug.(23)
Rahuldeep Singh Gill provides a slightly different interpretation below:
“Whereas in many Indic traditions this refers to initiation by drinking the gurū's foot wash, among Sikhs of the 1500s and 1600s it referred to a ritual where new initiates were welcomed into the fold by having their feet washed; existing members of the community ritually drank the sullied water to enact both hospitality and humility. Gurdas says this drink is the cure for many ills, and he sometimes refers to it as the "cup of love."”
Drinking From Love's Cup: Surrender and Sacrifice in the Vārs of Bhai Gurdas Bhalla, page 254
Khande Di Pahul: This is the Amrit ritual most of us are familiar with, where sugar crystals are mixed in the water with the Khanda (double-edged sword). Various Banis are also recited during the Amrit Sanchar while churning churn the Amrit. The Khanda symbolically represents Shakti and the Divine Feminine, a recurring theme in the writings of Guru Gobind Singh.
ਖੰਡਾ ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮੈ ਸਾਜ ਕੈ ਜਿਨ ਸਭ ਸੈਸਾਰੁ ਉਪਾਇਆ ॥
At first the Lord created the Khanda, and then He created the whole world.
Chandi Di Vaar, Guru Gobind Singh
It should be noted that these rituals are all alchemic in nature, where Gurbani or the Guru’s physical body takes on the role of a “paras” (philosopher’s stone) which transforms the water into Amrit.
Amrit’s Spiritual Definition in Gurbani:
Guru Amar Das explains the Attainment of Amrit in the 13th Pauri of Anand Sahib:
ਸੁਰਿ ਨਰ ਮੁਨਿ ਜਨ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਖੋਜਦੇ ਸੁ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਪਾਇਆ ॥
The angelic persons and the silent sages search for Amrit, the Divine Nectar,that I have obtained from the Guru. (Recall Mythological Backdrop)
ਪਾਇਆ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਗੁਰਿ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਕੀਨੀ ਸਚਾ ਮਨਿ ਵਸਾਇਆ ॥
He, to whom the Guru shows mercy, obtains Amrit and enshrines the Truth in his mind.
ਜੀਅ ਜੰਤ ਸਭਿ ਤੁਧੁ ਉਪਾਏ ਇਕਿ ਵੇਖਿ ਪਰਸਣਿ ਆਇਆ ॥
All living beings and creatures were created by You; so rare are the ones who come and behold You!
ਲਬੁ ਲੋਭੁ ਅਹੰਕਾਰੁ ਚੂਕਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਭਲਾ ਭਾਇਆ ॥
Their greed, avarice and egotism are dispelled, and the True Guru seems sweet.
ਕਹੈ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਜਿਸ ਨੋ ਆਪਿ ਤੁਠਾ ਤਿਨਿ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਪਾਇਆ ॥੧੩॥
Says Nanak, he with whom the Lord is pleased, obtains Amrit through the Guru.
For Sikhs, Amrit, the Divine Nectar of Immortality, is received solely through the Grace of the Guru. We already outlined various ritual praxises in the Sikh Tradition where a literal nectar is given to Sikhs, Khande Di Pahul being one such ritual, but Amrit does not only exist as a literal drink which must be consumed. Amrit also has a non-physical, mystical essence which can be internally drunk by churning Naam inside of one’s self. Bhagat Kabir explains in this very well known Shabad:
ਦੁਤੁਕੇ
Two Tuks (Lines per verse)
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
One Primal “Oan” Sound, The Guru’s Grace
ਆਸਾ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀਉ ਕੇ ਚਉਪਦੇ ਇਕਤੁਕੇ ॥
Asa by Sri Kabir Ji. Four Verses, One Line Verses
ਸਨਕ ਸਨੰਦ ਅੰਤੁ ਨਹੀ ਪਾਇਆ ॥
Sanak and Sanand, the sons of Brahma, could not find your limits.
ਬੇਦ ਪੜੇ ਪੜਿ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੇ ਜਨਮੁ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥੧॥
Reading the Vedas, Brahma exhausted his life.
ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਬਿਲੋਵਨਾ ਬਿਲੋਵਹੁ ਮੇਰੇ ਭਾਈ ॥
The Churning of Hari, Churn this my Brother; (Recall Mythological Backdrop)
ਸਹਜਿ ਬਿਲੋਵਹੁ ਜੈਸੇ ਤਤੁ ਨ ਜਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Churn with steadiness, such that the essence is not lost. |1| Refrain.
ਤਨੁ ਕਰਿ ਮਟੁਕੀ ਮਨ ਮਾਹਿ ਬਿਲੋਈ ॥
Make the Body the Pitcher, Churn within the Mind.
ਇਸੁ ਮਟੁਕੀ ਮਹਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਸੰਜੋਈ ॥੨॥
Gather the Shabad within this Pitcher. |2|
ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਬਿਲੋਵਨਾ ਮਨ ਕਾ ਬੀਚਾਰਾ ॥
The Churning of Hari is the Mind’s Contemplation.
ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ਪਾਵੈ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਧਾਰਾ ॥੩॥
With the Guru’s Grace, you enshrine Amrit (in this way). |3|
ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰੇ ਜੇ ਮਂੀਰਾ ॥
Says Kabir, if the King looks upon us;
ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਲਗਿ ਉਤਰੇ ਤੀਰਾ ॥੪॥੧॥੧੦॥
The Nam of Ram will carry us across. |4|1|10|
In this Shabad, Kabir Ji shows us how through internal churning via mystical contemplation, we can behold Amrit through the grace of the Guru. This Amrit is inside of us; it does not need to be drunk from an external source and it actually provides credence to the ritualistic forms of Amrit. By infusing Shabad within the Water, one symbolizes gathering the Shabad within the Pitcher of the Body (ਤਨੁ ਕਰਿ ਮਟੁਕੀ ਮਨ ਮਾਹਿ ਬਿਲੋਈ ॥ ਇਸੁ ਮਟੁਕੀ ਮਹਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਸੰਜੋਈ ॥੨॥ ) and this thereby outlines what Amrit is for the Sikh. It’s another form of Nam, the mystical essence which Sikhs tap into to achieve Sehaj (equipoise) with the world. Physical Amrit is not a cheat-code by which one can receive Nam externally without internal contemplation: rather the ritualistic emergence of these rituals actually confirm the mystic Nam-Centric tenants within Gurbani. Amrit is only made Amrit with the infusement of Gurbani; without this it remains mere water.
Langar: A Tradition of Equality
By Sayva Kaur
At this point for most of us, langar has become the norm. It is something that is a part of our usual Gurdwara routine. We sit and eat, talking to our friends and family, not realizing that langar is a revolutionary practice with a deep historical meaning.
Most Sikhs have the understanding of what langar is on a face-to-face level. It is a communal kitchen within a Gurdwara where anyone can partake in enjoying vegetarian food regardless of religion, identity, or societal standing. Everyone at langar eats together, on the floor, and there are volunteers or sevadaars who cook as well as distribute the food.
When looking at langar on a deeper level however, there is a rich history that even precedes the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Langar as a concept was prevalent in the early 1100’s within Sufism - a certain way of practicing Islam. Most believe that langar was enforced by Baba Farid who is included in Gurbani by Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
The origins of langar in Sikhism on the other hand, began in the early 1500’s under the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. After Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s Udasis in which he traveled by foot across Asia and parts of the Middle East to spread the message of Sikhi, he settled down and established the community of Kartarpur. Eventually Kartarpur accumulated other residents and Guru Nanak Dev Ji spent the rest of his life as a farmer there. Throughout his time there, Guru Nanak Dev Ji created what was the beginning of the practice of langar. The concept of castes as well as the inequality between Indians was something that Guru Nanak Dev Ji opposed throughout the duration of his life, therefore he made sure that langar was an inclusive tradition that treated those from all walks of life equally. Specifically, Guru Nanak Dev Ji implemented the practice of having everyone sit together on the floor as they ate. This idea was a powerful statement that refuted the caste system. Everyone was on the same level when they sat down and ate together. In this way, Guru Nanak Dev Ji rejected the caste system as well as the idea that some people are inherently better than others. Guru Nanak Dev Ji also helped establish the practice of Seva throughout langar. Selfless service has always been a part of the Guru’s teachings, and langar granted the opportunity to do Seva, ultimately enabling many to live the lifestyle that the Guru’s implored us to live.
The idea of langar within Sikhi began with Guru Nanak Dev Ji, but it became much more streamlined and organized in the time of Guru Angad Dev Ji: the second Sikh Guru. When Guru Angad Dev Ji became the second Guru, people journeyed from far away just to meet the Guru. As a result, wherever the Guru was, there was also a crowd of people who were tired from their long journeys. Guru Angad Dev Ji’s wife - Mata Khivi Kaur - assumed the responsibility of doing Seva for these people, mainly by continuing the practice of langar that Guru Nanak Dev Ji had begun earlier. Mata Khivi Kaur was very amicable and welcoming towards those who traveled to see the Guru. The time and effort she invested in langar was what made it a much more official and organized practice as opposed to earlier.
After Mata Khivi Ji’s time, the tradition of longer was continued and has now become a part of Gurdwaras all around the world. Langar is a continuation of our Guru’s teachings of doing Seva and it carries a powerful message of rejecting the castes and standings that society puts one in. Today, we may not recognize the importance of langar because it has become commonplace for us, but in actuality the value and history behind it is priceless.
Rooted in Sikh Values Beyond the Gurdwara
By Umang Kaur
In eighth grade I took a geometry class that was pretty easy, but it was not fun. Later into the year I had the realization that geometry was something I would almost never apply to the real world in my daily life. I would only ever need it for the 50-minute period every Monday through Friday. But while geometry was useless outside of the classroom, the values I learned from sikhi are something I use every single day, inside and outside of the Gurdwara.
My religion isn’t just a temple that I go to once a week, it’s something that shapes the way I treat myself and others, it guides how I carry myself, and how I overcome challenges. The values I learn from sikhi are not just sikh values, they are my values and I apply them to my life every single day even when I’m not in a sikh environment.
Sarbat da Bhala
Sarbat da Bhala is a value that encourages us to model compassion and equality. Sarbat da Bhala is said after every Ardaas, but it is not meant to stay within the gurdwara. It shapes how we live outside of it too. Sarbat da Bhala serves as a reminder for me everyday that everyone is deserving of my empathy. Not just my friends, not just my family, and not just other sikhs. This can be challenging sometimes, as it can be hard to feel empathy for someone who may not share the same opinions as me. But I’ve come to realize that it doesn’t mean I have to agree with everyone or let people walk all over me. It just means that I should try to put myself in others' shoes and respond to conflicts with compassion and maturity rather than revenge or jealousy.
Chardi Kala
When I step outside of the gurdwara, I carry myself with Chardi Kala and try to always keep a Chardi Kala mindset. Chardi Kala means to carry oneself with a positive state of mind even when we’re faced with challenges. This can especially be used in a school setting. If I get a bad grade I can remind myself of Chardi Kala. Chardi kala teaches me to stay strong and hopeful no matter the circumstances.
Nirbhau, Nirvair
Nirbhau and Nirvair teach me how to respond to hard situations. Nirbhau reminds me to be brave in new or scary situations. Being a teenager is a hard time for everyone and I find that Nirbhau is something I repeat to myself a lot. For example, if I’m in a situation where a group of kids may be making fun of someone or talking bad about someone I apply Nirbhau to stand up and say something which can be hard for a lot of teens. Nirvair means not letting hate control me or my actions. It reminds me to respond with patience and compassion instead of anger which is especially important nowadays when hate seems to control people’s actions so much.
Finding what really matters
Even though I may not always be in a sikh environment, I still carry my sikh values with me and they help me stay grounded in who I am. They guide the attitude that I carry myself with, the ways I respond to challenges, and how I show empathy in a world that often misunderstands me. So while geometry may have taught me how to measure shapes and find a missing side length, sikh teaches me how to measure and find what really matters: Character, compassion, and courage. And those are values I will forever carry throughout my life.
Being Sikh in a Non-Sikh School
By Iknoor Kaur
Being Sikh in a non-Sikh school sometimes feels like walking into a room where no one speaks your language—not just your words, but your culture, your beliefs, and your identity. When I look around, I don’t see people wearing patkas or karas. Most of my classmates have never heard of Guru Nanak Dev Ji or langar. That makes me feel both different… and kind of proud.
At first, I used to be nervous when people asked questions like, “Why don’t you cut your hair?” or “What’s that thing on your wrist?” I didn’t always know how to explain it. I’d just say, “It’s part of my religion” and hope they’d move on. But over time, I realized that those questions were a chance to teach people about Sikhi—about why I wear a kara, and how it reminds me to act with kindness and honesty, or how keeping my hair is about accepting the form God gave me.
Sometimes it’s not the questions that are hard, but the assumptions. People assume I celebrate Christmas, or that I speak Hindi, or that I’m Muslim. I’ve learned to correct people respectfully, and even laugh a little. “I actually speak Punjabi,” I’ll say, “and I celebrate Vaisakhi!” Most of the time, people are curious and kind once they understand more.
Even though I don’t see many Sikhs around me at school, Sikhi teaches me to stand strong in who I am. Guru Gobind Singh Ji created the Khalsa to be fearless—to stand out and speak up, not to blend in. That gives me courage when I feel out of place.
Being Sikh in a non-Sikh school isn’t always easy. But it’s also a gift. It’s taught me how to educate others, how to stay true to myself, and how to live with pride in my faith—even if I’m the only one wearing a patka in the whole building.
About Sikhi
By Harnoor Singh
The monotheistic religion known as Sikhism was first practiced in the late 15th century in the Indian state of Punjab. It was founded by Guru Nanak Dev Ji and shows that there is one loving, formless, and incomprehensible God. Sikhism places a strong emphasis on serving others, leading an honest life, and constantly remembering God by praying and meditating. A dedication to justice and service to the public community, as well as the equality of all people, regardless of someone’s caste, gender, or religion. The Sikh way of life rejects superstition and blind rituals and promotes humility, compassion, and devotion to the truth. The term "Sikh" signifies "student" or "disciple," showing a follower's ongoing quest for knowledge and spiritual development.
