Kirtan on Wheels in Perak!

Sikhs With A Mission recently organised their latest Kirtan on Wheels – this time to the northern Malaysian state of Perak. The previous one to Penang was almost 2 months ago and we were all quite impatient for the next one!

Members distributing CDs and other material. Check out the Mission logo - 'One God', inspired by Ek Oangkaar.

Kirtan on Wheels is more than your average kirtan tour – the idea is not only to sing kirtan; it is also to share messages that can be applied into Sikh lifestyle. The Gurdwaras we visited this time were all little communities tucked away from the cities; hence there isn’t much exposure to Sikh activities in more developed areas.

Sanggat in meditation

The other great thing about Kirtan on Wheels is that it’s not just the Kirtan Jatha that travels - the Mission hired a coach and welcomed members of the KL sanggat to tag along, to bring together the sanggat from different parts of the country. So we had a very diverse group of people on board – Uncle Jis, Aunty Jis, young families, and a whole battalion of youth, who dominated the back of the bus.

The Kirtan on Wheels group arrives at Gurdwara Sahib Sungai Siput for the 'milni' :p

Walking towards Gurdwara Sahib Changkat Tin. The road was too narrow for our bus! But we enjoyed the walk through the beautiful little village :)

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And true to its name, there was music pretty much all the way up and down – from Kirtan to qawwalis to ghazals – as long as the music is about God or a spiritual experience its welcome! The harmonium and mike travelled up and down the aisle as people took turns singing - it was one heck of a party! My brother, cousins, and some friends were there too so there was plenty of love to go round :). And I know I speak for all of us when I say that we sorely missed Dalip, our beloved Yogi D and Ragi rolled into one. It was truly Sajna Tere Bina :p

The theme is always to bring an element of worship into daily life, but this time we were also addressing an issue that was very relevant to the area we visited: idol/element worship and placing faith in rituals. The message was that just bring all your prayers back to the feet of the Guru!

Sunday programme at Gurdwara Sahib Tanjung Tualang - will all the little cutesy kids right in front.

We visited some of the most beautiful Gurdwaras in Malaysia – my cousins and I were sorely reminded of our own village Gurdwara in Ulu Yam, which has unfortunately lost its charm after that thing called modernisation came to knock on its door. Sigh… It’s really sad that we’re losing so many of our quaint Gurdwaras in Malaysia in a frenzy of tearing down and rebuilding. But before I start embarking on my own little crusade, I’m going to get back to this post :)

The grounds at Gurdwara Sahib Pusing - this Gurdwara has a special place in the hearts of all Malaysians, sanggat regularly comes here with their prayers. This is where we spent the night. Bliss!

Singing our way into Gurdwara Sahib Tanjung Tualang

Off the bus and onto the green, green grass at Gurdwara Sahib Malim Nawar. Suksharan, Manpreet and I were busy scouting for future mini samelan destinations - this one looks perfect!

Lovely little Gurdwaras and their lovely little langgar areas - sigh...!

The sanggat was beautiful in every place; they were warm and welcomed us with such grace that we felt right at home. And they know how to make a god cup of tea! I drank cha at every single stop – mind you that’s 8 cups of cha over 2 days - this is from someone who never drinks tea unless in India :)

This is Cha stop Number 3 :) And I remember the cake. Divine Cake!

See it wasn't just me... Ickle Nimmerta couldn't resist the cha either :)

All in all, it was a weekend well-spent in the arms of Guru’s beloved sanggat. At the sanggat’s request, the Dasmesh Jatha made a second trip there during the Eid break, to continue sharing the Guru’s message.

If anyone is interested to join future Kirtan on Wheels trips you can log on to the Mission website or email mission@khalsa.com.

May Guru bless all those who spread His love!