Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

[Premi5]

Queen’s Platinum Jubilee This week. Anyone ‘celebrating’?

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/20177261.amp/

Yorkshire Sikh Forum dinner launches Platinum Jubilee celebrations

Yorkshire Sikh Forum dinner launches Platinum Jubilee celebrations

   

 

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Following the outstanding success of the Platinum Jubilee Dinner organised by the Yorkshire Sikh Forum (YSF), which heralded the start of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in Yorkshire, one of the leading lights in the YSF, who was instrumental in organising the dinner, Iqbal Sekhon, more popularly known as Simmy Sekhon, described the dinner as “joyous”, and  was full of praise for those who had organised the celebration, working to a tight, two-month deadline.

Simmy, CEO of the Sekhon Group, said: “The dinner was a great success, much enjoyed by all our dignitaries, and we realised how important it was to have this event as a reminder of modern day, multi-cultural Britain.

“The day was so joyous.”

“But I must also make a special mention on behalf of Ray Brown of the Sekhon Group and Rehana Akbar and Peter Davis of Oikos Family Residential Centres, who were instrumental in the planning and organising of the dinner, which they did in such a short space of time.”

Mr Sekhon also extended his gratitude to Dr Manoj Joshi for his contribution to organising the dinner and for giving the vote of thanks, and also the Indian High Commission for over 30 years of support extended to Yorkshire’s Sikh community.

The Platinum Jubilee Dinner took place on May 15 at Leeds Civic Hall, and among the dignitaries attending the event were the Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire Ed Anderson, the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Coun Asghar Khan, leader of Bradford council Susan Hinchcliffe and High Sheriff of West Yorkshire, Susan Baker MBE.

There were two hundred leading members of Yorkshire’s business community present to enjoy the warm welcome as a bag pipes procession led the dignitaries into the banqueting hall, where they were greeted by a 96-beat drum roll and an outstanding performance of bhangra music and dance from members of Bradford’s Punjabi Roots Academy.

Simmy Sekhon said: “I was particularly pleased when Balbir Singh DL requested the YSF to link the Queens Jubilee celebrations to the YSF annual Vaisakhi celebrations and would like to acknowledge and thank our chief guest Lord Lieutenant Ed Anderson for being in attendance.”

The Lord Lieutenant for West Yorkshire was delighted to be representing Her Majesty at such a prestigious event.

He said: “I am delighted to extend my greetings for the festival and to share in these celebrations with you.

“We are indeed blessed to have had the Queen serve this country for over 70 years.

“It is worth remembering that famous pledge that she gave all those years ago - ‘I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service’ – Those really are remarkable words, and my goodness, Her Majesty has certainly lived up to that pledge.”

There was a warm welcome from the general secretary of the Yorkshire Sikh Forum, Mr Hardev Singh Sidhu, who greeted the guests, saying: “I am delighted to see so many here today for our joint celebration of the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi and the Platinum Jubilee.

“For Sikhs, Vaisakhi is the most important celebration in our calendar.”

While the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Coun Asghar Khan, reflected on the difficulties of the past two years, his message was upbeat: “Isn’t it wonderful that we are all now back together, in person and enjoying these celebrations.”

Everybody in the hall heartly agreed.

The Yorkshire Sikh Forum is a not-for-profit organisation and all the work undertaken by the members is purely voluntary and self-funded and sponsorships raised, and it was thanks to the generosity of a total of 23 sponsors which enabled the Platinum Jubilee/Vaisakhi dinner to take place

 

 

[5aaban]

I have a feeling there will be some Bhangra routines coming out for this occasion.

[Premi5]

1 hour ago, 5aaban said:

I have a feeling there will be some Bhangra routines coming out for this occasion from "sikhs". 

https://britasia.tv/jaz-dhami-to-perform-at-queens-platinum-jubilee-celebrations/

Jaz Dhami to perform at Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations

By

 Brit Asia Tv

 -

12th May 2022

Jaz Dhami set to perform for the queen

British Asian Punjabi singer Jaz Dhami is set to make history by performing Gal Sun at the official Queens Platinum Jubilee Celebrations on the private grounds at Windsor Castle from 11-15th May. Jaz Dhami will be accompanied by the Tri-service Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra for his performance.

[5aaban]

14 minutes ago, Premi5 said:

https://britasia.tv/jaz-dhami-to-perform-at-queens-platinum-jubilee-celebrations/

Jaz Dhami to perform at Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebrations

By

 Brit Asia Tv

 -

12th May 2022

Jaz Dhami set to perform for the queen

British Asian Punjabi singer Jaz Dhami is set to make history by performing Gal Sun at the official Queens Platinum Jubilee Celebrations on the private grounds at Windsor Castle from 11-15th May. Jaz Dhami will be accompanied by the Tri-service Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra for his performance.

My sixth sense wasn't wrong! 

[Premi5]

53 minutes ago, 5aaban said:

My sixth sense wasn't wrong! 

Not a massive surprise, I guess

What are the Aussies doing to celebrate ?

 

Separately, I found this which is interesting

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/meet-ajmer-surinder-theyre-marking-7143608

Meet Ajmer and Surinder: They're marking 70 years of marriage during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

Ajmer, 86, and 84-year-old Surinder say ‘love, support, devotion and dedication’ are the keys to a long marriage

At the tender ages of 16 and 14, Ajmer Singh and Surinder Kaur had no idea that their love would surpass 70 years. Seven decades on, the couple, who live in Evington, Leicester, celebrated their platinum anniversary alongside friends and family at the Sikh temple in East Park Road.

Ajmer, 86, and 84-year-old Surinder received a card of congratulations from both Her Majesty the Queen , and the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor George Cole. As the couple celebrated their platinum, they sat down with LeicestershireLive to tell their story and share their secrets to having a long-lasting relationship.

In 1952, Ajmer and Surinder had a traditional Hindu ceremony to consolidate their marriage, despite Ajmer being a Sikh. Ajmer said: “We didn’t even see each other before we got married, back in those days the first time you’d meet your spouse was at the actual wedding.

 

“We opted for a Hindu ceremony, because my wife came from a Hindu village, but she has adopted the Sikh religion since then. During the ceremony everyone sits around the fire chanting mantras and giving offerings.

“The husband usually leads the way, as the couple has to walk around the fire seven times. Towards the end the wife leads the way.”

 

The couple were only teenagers when their marriage was arranged, and they had to spend two years apart despite being married, due to the fact that Surinder was only 14. The couple said: “Both marrying young and arranged marriages were very normal at the time so we didn’t think much of it.

“In our culture we don’t ever question our parents or the decisions they made. Ultimately we were more than happy to get married because we knew it was what our parents and culture expected of us.”

......

[dallysingh101]

1 hour ago, 5aaban said:

My sixth sense wasn't wrong! 

Like they'd miss a chance. lol

 

[MisterrSingh]

53 minutes ago, Premi5 said:

“We opted for a Hindu ceremony, because my wife came from a Hindu village, but she has adopted the Sikh religion since then. During the ceremony everyone sits around the fire chanting mantras and giving offerings.

“The husband usually leads the way, as the couple has to walk around the fire seven times. Towards the end the wife leads the way.”

This needs to be discussed a lot more than it currently is. The large majority of people in the pinds from this generation and earlier (and maybe as "recently" as the 70s) may have identified as Sikhs yet they still carried on with Hindu ceremonies and cultural practices. It was very commonplace yet you wouldn't know or think this if you listen to Sikh parchaar and discourse in Gurdwaras. They give the impression Sikhi has been one long uninterrupted line of adherence beginning from 1469 to today. I would argue it was only with the lehars of the late 70s and 80s where the Sikh identity was magnified for obvious reasons, did this "dipping toes in both waters" begin to recede or at least go underground, although I'd argue in the past ten years our people over there have started to openly revert to Hindu cultural practices once again under the guise of non-descript Punjabi-ism. It's a very interesting conversation.

How long can a religion such as ours (with an obviously floundering birthrate and adherence levels, terrible political leadership, and ignorant and unrelatable religious hierarchy) with a heavily interdependent shared mythology with the original "brand", resist a gradual reabsorption into the main branch? It'll take some doing to resist.

[5aaban]

 

On 6/1/2022 at 9:06 PM, MisterrSingh said:

This needs to be discussed a lot more than it currently is. The large majority of people in the pinds from this generation and earlier (and maybe as "recently" as the 70s) may have identified as Sikhs yet they still carried on with Hindu ceremonies and cultural practices. It was very commonplace yet you wouldn't know or think this if you listen to Sikh parchaar and discourse in Gurdwaras. They give the impression Sikhi has been one long uninterrupted line of adherence beginning from 1469 to today. I would argue it was only with the lehars of the late 70s and 80s where the Sikh identity was magnified for obvious reasons, did this "dipping toes in both waters" begin to recede or at least go underground, although I'd argue in the past ten years our people over there have started to openly revert to Hindu cultural practices once again under the guise of non-descript Punjabi-ism. It's a very interesting conversation.

How long can a religion such as ours (with an obviously floundering birthrate and adherence levels, terrible political leadership, and ignorant and unrelatable religious hierarchy) with a heavily interdependent shared mythology with the original "brand", resist a gradual reabsorption into the main branch? It'll take some doing to resist.

-

 

[5aaban]

1 hour ago, Premi5 said:

Not a massive surprise, I guess

What are the Aussies doing to celebrate ?

 

Separately, I found this which is interesting

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/meet-ajmer-surinder-theyre-marking-7143608

Meet Ajmer and Surinder: They're marking 70 years of marriage during the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

Ajmer, 86, and 84-year-old Surinder say ‘love, support, devotion and dedication’ are the keys to a long marriage

At the tender ages of 16 and 14, Ajmer Singh and Surinder Kaur had no idea that their love would surpass 70 years. Seven decades on, the couple, who live in Evington, Leicester, celebrated their platinum anniversary alongside friends and family at the Sikh temple in East Park Road.

Ajmer, 86, and 84-year-old Surinder received a card of congratulations from both Her Majesty the Queen , and the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor George Cole. As the couple celebrated their platinum, they sat down with LeicestershireLive to tell their story and share their secrets to having a long-lasting relationship.

In 1952, Ajmer and Surinder had a traditional Hindu ceremony to consolidate their marriage, despite Ajmer being a Sikh. Ajmer said: “We didn’t even see each other before we got married, back in those days the first time you’d meet your spouse was at the actual wedding.

 

“We opted for a Hindu ceremony, because my wife came from a Hindu village, but she has adopted the Sikh religion since then. During the ceremony everyone sits around the fire chanting mantras and giving offerings.

“The husband usually leads the way, as the couple has to walk around the fire seven times. Towards the end the wife leads the way.”

 

The couple were only teenagers when their marriage was arranged, and they had to spend two years apart despite being married, due to the fact that Surinder was only 14. The couple said: “Both marrying young and arranged marriages were very normal at the time so we didn’t think much of it.

“In our culture we don’t ever question our parents or the decisions they made. Ultimately we were more than happy to get married because we knew it was what our parents and culture expected of us.”

......

I didn't even know it was the Queen's jubilee until a news website posted about it yesterday. I don't think many Aussies are aware about it either. 

[MisterrSingh]

16 minutes ago, 5aaban said:

I didn't even know it was the Queen's jubilee until a news website posted about it yesterday. I don't think many Aussies are aware about it either. 

It's been plastered on Screwfix's website for a few days, lol. I didn't know it was happening until a couple of days ago.