Celebrations March 10th to 19th, 2019
The days from March 10th to the 19th are always a special time in Kirpal Sagar, reminding us how close joy and sadness can be in life. March 10th is the birthday of Biji Surinder Kaur, who built Kirpal Sagar at the behest of Sant Kirpal Singh together with her husband, Dr. Harbhajan Singh. March 19th, the day of her departure, follows soon afterwards.
On the morning of March 10th 2019, people assembled to pay tribute with Shabads (songs) and speeches to Biji, as she was called by everyone. After that, the day of the “Daughters of Punjab” started.
“Daughters of Punjab” competition
At Biji’s request on her birthday, a programme called “Daughters of Punjab”, which promotes women and girls, takes place. This was an issue of great importance to Biji. So this event was maintained in her honour and is now also celebrated as her day.
This year, 76 women aged between 17 and 35 took part. Mrs. Sarabjit Mangat, a well-known artist and expert of Punjabi culture, hosted the programme. The guest speaker was Prof. Dr. Baljeet Kaur from Guru Nanak University, Amritsar. Kushpreet Kaur, who won the talent competition Miss PTC Punjabi 2018, encouraged the candidates to give their best.
The young women presented traditional dances and sang folk songs from different parts of India with a lot of energy and grace. The beautiful, colourful dresses and spirited performances were greatly admired.
The candidates performed confidently in front of a large audience and answered questions about the history of Punjab and about various saints.
A jury judged the performances and chose the winners. The event could also be followed in Europe via a satellite programme. The programme ended at 6:30 p.m. with the award ceremony and photos of the winners.
This joyful, festive event evoked loving memories of Biji, but is always accompanied by melancholy also. For many who had also been in Kirpal Sagar at that time in 2016, it had been the last occasion to see her.
March 19th, 2019
This day began with the conclusion of the three-day reading of the Guru Grant Sahib (Holy Scripture of the Sikhs). Later, all assembled for Satsang (spiritual assembly), and again Shabads and speeches were dedicated to Biji.
“Biji” means mother. She was a mother of Punjab, a mother for all – strong, loving and full of wisdom. She stood above joy and sadness and showed with her life what it means to put the teachings of the Saints, many of whom came from the Punjab, into practice. It was Sant Kirpal Singh who had guided and formed her and her husband. Kirpal Sagar will be associated with their names forever.
