Ek Ongkar Singh Khalsa addresses an interfaith congregation at Trinity Boston
The author has been teaching Sikh History for several years and has written extensively on a wide range of topics relating to Sikhism. The Story Of The Sikhs is being released soon.
On August 23, 2012, in the aftermath of the attack on the Oak Creek Gurdwara, fifteen hundred gathered at the Trinity Church in Boston in a stunning and generous act of solidarity with the Sikhs. The event was led by Laura Everett of The Mass Council of Churches, Jeremy Burton of the Jewish Community Relations Council and many other Boston area Interfaith leaders. Trinity Church resounded with the sounds of Gurmat Sangeet, Sikh Sacred Music and after the service Guru Ka Langar was served in the under-croft. This uplifting event was the genesis of the podcast, which was conceived in response to the interest that the multi faith congregation expressed in learning more about the Sikhs.
Season 1 will have ten episodes and will cover the history of the Sikhs from the coming of Guru Nanak, the first Guru until the martyrdom of Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru.
The Story Of The Sikhs which is launching soon, is is an attempt by the creators of the play Kultar's Mime to create a very engaging and accessible resource for anyone who wishes to learn about the Sikhs. Rather than a linear retelling of history it is a peripatetic walk, touching upon events and ideas that the creators personally find compelling and which inform their worldview as Sikhs. A Preview of Episode 1 of Season 1 can be requested by clicking this link.
Here is some of the feedback from listeners who have previewed the podcast :
"I just finished listening to the first episode. I am very impressed by the artful weaving of philosophy, history, spirituality, and music. Very creative."
“The writing and narration are enticing, bringing life and feeling to the 'story's players' “
“The pace of the narration is deliberate, allowing the listener to not only follow the narrative, but to connect emotionally to the story. “
“A good balance is struck in the story - it speaks to older and younger audiences, as well as I think to Sikh and non-Sikh audiences.”
“The ability to weave present experiences / events (e.g. langar) into the narrative, which those familiar with the tradition will have undoubtedly encountered and those new to Sikhism can readily relate to their own experiences, and anchor them in the narrative is heuristically effective. This is a nice literary way of playing past off present.”
“Both the length and narrative scope of the podcast is good. There is a 'natural' breaking point in the historiography here; and 50 minutes is a nice length.”
“The musical score fits with the tone and mood of the narrative. ”
"I had a chance to listen to the podcast and I am blown away! The narrator's very powerful and clear voice is exciting to listen to and very easy to follow in both Punjabi and English. The narration, along with the music, really transported me to the scenes described and I felt like I understood them on a deeper level. I love how everything was explained in story-telling mode and I think something like this is so needed for Sikhism to be understood by a larger audience. This has the potential of being a very useful resource in schools. I think this also a great way to engage young people in a very accessible way!"
Sarbpreet Singh is a playwright, commentator and poet, who has been writing while pursuing a career in technology for several years. He is the author of Kultar’s Mime, a poem about the 1984 Sikh Genocide which was adapted for the stage. His commentary has appeared on NPR’s Morning Edition and Worldview, The Boston Herald, The Providence Journal, The Milwaukee Journal and several other newspapers and magazines. He is the founder and director of the Gurmat Sangeet Project, a non-profit dedicated to the preservation of traditional Sikh music and serves on the boards of various non-profits focused on service and social justice. He is very active in Interfaith circles and has been invited to present at the Parliament of The World’s Religions.