Sikhs helping their local community

SIKHS HELPING THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITY - By Raveena Hargun

Sikh Swat (Sikh welfare awareness and team) are based in Reading and other parts of the UK they are a charity that helps support people and the homeless by serving them langer which is a service where the Sikh community help feed people who need it the most and help which is free. They help people across the world too.

The Sri Guru Singh Sabha gurdwara/ temple in reading on Cumberland Road will help you get free food as well. All of the food in the gurdwara is always vegetarian due to religious reasons and guests must respect the rules. Although Sikhs are not required to be vegetarian, vegetarian meals must be served in the gurdwara/ temple, this ensures anybody with dietary restrictions of their faith can eat langar and in the langar hall. The Reading Swat team helps people who need it the most and they do other events and projects that can also change people’s lives in many different ways. The Swat serves food to the homeless every Wednesday at 7pm and Sunday at 6pm anyone is welcome to help volunteer. They will also help people source food at other times. However, the swat team now has a healthcare team as well which are supported by Tesco and other community services. In Reading they are talking to people that have mental health issues. The Sikh community in Reading have set up a mobile van that has toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwa sh and dentist surgeons that help the homeless. During covid, the swat team helped by providing hand sanitizer and getting the covid vaccine to keep people safe in these difficult times. The Sikh community, amongst others, do a great job to help and support people who need it in the Reading area and other parts of the country too.

WHAT IS LOHRI? - By Raveena Hargun

Lohri is the Sikh community’s bonfire night which marks the New year for the Punjabi farmers. The celebration is of bhangra and Gidda; this is normally done in the evening. Lohri is celebrated by everyone forming a circle and a drum in the middle is lit up with fire. People stand away from the fire and start to sing Lohri songs. Certain people will go around the fire and throw paper or Indian chikki, popcorn and other sweets into the drum. Why do we burn in Lohri? Because it brings prosperity and holds special value for new Punjabi brides and newborn babies. Typically this is celebrated when someone has a newborn child or has gotten married for the first time. The food we traditionally eat on Lohri is, Pakora and samosas for starters, Saag with Makki ki roti (spinach and chapatti) for mains, and dessert is ladoo, kheer or Gur ka halwa. In addition to this, there are traditional clothes we wear. Men will wear a simple kurta pajama and women will wear Patiala salwar with a bindi and parandi in their hair. However, the parandi is optional. There is also a film showcasing Lohri’s traditions called Veer- Zaara. One person said they absolutely love the film Veer- Zaara because ”It’s

a roller coaster ride of emotions: From joy, to love, to passion, to grief and to anger, this film is everything and makes sure to keep the audience engaged in each and

every scene.” The movie has a wide range of different emotions and it educates the new generation and tells people and other cultures what Lohri is about. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan and Shahrukh Khan, two of the most famous Indian actors in the world.