FASHION

Bandi Chhor Divas

A celebration of pride, sacrifice and honour

Bandi Chhor Divas which rich history and culture of the com- be an admirer of the Guru; instead translates to the Prisoner munity. of arresting him, he persuaded

Liberation Day is the day when the sixth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Hargobind ji, was liberated from the Gwalior Fort which How it all started: The saga behind Guru Hargobind being detained the Guru to accompany them to Delhi to meet the emperor. Even though Jahangir had ordered the execution of his father, the Guru

is situated in the Indian state of Guru Hargobind’s father, Guru accepted the invitation and jourMadhya Pradesh. He took along 52 Arjan Dev ji, had been martyred neyed to the emperor’s court. On prisoners to freedom with him as almost 13 years before, and the his arrival, when Jahangir met the a sign of love, care and empathy Mughal authorities were carefully young Guru, he was captivated towards his fellow inmates in the watching the young Guru. When by his charm and purity of spirit. prison. This is how this day got its he constructed the Akal Takht, the He asked him as to which religion name and origin. Throne of the Almighty, in Amritsar was better as per him, Hindu or The occasion of Bandi Chhor Divas was first observed in autumn of 1619 and is still celebrated in the month October or November in accordance to the dates of the Hindu lunar calendar. It is a day widely celebrated by the Sikh community in order to commemorate the sacrifice, pride, honour and the and simultaneously strengthened his army, the Nawab of Lahore, Murtaja Khan, was alarmed and informed the Mughal emperor Jahangir about these happenings. The Nawab conveyed his fear that the Guru might be planning to avenge the death of his father. Jahangir soon sent his men Wazir Khan and Guncha Beg to Amritsar to arrest Guru Hargobind. Muslim, to which the Guru quoted lines from poet Kabir asserting that there is “One Lord is within both Hindus and Muslims”. The emperor was spellbound by the wisdom of a young boy and prepared a royal reception for him. Soon, he even invited the young Hargobind to accompany him on his royal hunting expeditions. It is believed that during one Wazir Khan, however, hap- of these hunts, the emperor and pened to his troupe were on a lookout for a lion which had been terroris-

ing a village. Without warning, the lion exploded from the bushes and attacked Jahangir. Desperately, the other hunters fired their weapons but failed to stop its attack. Realising this, Guru Hargobind jumped in front of the beast, without a sight of fear in his eyes, yelling that it must deal with him first. Raising his shield to prevent its jaws, as it leapt in the air, he killed the beast with just one powerful stroke.

The animal fell dead at his feet and it was surprising that this young boy, Hargobind, had saved the emperor’s life.

The Guru and the emperor became good friends, but this only provoked the jealousy of others who wanted the emperor’s favour for themselves. One such man was Chandu Shah, a rich banker, who had some influence in the court. Chandu Shah had been influential in arranging Guru Arjan’s death and now focused his wrath on his son, Guru Hargobind.

While in Agra, the Jahangir became very ill. It seemed that nothing could cure him. Chandu Shah cornered the court astrologers and convinced them to tell the emperor that his illness was due to an inauspicious alignment of the stars which could only be cured if a holy man were to go to Gwalior Fort south of Agra and offer prayers for his recovery. Chandu Shah innocently suggested that there was no one more fit for this precious task than Guru Hargobind. Thus, at the emperor’s request, the Guru agreed and left for the Fort with several companions.

Rather than being a sanctuary of tranquility, Gwalior Fort was really a prison where enemies of the state, including a number of Rajput princes, were detained. True to his nature, the Guru inspired them to join him in daily prayers and did his best to improve their conditions. In time, they came to hold in the highest regard for him. The governor of the fort, Hari Dass, was a Sikh and a follower of the Guru and hence, turned over to him a letter from Chandu Shah ordering him to poison the Guru.

After the Guru had been in Gwalior Fort for several months, his Sikhs, including the ancient Baba Buddha, made the long journey from Amritsar to tell him how greatly they missed his presence. Although the emperor had recovered, still the Guru was held captive. At this time, Mian Mir, a noted Sufi saint, traveled to the emperor’s court and asked him to release the Guru. Upon his persuasion, the emperor ordered Wazir Khan to free the Guru. Hari Dass informed the Guru of this fortunate turn of events; however, the Guru could not embrace his own fortune at the expense of the other prisoners and refused to leave the fort until all 52 of the Rajput princes were freed as well.

When the Wazir Khan put the Guru’s condition in front of the emperor, he initially refused it. It was only when the Wazir Khan reminded the emperor that the Guru had saved his life that he relented. He added a condition of his own: in order to be released from the fort, each prisoner must be holding on to the Guru’s Chola (robe) as he walked out of the prison gates. The emperor was pleased with himself because he was sure that a mere handful would be able to fulfill this condition.

Unbeknownst to him however, the Guru delighted in this challenge by having his tailor make a special robe with 52 panels attached to it. At the appointed time, the Guru donned the heavy Chola, which stretched for yards behind him. The 52 princes each grasped a panel; 26 on the right and 26 on the left. Walking behind the Guru, careful not to let go, they stepped out into the sunlight and freedom, to the cheers of the Guru’s Sikhs.

From this time on, Guru Hargobind was known as Bandi (prison) Chhor (liberator), and the day of liberation is celebrated as Bandi Chhor Divas (day).

Several days later, when Guru Hargobind reached Amritsar, the Hindu festival of light, Diwali, was being celebrated. In their joy at seeing their Guru again, the people lit up the whole city with candles, lights, and lamps. After almost four hundred years, this tradition continues in Amritsar, and on this day the Harimandir Sahib is aglow with thousands of candles and floating lamps, strings of lights decorate the domes, and fireworks burst in the sky. Elsewhere, at Gurdwara Sahib Guru Nanak Dwara in Phoenix and around the world, Sikhs commemorate Bandi Chhor Divas, Prisoner Release Day, by lighting hundreds of candles in the evening around the Gurdwara, singing Shabads in praise of Guru Hargobind by Bhai Gurdas, preparing a festive Guru ka Langar, and basking in the spirit of joy and festivity.

Source: With inputs from Sikh Dharma International

The best ocular and aural services under one roof

When he obtained his optician’s license in 2005, Jason Cheema, the owner of JC Optical and Hearing in BC already knew he wanted to open his store. But he always thought about distinction. “There were so many opticians all around so why would someone choose me?” he wondered. Then a colleague told him about a hearing aid practitioner program. He decided to enroll in the program so that he could get his license and could offer both the services to his clients.

In 2015, he founded JC Optical and Hearing in Surrey. Offering both services increased traffic in the store. The idea worked wonders and some people who would only purchase opticals became hearing aid clients and vice versa. Also, the people who came in for vision care regularly recommended and referred other people for hearing aids and services.

The store advertises both the services offered to clients. They provide customers with complete optical and aural health care examinations to better assess their hearing and vision. With a clinic in the heart of Surrey, British Columbia, they cater to the customer’s needs with friendly service, affordable prices and high-quality glasses from brands like Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Bvlgari and more.

They also offer comprehensive eye exams, contact lenses, prescription sunglasses and eyeglasses, hearing tests as well as hearing aids. They also organize cross-promotions, such as offering a free frame with the purchase of a hearing aid.

Cheema also has ambitions for the future of his practice. He has already opened a second office in Langley and a third is on the way. A fourth facility is expected to open in Abbotsford in 2021. “The goal is to have 10 locations within 3 years,” says Cheema.

After the chaos Covid-19 has brought along, Cheema has also reorganized his office space and processes to meet the new health protocols. Plexiglas shields have been set up in the shop. Frames, door handles, and equipment must be disinfected frequently and meticulously. “It’s a lot more work than before,” he says but that doesn’t let the fine quality services he offers to his customers effect even a bit.

Raising your child the right way!

hood is the most enjoyable and carefree period of life. No one would deny the pleasure of being a child. One of the many compliments that elders bestow upon youngsters is – “What a well-brought up boy/girl!” We also hear praises heaped upon a child or youngster in the name of good breeding. On the other hand, when a child misbehaves, the first people to get blamed are the parents. After all, they are the ones responsible for the behavior of a child until he/she is old enough to assume individual responsibility. Actually, even after growing up, it is your parents who get blamed for your behavior, because you cannot build a great house if the founda-

Without any doubt childtions are not strong and deep.

A well-brought up person is instantly recognized as one. Such a person is usually courteous, calm, confident and willing to help. Often, he/she will also be talented and eager to listen to others.

Good upbringing is all about training a child to be a good citizen and an asset to society. To this end, a parent has to think of the ideal citizen and try to encourage – remember, ‘encourage’ and not force – the child to become this ideal.

One golden rule – while teaching a

child anything, do not insult him/her. No reprimands in public or in the presence of friends. Children are entitled to their dignity too. If a mistake has been made, wait until you are alone with the child and then gently correct him/her.

You have to give advice and counsel, but most of all, you have to show a child that it is possible to live with dignity and treat others with respect and kindness. You must teach them the difference between hoarding money and saving up for a rainy day.You can demonstrate that it is much more fun to share joys and toys, by sharing what you treasure. You can train a child to show respect to elders by treating your own elders with the utmost respect. You can help a child imbibe the value of education by continuing your own learning process, or taking up some course of study.

Building up ‘good qualities’ is never easy. But the best, and perhaps the only, way to teach a child anything is to set an example.

All you need to know about the Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Dr. Pargat Singh Bhurji MD,FRCP ( C ) Consultant Pediatrician Surrery BC

Contd. from last issue Imaging tests can include:

4Flexible sigmoidoscopy. Your doctor examines the lower part of the colon (sigmoid) with a flexible, lighted tube (sigmoidoscope).

4Colonoscopy. Your doctor uses a small, flexible tube to examine the entire length of the colon.

4 X-ray or CT scan. These tests produce images of your abdomen and pelvis that might allow your doctor to rule out other causes of your symptoms, especially if you have abdominal pain. Your doctor might fill your large intestine with a liquid (barium) to make any problems more visible on X-ray. This barium test is sometimes called a lower GI series.

Laboratory tests can include:

4 Lactose intolerance tests. Lactase is an enzyme you need to digest the sugar found in dairy products. If you don’t produce lactase, you may have problems similar to those caused by IBS, including abdominal pain, gas and diarrhoea. Your doctor may order a breath test or ask you to remove milk and milk products from your diet for several weeks.

4Breath test for bacterial overgrowth. A breath test also can determine if you have bacterial overgrowth in your small intestine. Bacterial overgrowth is more common among people who have had bowel surgery or who have diabetes or some other disease that slows down digestion.

4Upper endoscopy. A long, flexible tube is inserted down your throat and into the tube connecting your mouth and stomach (oesophagus). A camera on the end of the tube allows the doctor to inspect your upper digestive tract and obtain a tissue sample (biopsy) from your small intestine and fluid to look for overgrowth of bacteria. Your doctor might recommend endoscopy if celiac disease is suspected. tive liquid produced in your liver (bile acid), if you have chronic diarrhoea.

Treatment

Treatment of IBS focuses on relieving symptoms so that you can live as normally as possible.

Mild signs and symptoms can often be controlled by managing stress and by making changes in your diet and lifestyle. Try to:

4Avoid foods that trigger your symptoms 4Eat high-fiber foods 4 Drink plenty of fluids 4Exercise regularly 4Get enough sleep

Your doctor might suggest that you eliminate from your diet:

4High-gas foods. If you experience bloating or gas, you might avoid items such as carbonated and alcoholic beverages, caffeine, raw fruit, and certain vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower.

4Gluten. Research shows that some people with IBS report improvement in diarrhoea symptoms if they stop eating gluten (wheat, barley and rye) even if they don’t have celiac disease. fructans, lactose and others, known as FODMAPs — fermentable oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols. FODMAPs are found in certain grains, vegetables, fruits and dairy products. Your IBS symptoms might ease if you follow a strict lowFODMAP diet and then reintroduce foods one at a time.

A dietitian can help you with these diet changes.

If your problems are moderate or severe, your doctor might suggest counseling — especially if you have depression or if stress tends to worsen your symptoms.

In addition, based on your symptoms your doctor might suggest medications such as:

4Fiber supplements. Taking a supplement such as psyllium (Metamucil) with fluids may help control constipation.

4 Laxatives. If fiber doesn’t help symptoms, your doctor may prescribe magnesium hydroxide oral (Phillips’ Milk of Magnesia) or polyethylene glycol (Miralax).

4Anti-diarrheal medications. Overthe-counter medications, such as loperamide (Imodium), can help control diarrhoea. Your doctor might also prescribe a bile acid binder, such as cholestyramine (Prevalite), colestipol (Colestid) or colesevelam (Welchol). Bile acid binders can cause bloating.

4Anticholinergic medications. Medications such as dicyclomine (Bentyl) can help relieve painful bowel spasms. They are sometimes prescribed for people who have bouts of diarrhoea. These medications are generally safe but can cause constipation, dry mouth and blurred vision.

4Tricyclic antidepressants. This type of medication can help relieve depression as well as inhibit the activity of neurons that control the intestines to help reduce pain. If you have diarrhoea and abdominal pain without depression, your doctor may suggest a lower than normal dose of imipramine (Tofranil), desipramine (Norpramine) or nortriptyline (Pamelor). Side effects — which might be reduced if you take the medication at bedtime — can include drowsiness, blurred vision, dizziness and dry mouth.

4 SSRI antidepressants. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants, such as fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem) or paroxetine (Paxil), may help if you’re depressed and have pain and constipation.