The fuzzy image above, I'm told, was picked up by a passing satellite.
Daily Fix
Yes, Virginia, There is a Sangat Singh!
T. SHER SINGH
I have never met him. I have never seen him in person either, even from a distance.
Yes, I do receive e-mails from him and send him mine in return, but for all I know, they could be coming from or ending up at the North Pole. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are a bunch of elves busy all year round in a remote workshop, handling the correspondence.
Does that mean ‘Sangat Singh’ is another name for Santa?
Is he real?
Yes, Virigina, there is a Sangat Singh … as real as Santa … and the Easter Bunny.
I can personally attest that I have received umpteen gifts from him.
Books and CDs and DVDs arrive in the mail, and I don’t even have to show that I’ve been good. At regular intervals, I receive words of support, of encouragement … and inspiration.
Out of the blue I get not only ideas for articles, but from time to time even full-blown articles. And photos. And links … audio … video.
His daily comments, stories and anecdotes you’ve seen, I’m sure, posted on these very article pages. And jokes … some naughty and mischievous ones too, which I judiciously keep off the magazine’s pages. Can’t you almost hear the deep, rumbling “Ho! Ho! Ho!” when you read them?
Last Diwali, a visitor arrived at my door. Sent by Sangat Singh, he said. And brought me a box of mithaa-ees. Even Santa doesn’t do that!
Yet, I assure you, I’ve never met him.
But that’s no grounds to doubt his existence.
My good friend Dya Singh tells me he’s met him and knows him. I believe him, though I take it with a pinch of salt. Dya is a good man who sings with the angels. I do believe him, but sometimes I wonder …
Then, my friend and fellow-columnist Rosalia Scalia assures me that she has actually spoken to him over the phone. I believe her, but between you and me, I’m not swallowing it hook, line and sinker. After all, she is a weaver of tales, and her article on Sangat Singh, which I’m sure you too have read on these very pages, does make a good story.
There have been rumours too that some astronauts, during their frolics through the heavens, have actually had conversations with Sangat Singh across the ether. Sure, they have. Didn’t one of them also report once that he saw a team of reindeer flying through the stratosphere?
School children by the hundreds will put their hands on their hearts and swear they have witnessed Sangat Singh talking to space-ships as they whizz by like comets above us. Of course they have.
Space scientists will give you affidavits declaring that Sangat Singh is their friend. Of course they do. So will parents everywhere, describing how Santa came down the chimney on Christmas Eve …
Frankly, I’m not complaining.
I like getting these e-mails regularly, and the gifts too, especially the nuggets of wisdom and the perfect quotes from gurbani ... and the kind words … I thrive on them. And they enrich the pages of sikhchic.com like no one else does more.
He’s the reason why we don’t have a DAILY SMILE box alongside the daily photo and the day’s quote. Because he provides it.
So, who am I to question who sends those e-mails and where they really come from? They can be elves sending them, or gnomes, even hobbits. And they could be coming from the North Pole, for all I care. Or Demre in Turkey. Or even Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.
Regardless of whatever, I’m just thankful that there is a Sangat Singh.
And so should you be, Virginia, because yes, there is a Sangat Singh!
* * * * *
The legend of Sangat Singh, it says somewhere, turns 80 on this day, Thursday, April 18, 2013.
Happy birthday, S. Sangat Singh ji.
All I have to add is: S. Fauja Singh started running marathons when he turned 81. So, wish you good health … and a pair of new keds. 12 more months to prepare, and there’s an all-new experience waiting for you. (Though, it appears, there isn’t much you haven’t done to date!)
April 18, 2013 ... Kuala Lumpur time.
Conversation about this article
1: Ajeet and Dipa (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), April 17, 2013, 7:46 PM.
100% confirmed ... and we have legal documentation to prove it. Thousands can vouch and bear witness! What a lovely piece ... and thank you very much, Sardar Sher Singh for honoring our family. Wishing our dearest Papa and Nanaji a very, very happy birthday. It would take us volumes to list all our gratitude to you. Lots of love.
2: Rosalia Scalia (Baltimore, Maryland, USA), April 17, 2013, 8:14 PM.
I can attest to the existence of Sangat Singh, whom I call Sangat-jio! Since interviewing him via Skype, daily emails, sometimes multiple e-mails, containing jokes, stories, histories, show up in my inbox, and now I look for these daily smiles. Happy Birthday, Sangat-jio! Many happy returns of the day! It's been my pleasure all along these encounters with the learned S. Sangat-Singh-jio!
3: Paramjit Singh Grewal (Auckland, New Zealand), April 17, 2013, 10:28 PM.
Thank you, Sher Singh ji, for an excellent piece on Papa. Wishing you a very Happy Birthday, Papa, and may you always continue to guide us in our life with your wisdom and knowledge. We thank you for all your guidance. My thanks also goes to all of Papa's friends and his cybermates who have always given him so much respect and love.
4: Gurbux Singh (Chatsworth, California, USA), April 18, 2013, 12:45 AM.
A very happy birthday to Old Man Sangat Singh. The memory of watching you with all the kids, microphone in hand and talking to the astronauts while the space station made a pass over Malaysia, is vivid. You make a lot of people happy and thank you for the seva. 73, Gurbux. W6BUX.
5: Manpreet Singh (Hyderabad, India), April 18, 2013, 1:06 AM.
Happy Birthday, Sardar ji!
6: Jessie (Prai, Malaysia), April 18, 2013, 1:12 AM.
A very lovely article indeed, Mr. Writer ji. It has been ages since I have met him, although I do hear about him often. A very happy birthday to S. Sangat Singh ji ... My first cousin (Paramjit Singh Grewal) would normally bring my attention to articles written by his father-in-law and I have always enjoyed them too!
7: Jagdeep Kaur (New Zealand ), April 18, 2013, 3:58 AM.
Respected Sher Singh ji, thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. I feel honoured that I have met Uncle Sangat Singh ji. He is one amazing, positive and kind soul. I want to wish Uncle ji a very happy birthday and many happy returns of the day. Looking forward to reading your insights in the future. God bless you.
8: Dya Singh (Melbourne, Australia), April 18, 2013, 4:23 AM.
Ho! Ho! Ho! Sangat Singh to me is the epitome of a GurSikh. Yes, Sher Singh ji, he does exist. A jolly gurmukh with an eternal smile and barely a furrow on his brow. I wonder if he has ever uttered a harsh word. Sangat Singh ji - many more happy years ahead. I look forward to seeing you next month when I pass through M'sia again. Be well, my dear, dear friend.
9: Nellie Kaur (Liverpool, United Kingdom), April 18, 2013, 6:19 AM.
I know S. Sangat Singh only through his frequent comments and occasional articles on this site, and enjoy his stories very much. Happy Birthday, Sir, and many, many happy returns ... and may you continue to adorn these pages for a long, long time.
10: Jaideep Singh (Sydney, Australia), April 18, 2013, 7:57 AM.
Thank you, S. Sher Singh ji. For me Sangat uncle ji perfectly fits the WOW definition ('Wonders of Waheguru' - as described by Dya uncle ji). Happy B'day, Uncle ji and thank you for your love, blessings and guidance.
11: Kirandeep Kaur (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada), April 18, 2013, 8:12 AM.
An extraordinary tribute to an extraodnary man! My thanks to the author ... and a Happy Birthday to S. Sangat Singh.
12: Dr K. N. Singh (Johor Bahru, Malaysia), April 18, 2013, 8:20 AM.
Yes, Sher ji, he is a full-blooded fellow-countryman of mine. An ardent Radio Ham (9M2SS), I have known him for 5 decades and have had many a chat on the radio with 'Sweet Sixteen', as he called himself, though I insisted 'Sexy Sardar' fitted him better. Just spoke to him to wish him, as I know I will every year for the next 20 years and more, as he is a tough nut and will outlast most of us.
13: Satvir Kaur (Boston, MA, USA), April 18, 2013, 8:53 AM.
Happy Birthday, Sangat Singh ji! It's a joy to read your comments to all the articles on sikhchic.com every day!
14: Manjit Kaur (Frederick, Maryland, USA), April 18, 2013, 12:04 PM.
A great tribute by T. Sher Singh to a gentle soul. Happy Birthday, S. Sangat Singh ji. I love your comments and always look forward to reading them. Maybe sikchic.com could promote you and give you your own column!
15: Chintan Singh (San Jose, California, USA), April 18, 2013, 12:16 PM.
Many happy returns of the day, S. Sangat Singh ji. Your comments on these pages are enlightening and encourage me to walk on the path of Sikhi. Stories and anecdotes of your childhood always put a smile on my face. Best wishes for good health and many more good years to come.
16: Inni Kaur (Fairfield, Connecticut, USA), April 18, 2013, 5:21 PM.
Happy Birthday, Sangat Singh ji! Thank you for sharing your wisdom with the sikhchic.com community.
17: Simran Grewal (Dunedin, New Zealand), April 18, 2013, 7:50 PM.
Thank you, S. Sher Singh for this wonderful dedication to a man I know as Nana ji. Wishing you a very happy birthday, Nana! I can't wait till we meet again ... till then, continue emailing me although I never reply (but you do know I read them), always guiding us in every decision we have to make and showing us unconditional love. We all love you lots and wish we could be there with you yesterday. I hope the surprise visit by Mummy and Maasi made your birthday just that tad bit more special.
18: Jagjeet Singh (Malaysia), April 18, 2013, 9:51 PM.
Sher Singh, what a captivating title to the article. I know Sangat for about 20 years now and that man amazes you with his knowledge of everything from religion to space. My spouse and I dropped by at his home yesterday to convey in person our birthday wishes on his 80th, and had the privilege of a small chat. And as usual, you should see Sangat taking you all to another world with his spiritual quotes and references; and we would have loved to stay on but family commitments made us leave with regret. Here is a rare breed in our amidst. We were fortunate to have had the privilege of seeing him in his abode ... we tried our luck and luck was on our side, for we met the cyber-space man enjoying his simple home-cooked meal of daal roti. A very happy 80th birthday, Sangat Singh ji!
19: Purinder Singh (Ludhiana, Punjab), April 18, 2013, 10:59 PM.
Happy birthday, Uncle Sangat ji. Thank you for sharing your self with us. In Guru Arjan's words: "He who cannot melt himself into tears, tears of bliss and sympathy and thankfulness, how can he enter the kingdom of heaven?" [Prof. Puran Singh, The Spirit Born People.]
20: Prattap Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), April 19, 2013, 1:40 AM.
Sat Sri Akal, Uncle Sangat Singh ji ... Happy birthday! You are not far from where I live.
21: Balvinder Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), April 19, 2013, 2:14 AM.
A wonderful tribute to a wonderful Gursikh. Always sharing words of wisdom and encouragement, not to mention his treasure trove of gurmat sangeet. Happy birthday, Uncle Sangat Singh ji!
22: Manveet Kaur (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), April 19, 2013, 8:52 AM.
I'm thankful there is a Sangat Singh too! Wonderful article. I feel so proud to know you. Wishing you a very very Happy 80th birthday, uncle ji (or should I say, Santa ji) with many more happy, healthy years to come.
23: Frances Melberzs (nee Bayne) (Adelaide, Australia), April 19, 2013, 9:47 AM.
Many happy wishes on your 80th Birthday, Sangat. Here is a man I hold in the highest respect as my father, Jimmy Bayne, did while they worked alongside each other on Sua Betong Estate in the fifties. It was an absolute joy to be able to meet him again in September 2010 with my sister, Avril and our children and go down memory lane together. It was wonderful to hear him relate the escapades in the lives of rubber planters in a way only Sangat Singh could tell to a very attentive audience of Jimmy Bayne's grandchildren. So meaningful for all to hear. Sangat Singh's attention to detail made our visit to our birth place so enjoyable and so memorable. Thanks to emails, our visit has been extended. Even my husband "knows" Sangat from the many emails full of snippets of wisdom, snippets of touching stories full of empathy that make you think and even shed a tear. Here is a very caring and giving man to all of us, however old, whatever nationality. We say, thank you. May you have many more happy birthdays to come, Sangat Singh.
24: Dato Dr Mohinder Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), April 19, 2013, 11:42 AM.
Thank you, Sher Singh ji, for this excellent tribute to this most wonderful person. We have been blessed to have known him personally. In fact we meet him at our weekly satsangs. He always has some pearls of wisdom to share. His treasure of knowledge and his memory are amazing! Wishing you a very Happy Birthday, Sangat ji. May Waheguru grant all your wishes.
25: Harpreet Singh Makkar (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), April 19, 2013, 2:10 PM.
Thank you, Sher Singh ji, for this wonderful piece ... loved the way you presented it. And yes, there is a Sangat Singh, I can vouch for him as I've had the pleasure of meeting him in flesh and blood. He's been an inspiration, always! God bless you with a long, happy and healthy life, Uncle ... Happy Birthday! ... (a li'l belated though).
26: Jasvinder Parmar (Hamiton, New Zealand), April 19, 2013, 5:41 PM.
You read the comments and you simply wonder who is this man ... that's the feeling I used to get when I started reading his comments here on sikhchic.com. You can go gaga over the vast knowledge and experience he holds, and his memory of the events in his past and, to top it, his sense of humour! Till a few years ago, I didn't know who Sangat Singh was, how old he was, what he looked like, there was point in my life when I wanted to know more about him. But as they say, this life is funny. It's been said that life brings whatever you ask of it ... and that's what exactly happened to me. I found out who Sangat Singh was. My longing to know him brought me close to one of his lovely, cheerful daughters, and I couldn't believe it when, while talking to her one day, she mentioned that S. Sangat Singh was her father. Since then I've got to know him through his numerous emails and his comments here on sikhchic.com, so I can definitely say he exists, Sher Singh ji. It is amazing how he has something so thoughtful and fitting to say about each issue, and always based on gurbani. His thoughts have got a kind of magnetism about them which draws you closer to him and you can't avoid being not influenced by him. Would love to say I have met him too, one day, but today will like to wish Uncle ji and his whole family my best wishes and a big thanks for sharing his knowledge with us!
27: Jasjit Grewal (Auckland, New Zealand), April 21, 2013, 11:35 PM.
Thank you, Sher Singh ji, for this excellent dedication for my Nana ji. Nana ji always provides those of us fortunate enough to be on his mailing list with many interesting and enlightening emails and we are thankful that he shares his knowledge with us! Lots of love
28: Sarjit Singh Jassal (Perth, Western Australia), April 22, 2013, 9:05 AM.
Sardar Sangat Singh ji! He is real enough! And he is a legend too! Many happy returns, and may Waheguru always be with you. As a family, we had the good fortune to meet with you and your family (a couple of times) and once, in an estate. I drove a yellow Volvo then. You probably may not remember this. Since then we have met Paramjit (in Perth) some three years ago. Kuldeep ji, my wife, and I met up with Paramjit, Harbir and family in Auckland in February 2011. Since I discovered sikhchic.com, I have learnt a tremendous lot through your thought-provoking write-ups and about your life and experiences in Malaysia. Keep it up, Bhai Sahib, so that we can learn more from your wisdom.