People
Jamrod Hill, Antarctica
by I.P.S. AHUJASix of our friends, and my wife (Ruby) and I, recently took a voyage to Antarctica.
Ruby and I flew from Montreal to Buenos Aires and on to Ushuaia, the southern-most town in the world, while the rest of the group - all hailing from California - did the same from San Francisco.
At Ushuaia, we boarded the M/S Explorer on the 7th of January, 2007 and crossed Drake's Passage during the night. For the next day and a half, it was just getting used to the ship, and attending lectures on Antarctica's history, its inhabitants and the treaties governing the Earth's southern-most continent.
On January 10, we reached Brown's Bluff on the Antarctica peninsula, and had our first chance to go ashore.
I had brought along a Nishaan Sahib with me. We wanted to build on the adage that no matter where you go on Earth, you'll find a Sikh waiting for you, and that wherever there are five Sikhs, there is a gurdwara!
Well, here we were at the virtual ends of the earth, and there were eight of us! Surely, we had to mark this occasion, this brief glimpse into paradise.
[We were: Dr. Harjit Kaur and Baldev Singh Sekhon, Drs. Surinder Kaur and Ajeetpal Singh Sandhu, Ann and Gurdeep Singh Sekhon - all Californians - and Ruby and I from Montreal.]
Obviously, we could not build a gurdwara. [Yet!] So, the next best thing was to hoist a Nishaan Sahib.
And that's what we did. Just about everybody on the ship joined us.
After ardaas, which was conducted by Ajeetpal and Gurdeep, the Nishaan Sahib was hoisted on a large rock on the beach. [Columbus would have been proud!] And Brown's Bluff was promptly renamed Jamrod Hill.
The hill overlooking the beach - boasting a natural silhouette of a fort and its ramparts, moat and gate - was instantly reminiscent of the great Sikh Fort of Jamrod built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the early 19th Century at the entrance of the Khyber Pass. Which had then, for all intents and purposes, marked the Western frontier of the Sikh Raj.
With Sikh families already living in Northern Canada, close to the Arctic Circle, it only seemed appropriate to complete the "circle" by unfurling the Saffron here and extending the Raj to the furthest horizons!
We were fortunate to have excellent weather, which made the entire journey most enjoyable.
On the last day of our voyage, there was an auction to raise funds to save wildlife in Antarctica. A number of different articles were donated and auctioned.
So, I offered my spare kesree turban on the condition that a member of the ship's crew would indeed wear it for the day. The Captain won the bid at US$100. I tied the turban on the sailor who, I must say, wore it proudly for the rest of the day.
And, to top off the day, the Captain agreed to hoist the Nishaan Sahib on the ship itself, for the day.
A good time was had by all.
Conversation about this article
1: Manjit Kaur (Canada), March 29, 2007, 9:06 AM.
Makes me feel very proud to be a Sikh!
2: Ari Singh (Iceland), March 29, 2007, 12:54 PM.
It's true: Sikhs are indeed to be found everywhere. I have been living in Iceland for the last 25 years. The Icelandic people live further north than the major settlement in Greenland!
3: Harinder (Pune, India), April 06, 2007, 2:45 AM.
Love to be a Sikh. The indominatable spirit of the Khalsa reminds me of Capt Kirk of the Enterprise Space-ship fame.
4: Virenderjit Singh (Toronto, Canada), May 22, 2007, 12:14 PM.
We Sikhs do not lag behind in anything - your adventure has done us proud.
5: Dr. Amritpal Singh (Maryland, U.S.A.), June 13, 2007, 5:49 PM.
Wow!
6: Gundeep Singh Arora (Dallas, U.S.A.), June 30, 2007, 11:59 AM.
Your achievement makes us all proud.
7: Inderdeep Singh (London, United Kingdom), March 22, 2009, 9:52 AM.
I think the time is ripe to have a gurdwara in the Antarctica. I have some thoughts on it, though. [Editor: We'd love to hear from you further on your ideas.]
8: Dr. Jasbir Singh Dhillon (Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A.), August 22, 2009, 1:02 AM.
Well done! Fantastic to see the Nishaan Sahib flying proudly over the Antarctica ... your trip is a symbol of the adventurous, progressive, and modern spirit of curiosity that has characterized the Sikh nation for generations. We are thrilled for your accomplishment, and wish you all the best in the future ... and many similar adventures!
9: Kuldip Singh (England), December 01, 2010, 4:46 PM.
I would like to get in touch with Ari Singh - can someone please provide me his phone number or e-mail address?
10: Amandeep Singh (Ahmedabad, India), October 19, 2012, 1:03 PM.
I really liked the fact that Sikhs have 'conquered' Antarctica too. I used to fantasize on such a day. My suggestion is that we now tackle outer space as a holiday destination.