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Image below: Getting lost in the labyrinths of a sumptuous bookstore is every booklover's dream.

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The Real Deal
The Sacha Sauda Bookstore

by RAVINDER SINGH

 

 

 

I doubt that there is a Sikh who hasn’t heard the hagiographic account of Sacha Sauda, or the 'real deal', associated with Guru Nanak’s life.

Spending twenty rupees (a large sum then) on feeding the poor was the real deal to Guru Nanak, but to his irate father, that was money squandered.

It is all in the perspective, I guess.

There is a real deal in Brampton, Ontario as well, situated in the outskirts of the metropolis of Toronto, within hailing distance of its international airport.

Sacha Sauda, located in a strip mall just off Steeles Avenue, is an outlet exclusively dedicated to Sikhi related books and other Sikhi and gurbani oriented artifacts. Even the Guru Granth Sahib can be made available, provided one is willing to go through some hoops.

For me, no trip to the Toronto area is complete without a visit to Sacha Sauda.

I happened to be visiting friends in the vicinity (90 miles away, actually) last week, and had a late Sunday afternoon flight out of Toronto. Needless to say, I cut out earlier than planned, to allow time for browsing at Sacha Sauda, which happens to be
on the way to the airport.

I love books, bookstores and the business of books, thanks to a school friend, who was also my first crush. I remember walking into her house for the first time (we were both around 13 at the time) to be greeted by book-lined walls, in room after room - reflecting the very eclectic taste of her Oxford educated parents, both literary figures.

For a Singh like me, from a farming and business background, the sight of so many books in one place was quite a culture shock. At home, the only reading material, apart from the Guru Granth Sahib, was the newspaper and the odd copy of Preet Lari, the Punjabi magazine.

This was my introduction to the world of books, to the solitary pleasures of reading, that “most healing of solitary pleasures,” to quote Harold Bloom, the literary critic. It was a culture I embraced wholeheartedly.

Books and bookstores go hand-in-hand. There is no pleasure like spending hours browsing through a bookstore.

I am not a big fan of the highly visible and commercial franchises, like Barnes &  Noble or Borders, although they offer value, and I do go there. In New York, where I lived for many years, The Strand on Broadway and 12th was a favorite. Miles and miles of books - used, new, out of print, rare, you name it. The Strand is big.

In Delhi, some favorites were Famous Book Store on Janpath, or Galgotias in Connaught Place - or Bahrisons in Khan Market, where one could, on occasion, chance into the venerable Khushwant Singh who lived across the street.

But I am really intrigued by the small, off the beaten track, privately owned bookstores. You will find them in the most unexpected of places - in run-down neighborhoods, attics and sometimes, even in people’s homes. In Delhi, some of my best buys have been from street vendors in Daryaganj, not far from Gurdwara Sees Gunj.

Sacha Sauda is one such novel and unique experiment in our community.

Run by a non-profit organization, its operational model is not aimed at the bottom line, but community service and spreading the Guru’s message. It is the only brick and mortar bookstore that caters exclusively to Sikhi. Sikh publishers like Bhai Chattar Singh or Jawahar Singh Kirpal Singh or The Singh Brothers have front-end stores but they are more like closets.

The entrance to Sacha Sauda is like entering a gurdwara - no footwear is allowed, and heads need to be covered inside, out of deference to the Guru Granth Sahib and other Sikhi/ gurbani related artifacts. A shoe shelf, a boxfull of scarves, and a washbasin greet the customer as one approaches the front door.

I did not quite know what to make of it but figured it was safer to remove my shoes and wash my hands.

Once inside, I was impressed by the size and layout. There were rows of books in both English and Punjabi, generally arranged by author but also shelved by subject.

In addition, Sikh paraphernalia like patkas, gutkas, harras, musical instruments, khandas, kirpans and a large selection of gurbani CD’s, DVD’s and MP3 - just about everything. Even stainless steel (sarabh loh) utensils!

Interestingly, volunteers operate the store. They have regular jobs but offer their time and service. An amiable brother with a flowing beard and gatra greeted me. He was happy to show me around and I was just as happy to be guided.

I bought a couple of books - both in Punjabi. The friendly attendant congratulated me on my choice: one, by Dr. Jaswant Singh Neki, entitled "Gurmat Manovigyan or The Psychology of Gurmat" and the other, Bhai Joginder Singh Talwara’s "Gurbani da Saral Viyakaran Bodh, or An Easy Guide to Gurbani Grammar".

Believe me, the grammar is anything but saral (simple)!

The Sacha Sauda model is one that needs to be perpetuated across large cities with sizable Sikh populations. In the scheme of things, it is our gurdwaras who should be actively disseminating the message of Sikhi through such distribution channels.

But, in their absence, perhaps we need more co-ops like Sacha Sauda.

 

November 16, 2011

Conversation about this article

1: Harjit Singh (Seattle, WA, U.S.A.), November 16, 2011, 10:57 AM.

Ahhh! Feeling bad, because only last year I was in Toronto attending a wedding but couldn't break out from the whole thing to visit this place even though I had it in my sights when we left Seattle. Oh-hh-h, maybe next time. The first thing after landing in Toronto will have to be to visit this place as it is not too far from the airport. Congratulation on acquiring those two books ...

2: Lakhvir Singh Khalsa (Nairobi, Kenya), November 17, 2011, 12:58 AM.

When I was in Toronto in the winter of 2009, I visited this store and wished my private study could be just that!

3: Sukhindarpal Singh (Penang, Malaysia), November 17, 2011, 10:14 AM.

I look forward to the next level of "sachasaudabookstore.com" for us less fortunate book buyers/readers.

4: Gurmeet Kaur (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.), November 17, 2011, 10:39 AM.

I visited the Sacha Sauda Bookstore last year on my visit to Toronto and was elated to see their collection. A few days later, my enthusiasm dampened when I found out that the copies of Vismaad Films's DVDs they were selling were pirated copies. If this is true, then to do proper seva, they need to look into this immediately and refrain from selling such copies.

5: Mohan Singh (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), November 17, 2011, 10:47 AM.

There is parkash of Guru Granth Sahib on the 1st floor of Sacha Sauda.

6: Dr. Teja Singh (Brampton, Ontario, Canada), November 18, 2011, 8:40 AM.

I was looking for a bookstore like this in Canada for a long time and was delighted to find one. I went there and was amazed at the vast collection of books and artifacts relating to Sikhism, all at a reasonable price. When I asked, I was delighted to know how it started. I recommend strongly to the Sikh community of other major cities in North America to organize a similar volunteer effort for establishing such bookstores. It is a great seva, to serve and make aware the present and future generations about the unique teachings of our great Gurus.

7: Muhammad Butt (Michigan, USA), August 04, 2013, 4:36 PM.

I am about to publish a book, an English translation of "Heer & Ranjha" (Publisher: Create Space, a subsidiary of Amazon Books). Would you be interested in selling it through your store?

8: Mariyam Javed (Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan), December 04, 2013, 9:17 PM.

I have a book . "Sacha Sauda" in the Urdu language in pdf file. If you want to read this book, please contact me at mariyamjaved80@gmail.com. This book's writer's name is Tariq Javed, a Muslim scholar who has done research on Sikh history. This book is not available in the market. It is free of cost.

9: Dr Tarlochan Singh Bedi (Leesburg, Florida, USA), March 23, 2017, 3:25 PM.

It is an experience of a sort one never has had before. The presentation is unique. This is a must for all believers in the Sikh Faith to support this outstanding effort to bring religious knowledge to the masses. You deserve full praise.

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The Sacha Sauda Bookstore"









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