Columnists
My Gurmukhi Khajana
A Book Review by MANJYOT KAUR
MY GURMUKHI KHAJANA: A GURMAT BASED PRIMER, compiled by Harliv Kaur, Jasmine Kaur and Harinder Singh; illustrated by Navneet Kaur. Sikh Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 2007. ISBN-13: 978-1-604411-000-5. ii + 43 pages. Price: $13.
This is a lovely children's book, meant to introduce youngsters to the letters of the Gurmukhi alphabet through the use of Gurmat-based vocabulary. Words used in this kaida (Gurmukhi alphabet primer) were chosen from the Guru Granth Sahib, as well as several other Gurmat sources. According to the book's creators, this was deemed an important way of familiarizing children with terminology from the Sikh sacred scriptures.
The illustrations depicting each word are beautifully rendered in an appealingly child-like fashion. Not surprisingly, they strongly emphasize Sikh principles and traditional lifestyle. All the people are shown as Sikhs who are observant of the full discipline of the faith, with suitable head-coverings and dress, beards where appropriate, etc. In keeping with the gender equality inherent to Sikhi, many gender-inclusive touches were included. For example, a woman is among the three soldiers in "army", the police officer in "stick" is a female, and the "warrior" is a Mai Bhago look-alike.
Words not depicted through the use of human beings are also shown in a uniquely Sikh way. For example, "enemy" is represented by the Panj Doot, while "duty" enumerates Nitnem, Seva , and helping others. Ideas embodying more abstract qualities, such as "emotional pain", and concepts of a strictly Sikh nature, such as "Name" (i.e., Naam) and "Vaheguru" are graced with especially sensitive illustrations.
A page of suggested activities is placed in a prominent place, right before the start of the main section of the book. This is an imaginative and comprehensive list of instructions, which adults will find easy to comply with; children will surely enjoy the results!
Regarding matters of a more technical nature, the explanation on the "colophon" page about transliteration and the "Sikhri" font may, in some cases, assume too much background in linguistics on the part of the adult facilitators. (It will certainly be unintelligible to the young children, themselves.) Furthermore, its physical placement, in small-sized type on the bottom of a left-hand page, may unfortunately result in this important explanation being entirely overlooked.
Similar difficulties might be encountered with the Appendix. The effort on the part of the book's creators to locate each word as used in Guru Granth Sahib was a highly laudatory one. However, as with the previously-mentioned segment, this section may not get the adult usage it deserves. While the considerable motivation it assumes on the part of the adults may indeed be present, this may not be the case with the Gurmukhi reading ability and access to Guru Granth Sahib also required.
These caveats aside, My Gurmukhi Khajana remains an undoubtedly valuable book, especially when used, as its creators intended, as a supplemental resource with the Sohji elementary school curriculum.
Conversation about this article
1: Pritam Singh Grewal (Canada), September 17, 2007, 6:52 AM.
A welcome addition to the learning/teaching treasure of Punjabi primers or Kaidas. To relate our children's education with Gurbani and Sikhi is an excellent idea. Though the authors may have their own reasons, I feel the correct word/spelling, "Khazana" could have been used in its title.
2: Harinder (Pune, India), September 17, 2007, 8:28 AM.
Punjabi is a divine language and we must all be well acquainted with it.
3: Tejwant (U.S.A.), September 17, 2007, 12:25 PM.
If it were not for our Gurus introducing Gurmukhi script, Punjabi would have become a forgotten language and long been dead, the same end all oral langauges have. It is sad to notice that many Sikhs in Northern India and elsewhere prefer speaking in Hindi while ignoring their beautiful mother tongue.
4: Manjeet Singh (Faridkot, Punjab), September 28, 2007, 4:28 AM.
I would like to be in touch with the group behind this venture. I can be contacted at manjeet_sekhon@yahoo.com
5: Sarjit Singh Khalsa (England), October 17, 2007, 9:57 AM.
It's very good, but remember that where all of this comes from is under Indian goverment contol: we need to wrest control back over our destiny!
6: M. Kaur (Virginia, U.S.A.), December 27, 2007, 11:54 AM.
"My Gurmukhi Khajana" is an asset to our youth. It enables them to explore their curiosity as they learn our mother-tongue. I read this article a few months back, and I am glad to come back today with a record of positive results. I am pleased to say that I have a nephew who has just learned to speak Panjabi; for example, when he goes outside, rather than saying "sky" or babbling undecipherable gibberish, he points up and utters "asmaan". It is a proud day when we can say that our children are growing up in an American lifestyle that is infused with the rich values of Sikhi, and especially knowledge of Gurmukhi. We have the opportunity to live out the dreams of two different worlds and "My Gurmukhi Khajana" is the bridge that connects them.
7: Surjit Singh (Jalandhar, Punjab), June 04, 2008, 7:31 AM.
Where can I purchase this book in Jalandhar, Punjab or India?
8: Sikh Research Institute (San Antonio, Texas, U.S.A.), June 27, 2008, 12:15 PM.
If you would like to be in contact with the institute about the book's content or to purchase one, please e-mail us at info@sikhri.org.
9: Pooja Sharma (Ambala City, India), March 14, 2011, 3:29 AM.
I am learning Gurmukhi.
10: Asim (Pakistan), April 09, 2011, 8:35 AM.
I want to learn it. How can I do this?