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Images - First from bottom: A street scene from the legendary Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore. Third from below: Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Emperor of Punjab.

 Maharaja Duleep Singh


Maharaja
Duleep
Singh

Columnists

Sikhs in Print

by MANJYOT KAUR

 

A calendar review at the end of January?

Ah, but this is no ordinary calendar! It's also a fascinating, "no expiration date" keepsake, that promises to retain its enjoyable appeal far beyond the end of 2008.

"Sikhs in Print" is the latest installment in an annual series of sikhpoint.com calendars created by Bicky Singh, the website's founder. Marking Sikhpoint's 11th anniversary, it highlights Western interest in, and connection with the Sikhs and Punjab, from the early 19th to the mid-20th century.

Its panoply of images come from the impressive holdings of the Twin Studio Sikh Print Archive of the renowned contemporary British artists and twin sisters, Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh (known as "The Singh Twins"), who designed the calendar in partnership with Future Computing Solutions, Inc.

The Archive, dedicated to the mission of documenting the history of Sikhs in print  -  hence the very fitting title of the calendar  -  comprises several hundred original artifacts covering a variety of formats and techniques, such as poster art, lithographs, maps and postcards, which trace the development of Sikh-related imagery. While the majority of items in the Archive focus on Sikh themes as depicted by Western artists, the collection also includes non-Sikh motifs produced by Sikh artists.

With the chief exception of the December page, most of the calendar's illustrations are taken from sources, such as The Illustrated London News, produced by Westerners and intended for a European (especially British) audience. As such, they necessarily reflect an "Imperial British" or "Orientalist" viewpoint. Despite these inherent biases, these materials not only remain valuable for the insights they offer into how Sikhs were perceived by Western sensibilities, but also for their success in preserving for posterity a unique visual record of Sikh history, culture and religion during a range of important periods: the Sikh Raj, the British Raj, World Wars I and II, and Indian Independence.

Here's an appetizing sample of four of the calendar's main images, to give just a taste of its lavish scope.

February's illustration, notable for coming from a non-British periodical, first appeared in 1836 in a French journal, Magasin Pittoresque. It depicts one of the earliest known engravings of Harmandar Sahib, providing a panoramic glimpse of the Golden Temple complex during Maharaja Ranjit Singh's reign.

The page for June features a most stately and dignified portrait of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's youngest son, Maharaja Duleep Singh, taken from the British magazine, Illustrated News of the World.

October's offering comes from the hand of a true pioneer of Sikh iconography, Sobha Singh. Although he is certainly a "household name" in contemporary Sikh art, a relatively unknown aspect of his artistic production was his highly-skilled commercial works. This captivating travel poster, with the heading "See India", was used as advertising by the Indian Railways Bureau.

December's image comes from an early 20th century "patriotic journal" produced by Sikhs. Entitled "Freedom Fighters", it proudly showcases four Sikhs who played leading roles in India's struggle for liberation from British rule: Amar Singh, Baba Gurdit Singh, Kharak Singh and Jaswant Singh.

Besides the twelve main depictions, there's lots more on every elaborately-composed page to catch the eye and engage the mind throughout every month of the year. An accompanying textual commentary on the principal illustration highlights the significance of the people, events, or places shown, and situates the drawing within its appropriate iconographic context.

In addition, the lower portion of every page features an intricate detail harmoniously selected from another, related image, together with a brief descriptive caption. All of these components appear against an ornate, yet tastefully subdued, decorative background. The Singh Twins' hallmark talents and passion for highly-detailed, all-over aesthetic design are certainly omnipresent here!

What more could one ask for? Well, there's the calendar grid itself, of course! In a suitably ecumenical spirit, it includes not only major public holidays, but dates of Sikh significance and celebratory days of other, lesser-known religions as well (such as those of the Baha'i faith), seldom represented on most conventional calendars.

While the birthdays of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh and the martyrdom dates of Guru Arjan and Guru Tegh Bahadar do appear, along with Vaisakhi and Hola Mohalla, the grid's usefulness might have been substantially enhanced by further Sikh-related inclusions, such as the Parkash Utsav (date of birth), Gurgaddi (assumption of the Guruship), and Joti Jot (date of death) for each of the Ten Masters.

The notation of other commemorations  -  the Shaheedi Divas (martyrdom dates) of the Sahibzadas (the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh) and major dates of importance regarding Guru Granth, to give only two examples  -  would also have been most welcome additions.

These omissions, however, are but small "bumps in the road", that do not markedly detract in any way from what is a highly sophisticated and remarkably classy presentation.

With its oversize format, "Sikhs in Print" is absolutely perfect for prominent display in settings where many other types of Sikh-themed calendars (especially those sporting brightly-colored, popular "calendar art"), while attractive, might well be deemed inappropriate, such as an office or other professional milieu. As an interest-provoking conversation-starter and bridge-builder, it will be extremely useful in introducing non-Sikhs to some of the myriad of glorious personages, happenings, and locales of Sikh history and heritage. What's more, it will undoubtedly enlighten and inspire Sikhs of all ages, too.

"Sikhs in Print" is definitely a calendar to display with pride throughout 2008, and to treasure long after the year is over!

 

[For a copy of the Calendar:  www.ethnicisland.com .  For more info on the Singh Twins: http://www.singhtwins.co.uk/

 

Conversation about this article

1: Harbinder Singh (U.K.), January 26, 2008, 12:08 PM.

Calendars are not usually the subject of reviews, particularly as long and detailed as that by Manjyot Kaur. Then, as she observes, this is no ordinary calendar. Given the general boringly repetitive format of Sikh calendars to which we have all become numbingly accustomed, its quite a shock to the system to get something so pleasantly different. When calling people in the U.K. to advise them that some calendars were on the way, there was normally a polite resistance. It was therefore always satisfying to get a call back, upon receipt of these wonderful creations, expressing surprise and satisfaction. No more the same format and familiar images as artists obviously plagiarised Sobha Singh and yet failed to have the decency either to acknowledge him or the creative ability to produce something original. The Sikhpoint calendar sets a new standard. How gratifying to see a remarkable heritage being projected so magnificently and impressively. Kudos to the collectors and designers (The Singh Twins) and to Bicky Singh and his team. Even more reasons to look forward to 2009!

2: Guninder (LA County, California, U.S.A.), January 26, 2008, 1:25 PM.

This calendar looks great! We have already given copies to many people who work in the Los Angeles County government and they truly enjoyed reading about Sikh history. The design is truly elegant.

3: Kanwal Prakash Singh (Indianapolis, Indiana U.S.A.), January 26, 2008, 4:07 PM.

The 2008 sikhpoint.com Calendar with its theme of "Sikhs in Print" is another celebration of Sikh history, heritage and spirit. Exquisitely designed and embellished by the world renowned Singh Twins, Amrit & Rabindra Kaur Singh, this is another landmark gift of Sardar Bicky Singh and sikhpoint.com to the Sikhs and their friends around the world. A brain child of Bicky, this annual gift is a testimony of his vision, great generosity, and tireless commitment to celebrate and promote Sikh heritage, arts, as well as Sikh artists.

4: Menjit Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), January 26, 2008, 7:01 PM.

It is about time someone took notice and reviewed the Sikhpoint calendar. It is great piece of work and every year we distribute 2000+ calendars in Malaysia and Singapore. Everyone is looking forward to these calendars. I start getting calls in October to make sure I will be sending them the calendars. If there is any change of address, people will call me to give me their new address. It has also made our people proud of Sikh heritage and artwork. May Waheguru bless you with everything.

5: Gurshabad Singh Khalsa (La Jolla, California U.S.A.), January 27, 2008, 1:41 AM.

There is something magical about this year's "Sikhs in Print" calendar. First of all, the Singh Twins' art is unmatched. It is interesting, detailed and just ... very classy. They are simply the best at what they do. This calendar creates camaraderie among Sikhs, and with that, a sense of pride. Additionally, by marking the various holidays of other religions, like Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, etc., it shows a sense of univeral love and peace, which we can all learn and benefit from. Bicky Singh has once again outdone himself with the "Sikhs in Print" 2008 Calendar. And, I commend him, his team, and the Singh Twins for creating this spectacular and informative calendar. Great, great work!

6: Harimran Singh Sandhu (Chandigarh, India), January 27, 2008, 4:59 AM.

This 'calendar' transcends the mundane realm of 'dates and days' to enter that of Sikh art and culture. In that too, it is in a class of its own, having shunned gruesome, weather-beaten representations from Sikh history, the general wont for such productions. Both the selection of prints and design are aesthetically superb, creating a tasteful work of art worthy of preservation. Kudos to all associated with bringing out this "collector's item" that came to me as a personal gift from Harbinder Singh of the Angl-Sikh Heritage Trail. A desktop version is also recommended since it would be more accessible to "hand and eye"!

7: Mirin Kaur (Washington, D.C., U.S.A.), January 27, 2008, 5:28 PM.

"A jewel", "very original", "so creative", "...can I get one for my friend in Milwaukee?" - happen to be just some of the feedback that I'm getting from my friends here in the Washington metropolitan area when I proudly hand over the 2008 - 'Sikhs in Print' calendar! The delightful best being when my friends, Sonny & Rami Veen, on seeing the November page - recording the Sikhs valiant service in World War I & II and their being awarded for their gallantry - showed me a picture of Sonny's grandfather who was the recepient of the gallantry award and was decorated by Queen Victoria herself. [We hope to have that picture and the medallion on display at our June 20th, 2008 Kaur Foundation Gala in D.C.] The calendars are indeed a testimony and celebration of our rich heritage, our history, our artists, our community ... us! With one brilliant stroke, Bicky Singh and sikhpoint.com have brought it all together again - in this wonderful presentation. It is a joy to share this collector's item with friends. Salut...

8: Inni Kaur (Fairfield, CT, USA), January 27, 2008, 9:26 PM.

Bicky's generous spirit and the Singh Twins' creativity are a superb partnership. It's wonderful to know that these calendars are being distributed in the U.K., Canada, the U.S.A., India, Malaysia and elsewhere around the world. At the Norwalk (CT, U.S.A.) Gurdwara, the calendars were given to the participants of the Sohiji training program. Needless to say, they were a big hit. Many, many thanks, and we are looking forward to the 2009 calendar. I am putting in my order.

9: Parveen Kaur Dhillon (Bay Area, California, U.S.A.), January 28, 2008, 2:53 AM.

I completely agree with the praises that this calendar is receiving, but as a parent, I want to focus on the value of such a calendar in our homes. Aside from the pictures being classy and absolutely beautiful, the descriptions are what stand out most to me. I sat with my 6-year old son and 3-year old daughter and was able to use this calendar as a teaching tool for them to get a better glimpse into our history. Not only did they learn about Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Maharaja Duleep Singh, but I did too! My son even came up with the idea of cutting the pictures and descriptions and making a book out of them to share with his class! The themes that were chosen and the language used truly heighten one's sense of pride in the Sikh Religion and history. We gifted these calendars to our children's Khalsa School teachers at Fremont Gurdwara and they were completely touched. It proved to be the perfect Gurpurab gift to the people who have taken up the Seva of educating our kids about Sikhi. I think these calendars are ideal to be distributed to theology and history departments since they are made in a manner that can be appreciated by all. I am so glad that people like Bicky Singh are thoughtfully developing these great resources. The end product is truly priceless.

10: Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa (Espanola, New Mexico, U.S.A.), January 28, 2008, 4:54 PM.

Not sure that I have anything new to add to all of the beautiful and well-deserved praise here. But I did want to say on behalf of Sikh Dharma International - thank you so much. We really love and appreciate these calendars - they spark a special spirit of Sikh pride in those of us who use them year round. We also appreciate that they do a tremendous job to educate the public officials who receive them about the Sikh identity. Well done!

11: Dya Singh (Australia), January 28, 2008, 11:39 PM.

... now that the copies graciousy sent to me by Bicky for distribution in Australa have run out, the demand is unbelievabe! Even those who had, in the first place, taken multiple copies, are looking for more for their friends and relatives. This is a calendar each page of which can become a display in any museum exhibition because of its historical authenticity and quality reflecting some aspect of Sikh history related mostly to a (British) imperial past. I visited a Sikh physician in Kuala Lumpur where my friend Majit Singh distributes them. I went to him for a touch of bronchitis. After he'd finished checking me out, and giving me an injection and a prescription for antibiotics, I asked him how much I owed him. He said: "Just make sure that, every time Bicky puts out a calendar, I get at least five copies!" He, of course, had the 2008 calendar proudly displayed in a very prominent spot in his clinic. Thank you, Bicky! I'll need 500 for distribution in Australia for 2009! I am proud to be associated with this venture. May Waheguru bless you and give you every encouragement to continue with this wonderful seva.

12: Kuldeep Singh (Ahmedabad, India), January 29, 2008, 5:09 AM.

Superb, simply superb! Excellent!

13: Parminder Kaur (Raleigh, U.S.A.), January 29, 2008, 10:01 AM.

As I was getting ready to leave for an extended trip to India, I was gifted a calendar. I brought it with me to India, and have displayed it in the enterance of my parents' home in Chandigarh. Can I get more copies in Chandigarh? Everyone who sees it wants one. I have loved receiving these calendars in previous years. [Editor: The calendars can be obtained locally in Chandigarh from parmindersinghaziz@gmail.com]

14: Chiranjeev Kohli (Fullerton, U.S.A.), January 29, 2008, 12:09 PM.

This is a great way to spread awareness. Because of its inherent nature, a calendar is on display for everyone to see - and for a full 365 days (OK, OK, 366 in 2008!) If done right, it will be used; this calendar obviously sets a new standard.

15: Nina Uppal (Troy, U.S.A.), January 29, 2008, 6:15 PM.

I agree with all of the above comments on how special and beautiful this new calendar is. What impresses me the most is how much information is packed into the calendar. Every page is a history lesson. While distributing it in Michigan, most of the comments I got were overwhelming; not only over the beauty of the artwork, its authenticity, but also everyone seems to love how informative it is to children, to non-Sikhs, and to Sikhs themselves. The universal nature of the calendar is also extremely impressive. It is great to see our Sikh holidays in collaboration with the other holidays from religions across the world. This calendar is truly a work of art that should be savoured and saved for years to come.

16: Joginder Singh Panesar (Mombasa, Kenya), January 29, 2008, 7:23 PM.

The Sikh Sangat in Kenya loves these calendars. We have been distributing these calendars for the last 4 to 5 years in our area. The sangat's first reaction was the same as mentioned by your first comment from the Singh Sahib from UK. Indeed, everyone loves it. I would like to know what is the selection criteria for the artist and whether Sikhpoint would consider young Sikh budding artists from around the world.

17: Gurpreet Kaur (Orange County, U.S.A.), January 29, 2008, 11:47 PM.

The suggestion for a desktop version of the calendar is excellent. I would definitely display it on my desk at the office.

18: Harminder Kaur (U.K.), January 31, 2008, 4:22 AM.

In the past, when anyone tried to give me a calendar, I would politely refuse. It was during a Sikh event at the Imperial War Museum in London, where we were filming imminent Sikh speakers on the epic of Saragarhi, when Sardar Harbinder Singh announced to the audience that the 2008 calendars were available. I picked up the calendar and was pleasantly surprised at its creative originality. But then again, I didn't expect Harbinder to promote anything that would be mediocre. Kudos to all involved in creating such a masterpiece.

19: Dr. Birinder Singh Ahluwalia (Toronto, Canada), January 31, 2008, 8:09 AM.

This year's Sikhpoint Calendar is a perfect blending of art and history. Adding to it the passion and magnanimity of Bicky Singh and the magic of the Singh Twins, has resulted in an extraordinary gift for our own homes and offices. And one that can be shared with friends, neighbours and colleagues with pride. The ultimate endorsement to its ambit has come from my non-Sikh work associates who have returned to me, over and over again, asking for more copies for their own friends and relatives! Thank you, Bicky, for this gift that gives and gives and gives ... And thank you, Manjyot, for this most insightful review. It has added a new dimension to our enjoyment of the calendar. The fact that you have done this (and other, ongoing writings that delight and inform us) while you've been struggling with a difficult illness, is seva beyond the call of duty. I know it is a labour of love. May you be blessed with good health and many, many decades of such loving selflessness. I say this selfishly because, after all, it is we, the community, that are the beneficiaries!

20: Ellen Herring (Agoura, CA, U.S.A.), February 04, 2008, 1:26 PM.

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this calendar. Even though we deal in books on Central Asia, India and Northern India, we learned so much from reading through the text and viewing the art. It is really much more than just a calendar, it is a true piece of collectible ephemera. As a publisher, we know how much work goes into something like this. Keep up the good work. We enjoy it immensely.

21: J.S. Bedi (Norwalk, California,.U.S.A.), February 04, 2008, 2:55 PM.

Truly a splendid calendar. Not only is it a work of art and imagination, it also gives an insight into a bygone era.

22: Freedom and Leela (Vancouver, Canada), February 04, 2008, 11:56 PM.

We are constantly galavanting our delightful globe singing spirited music concerts and Kirtan programs and were priveleged to receive the delightful calendars through our dear friend, Bicky Singh. The designers and producers of these calendars deserve more then two thumbs UP; they bring a twinkle to the eyes of all who receive it. God Speed and Namaskar from Alaska.

23: Rajender Pannu (New Orleans, U.S.A.), February 10, 2008, 11:00 AM.

Just like a child awaiting the gift of a new toy, the sangat of our Gurudwara Sahib awaits the distribution of the awe-inspiring, magical calendars each year! These calendars not only show the current year, but also our history in a unique way. Not only do we give these away to the Sikh families, but also to non-Sikhs who visit our Gurudwara Sahib, besides the sangat's own distribution to friends and relatives. Thank you for bringing us historical facts in a calendar format. Great job, great seva!

24: Karamjeet Singh Arneja (California, U.S.A.), February 12, 2008, 7:02 PM.

The more I read these reviews, the more convinced I become of the wisdom of the adage - Nearer the church, the farther from God! And before I'm grossly misunderstood, let me hasten to explain. I have seen this masterpiece growing in bits and pieces, just a few yards (literally) away from my office desk (being just a computer programmer here, I had no direct involvement with the Calendar-Project). Little did I realize then that I was witnessing firsthand the birth of a "wave-creator". And I must confess, I had always wondered whether the outcome is going to be even remotely commensurate with the accompanying hard work that spanned several months. Needless to say, my apprehensions find no ground to stand on. Relooking at the finished product with renewed respect and interest, I do think that this is truly an outstanding work and everyone involved with its creation and direct or indirect distribution richly deserves heartfelt thanks from all the beneficiaries. And I can't thank Manjyot Kaur enough for taking the initiative (despite some health challenges) of doing this excellent review in the first place.

25: Jasbir Nanra (Mumbai, India), February 12, 2008, 10:51 PM.

I want to thank Bicky Singh for the beautiful calendar, the Singh Twins for their marvellous work on the design, history and illustrations, and Manjyot Kaur for her insightful analysis of the whole project. The calendar gives us immense pleasure.

26: Prabjot Kaur (New Orleans, U.S.A.), November 22, 2011, 8:07 PM.

I would like to thank you for the beautiful gift. This not only takes us back into our rich Sikh history, but reminds us of how much sacrifice went into the creation of our panth by our Gurus. Sikhism is a way of life, we follow the footsteps of our forefathers in leading a pure life. We appreciate your efforts in keeping our history alive, it gives us strength in our life, it reminds us to always follow the path of truth and remember the sacrifices of our elders.

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