It has been a busy three weeks starting in London, then Malaysia and Singapore and I landed at homebase Melbourne, Australia, on 19th. September, to be hit with the southern winter for the first time this year.( I left Australia on 26th. June! ) Yes, it is dark, miserable, wet, cold and blustery - a classic Melbourne winter. How amazing, that three weeks ago I was in warm sunny summer in UK - well, with some stretch of the imagination - because it can be cold and blustery in the best of summer days in UK! Anyway, it was tropical Malaysia for ten days and now to cold winter - hopefully just for a few weeks before spring sets in. The trees in the garden need pruning, but I do not have to mow the lawn! I am jet lagged, and sitting here in my warm bedrobe and carpet slippers. Time for some recuperation - the best part of a tour for a body which is getting old ... and some serious reading of Sukhmani Sahib because this is the next project.

August finished off with the amusing (to me) 'WHAT SEROPA !!??' outcry on the 'discussion lines' by some who were outraged at my comments on 'seropas'. In fact, it is a common joke from friends when they meet me these days that, 'As long as a seropa is not mentioned!' Of course there are others on these 'chat zones' who would have a go at me for even the way I sneeze.(One has now cast aspersions on the way I migrated into Australia!) I guess when detractors start disliking you and throw 'chikar' on you, then you are probsbly making a difference!

Let me start off with another juicy controversy at the beginning of the month...

BANNED FROM SINGING IN SINGH SABHA HOUNSLOW, U.K.

Such bans used to worry me before. I now wear them like a badge of honour. On September 1st. our group had been invited to do kirtan by the families of film director/producers Paul Berges and Gurinder Chadha, to do kirtan at the celebration of the birth of their (mixed) twins Ronak and Komini. The fixture was organised as a Jorh Mela at the Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Hounslow, near Southall, UK. Gurinder and family were told that I was banned from doing kirtan at the gurdwara - NO REASON GIVEN, except that our doing kirtan at the gurdwara would mean loss of income for their residential ragis. Another 'hidden' reason it will appear is that I am now considered to be a professional 'singer' who sings 'outside' gurdwaras or away from 'babay-dhi-hajuri'. By the time this news was given to Ms. Gurinder Chadha, it was too late to change the venue, but I was informed that this will be the last time the Chadha family ever does a program at this gurdwara. I guess I am fated not to do kirtan at this gurdwara either.

Nevertheless we attended as guests at the program, and all gurdwara committee members and 'granthi' fraternity treated us like strangers. Perhaps the 'Art of Living Foundation' in Hounslow will consider allowing us to do programs amongst their 'sangat' into the future as it is happening in other parts of the world. If any Sikh gurdwara does not want us to do kirtan, I am sure there are others who do appreciate our message of hope and universal truths as espoused by Baba Nanak/Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj.

SO WE ARE NOW BANNED BY DIXIE GURDWARA IN TORONTO LEADING TO REGULAR CONCERTS BY THE 'ART OF LIVING FOUNDATION' IN TORONTO; WE ARE ALSO BANNED BY SINGH SABHA IN BARKING, LONDON; THERE ARE OTHER SINGH SABHAS IN AND AROUND LONDON WHICH ARE 'NOT SURE' AND NOW WE ARE BANNED FROM SINGH SABHA HOUNSLOW. WE HAD NO RESPONSE FROM ANY GURDWARA IN CHICAGO (USA) ALLOWING US TO BE HOSTED BY Dr. NAGRA IN St.LOUIS INSTEAD, last month. We are popular with the Ramgharia fraternity and the Sindhis worldwide - so we still have gurdwaras to pay our respects with 'hajri' of kirtan. I am certain the RavDasias, the Kabul Sikhs, the Main Doabiays, etc. too will have us!

Nevertheless, our group policy from now is that we shall only be doing kirtan and 'hajri' at gurdwaras which invite us up front. We shall not go seeking programs in gurdwaras into the future. If this is the way Waheguru Ji requires our sewa, so be it.

1-5th. September. A few days R & R in UK. A special 'thank you' to Bai Ji Gurmukh Singh in Southall and also good friends Ravi Vilkhu, Sat Matharu and Inderjeet Rehncy for their warm hospitality. A special 'thank you' to Craig Preuss, music director for all of Gurinder Chadha's movies. He hosted Parvyn and I for four days as we recorded 'Sacred Chants of the Sikhs'. Coincidentally, he happens to be a teacher of the 'Art of Living Foundation'.

6-19th. September. Aaahhh!!! Malaysia, and Singapore! Almost two weeks of sheer bliss in my beloved Malaysia partaking of the culinary delights, fruits and drinks of this lovely paradise. My favourite place for R & R (they call it Rehat & Rekreasi). Most early mornings were spent going to Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur and enjoying freshly cooked 'roti canai' or a variety of 'dhosas' with proper Malaysia 'teh' (tea) with 'lembu punya susu' (fresh cow's milk). This, while watching the devotees carrying out their religious rituals with the help of the bare topped and 'lungyied' brahmin priests to the sound of the deep mardangam drum and shehnayi, and the constant harrassment of the stray dogs and the impish monkeys. Then, to clear my conscience, we used to climb the 272 steps to the highest shrines breathing in 'Satnaam' and breathing out 'Waheguru' - great way to do 'naam simran' and exercise at the same time - a body, mind, spirit experience.

This was followed by a soak in the hot springs nearby at Selayang. By then, the body was ready to sleep for another 2/3 hours before waking up to a delicious lunch perhaps of Chinese chicken rice. Then it was back to 'rest' in the warm and humid afternoon leading to a leisurely walk followed by a sumptuous dinner. Yes, I put back on a few more unnecessary kilos !!

Special 'thank you' to Rano (sister to Ranjit Sidhu of Oxford who sponsored our Asa Di Var), Serjan and kids for looking after me when I went to Kuantan - another heavenly spot in Malaysia on the east coast.

I was able to pay my respects with 'kirtan hajri' first at Sabha House with Asa Di Var with the youth celebrating Rajah's and my friends Menjit's and another dear friend, Manpreet's birthdays on 8th. and 9th. September. My Bai Ji Gurmukh Singh's birthday is on D-Day September 11th. !!!

I was also able to do kirtan on 17th. September on the sad passing away 'bhog' of S. Ajit Singh, brother to my good friends Dr. Kulwant Singh Gill of Malacca and S. Ajmer Singh Gill of Sydney. Sad occasion for us all to get together, but it was nice to meet all these friends. Giani Sukhdaiv Singh Ji of Gurpuri and his jatha, with Jasbir Singh of Batu Pahat on tabla. One and a half hours of blissful kirtan ... at Kampong Pandan 'Luar' Gurdwara Sahib.

Back to Australia finally...

20 Sept.: Workshop on Sikh Sound/Music meditation for COMMON - the multicultural organisation of Melbourne.
21/22 Sept. weekend - Adelaide. Anand karaj (Saturday) of Satpal and Neeta - kids of the Padde and Dhillon families of Adelaide. Guests from all over the world - even The Hague. Very strong contingent from Malaysia and Singapore ... and Melbourne.
Sunday: Path Bhog for marriage of Sabina, daughter of Parveen and Rod Squires - a family of great sewadhars within the community in Adelaide.

A few days of 'chilling out' after three very eventful months which took in USA, Canada, UK, Malaysia and Singapore for the rest of the month...

My mind now turns towards 'house-keeping' and recordings for the next 2/3 months...

1.Sikhpoint calender for 2008: 'Sikhs in Print' title. A souvenir calender - see features on www.sikhpoint.com. If you want your copy/ies contact Bicky Singh on Bsingh@fcsinet.com directly. Calenders will be available from special contacts throughout the world.
REMEMBER, IT IS THE YEAR OF SGGS GURGADHI !!! This calender is a great gift for especially non-Sikh friends.

www.dyasingh.com The website is looking good and improving. Always open to ideas for improvement. Jamel, my oldest daughter runs it and we want more membership so that we can reach you easily and quickly.


'PATH DHA BHOG', 'ASA-DI-VAR', & 'NITNAM'

Three great albums worth collecting. yes, they are 'collectors items' because they are a one-off based on the sponsorships we received. One day you might be able to download from our website but until that time comes we only have limited 'collectors copies'. I think they are worth acquiring - go to our website, and www.EthnicIsland.com if you are in North America.

SUKHMANI SAHIB - being recorded. I am spending the most part of October and November recording this for a sponsor from California. It should be made available early next year.

'OTHER SIDE' - a non gurbani mystical/musical album being arranged by Dheeraj, our tabla player closer to his heart and sponsored by www.EthnicIsland.com . This too should be available directly from www.EthnicIsland.com early next year.

'SACRED CHANTS OF THE SIKHS' - has been recorded by Craig Preuss - music director to films of film directors Gurinder Chadha and Paul Bergess when we were in UK last month. It is envisaged that this shall be released in India perhaps at the end of this year. AN ALBUM WORTH GETTING - IT IS UNIQUE!!!

BANGKOK/THAILAND VISIT in NOVEMBER

At last! We are going to Thailand! A S. Daljit Singh Ji has booked us for his 45th. Birthday on 5th. November, so the bags shall be packed again for a brief trip to Thailand. Thai Sikhs are still not sure whether they want us to do kirtan at their grand gurdwara in Bangkok. Perhaps this is our opportunity! So please inform friends/relatives ... I think we are expected to do kirtan at Bangkok gurdwara on 6th. November ( 8.30am - tbc.). Daljit Singh's is a private program on 5th. Nov.

Always keep in touch and 'Happy Sikhing' whether you are a 'ketedpanthi', an 'Amritdhari', a 'Keshadhari', a 'Sehajdhari', an AKJ, a Namdhari, a 'thath-follower, a 'Sant follower', a Western Dharma American Sikh or just a 'Sikh'. (As my friend Rajah from Malaysia commented after a 'youth-camp' trip to London and Sweden - "there were plenty of 'cult-followers', very few 'Sikhs'!)

I was taken to task by a very good 'Sikh' friend for referring to clean-shaven Sikh friends as 'moana Sikhs'. I was merely differentiating 'Sikhs' between those who reach a gurdwara and discover that they did not bring a headcovering as they are cleanshaven and desperately tear around looking for headcoverings and those who come to gurdwara knowing full well that they will need to have their heads covered! (if you wear a dastaar, the problem of course does not arise.) Otherwise as he pointed out, we are 'all' Sikhs ... one hopes.

Cherdhi Kala,

Dya Singh (27th. Sept. 07)