Life as a Teenager

LIFE AS A TEENAGER . . .

I know exactly how you feel. Life as a teenager can be so hard. You are not a kid anymore because you are smart enough to observe and analyze your surroundings, but you are still not an adult because there are still a lot of experiences in life that you need to have and lessons that you need to learn from these experiences. To top it all, the hormonal imbalance in your body can really mess you up emotionally. I have been there. I was in it for 6 years exploring what life is all about! I am not saying that life after teenage would be smooth and you would suddenly be endowed with enlightenment on life by God. What I am telling you is that, life can be particularly hard as a teenager. It somehow only reminds me of one quote, "Half knowledge is dangerous". We are trying so hard not to go wrong or get hurt while still trying to make sense of life and deal with situations that we are not mature enough to handle and not even naive enough to be ignorant. I told you, I have been there. 
But, looking back, I will tell you what, enjoy every experience of life. Let this be your little guide to enjoy life as a teenager.

Dealing with Life:
As a teenager, I had a major problem with completing my chores on time. And at that time, all that I needed to do was finish my assignments, study for the upcoming test and clean my room! Now, I have loads of things to do; cook, clean, work and workout while striking a balance between all my relationships related to work, family and friends. That really is a lot of work. So, I will just give you one golden tip, quoting Benjamin Franklin;

"Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today." ~ Benjamin Franklin

Life has become a lot easier because I do finish all my work on time so I have enough space in my schedule to let my hair down and enjoy for a bit. You know, half the problems as a teenager arise because we hate doing things. We'd rather go and have fun than sit down and take care of our duties and responsibilities. That is exactly why you have so much drama in your life; your parents won't let you have a night-out with friends because you didn't clean your room or your professor is threatening you to take you to the principal because you haven't finished your assignment for the 'nth' time. Plus, there is the guilt and pressure of having to face and complete the pending chores once you are back at home or in school.

Dealing with Self Criticism:-

Cut yourself some slack when you go wrong. Even though everyone thinks that teenagers are a bunch of rebellions who don't care about anything, in reality, the complete opposite is true. Okay, may be not the rebellion part. But, you do go back to bed every night cursing yourself for doing things the wrong way and blaming yourself for not knowing what was the right thing to do. You actually spend most of your teen years trying to act right in your head and ultimately, not enjoying life as a teenager the way you should. If you don't make mistakes, you won't learn. When you make a mistake, forgive yourself and move on. Embrace your mistakes. Don't repeat them because there isn't plenty of time to go wrong. Learn from others' mistakes too, it will save you some time on making your own.

To tell you the truth, most teenagers spend these years regretting over things instead of living the experience. Don't try so hard to be right all the time, you will end up being more dissatisfied with yourself because your perceptions greatly vary from others, especially adults.

Handling Romantic Relationships:-

All teenagers get romantically involved with someone at this age. Either you have a crush on someone or you are dating someone. Love really does mess up the already topsy-turvy equation of your life. May be you spend hours daydreaming about your eye candy or just talking to your friends trying to understand why is your girlfriend/boyfriend acting the way she/he is doing. Relationships need a lot of work and are one of the most common causes of stress among teens. Don't lose your mind over them because you are too naive right now and are still getting to understand what a heartbreak feels like. There is really no point sulking over a breakup. Instead, go out and meet new people. This world is filled with plenty of potential love interests and you will meet the right one some day. In your relationships, avoid thinking much about the future and concentrate on living in the present, until it is your age to settle down. But, don't engage in hurtful behavior. Also, don't let your love life affect your grades because more than the breakup, 10 years down the line, it will hurt to know that you could have done better academically but you didn't try.

Parents! Parents! Parents!:-

About 7 years ago, the people who you loved the most, suddenly seem to become the cause of half the stress in your life, even though you still love them. They just don't get you and all their rules suffocate you. A negative attitude towards each other in a parent-child bond can ruin what should be the closest relationship in your life. Most teenagers are just stuck up with the notion that their parents won't be flexible with them when you are so eager to open your wings and fly high. What you really forget is that your parents were teenagers too and have been through the hardships of that phase. And now, they are doing what any mama bear would do, protecting the baby from unnecessary pain. I agree that they can be really rigid sometimes and give you a hard time, but you need to earn their trust and faith. Talking to them and involving them in your life is one of the first steps to build a healthy relationship with your parents. Just do the basics of what they expect from you; good behavior, good grades and cleanliness. They will definitely be up for negotiating with some of your demands so you can enjoy life as a teenager. And face it, if you are giving them a hard time with your aggression and rebellion, don't expect them to come to you with a box of chocolates.

Making and Breaking Friendships:-

During your teens, you will make many new friendships that will last a lifetime while there may be many old friendships that you may just end up losing. You tend to have most disturbances in your friendships during your teenage years because every teen is so sensitive, they don't waste time to react on the smallest incidents. Hopefully, your friendships will survive the hardships of teen years, but don't be disheartened if they don't. Also, you need to choose your friends wisely so you can rely on them and probably fall back on during the hard times of your life. There is a long way to go and you are going to meet a lot of people in your life, some of whom will stay in your life for long while others will leave.

"Don't laugh at a youth for his affectations; he is only trying on one face after another to find a face of his own." ~ Logan Pearsall Smith

Save Face from the Bullies:-

A lot of people have been victims of bullying at school. Life can be so miserable that all you wish for, each and every day, is that you miraculously get transferred to another school/city or better yet, be home-schooled! Well, if it at all soothes your pain, many celebrities have been bullied too as kids for their geek factor, unusual body parts or behavior. The hottie from Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, was bullied for her big luscious lips; Twilight heart-throb Robert Pattinson was often physically abused at school for thinking of himself as an actor; Lady Gaga was constantly subjected to ridicule for her fashion sense and the writer of this article that you are reading was also bullied for being an introvert (okay, I am no celebrity!). But, you know what, everyone grows out of it. One day, all those bullied kids prove to the entire world what they are made of. No coward can admit to being bullied. It takes A LOT of confidence and pride. So, don't worry because you will have your day too. For now, remember, just don't ever succumb to it and bow down in front of your bullies. If need be, take it to your parents or the school administration for help and advice.

How to be Cool:-

There is a lot of negative and positive peer pressure amongst teens. Some of us have friends who are very competitive and strive for better grades. Others want to wear better clothes and accessories. Every teenager is obsessed with the way he/she looks. You want better clothes to appear more attractive than your peers and get all the attention. Most of us want to be popular in school and so, you beg your parents to get you the best clothes, which they obviously don't. To deal with that situation, I'd say that if your parent is not willing to afford all those expensive clothes for you, get yourself a part-time job or spend your pocket-money wisely. If you want it, better earn it! Then, there is substance abuse and your peers might pressurize you into indulging in smoking, drinking and drugs. It can be really fun to try out these things but once you are addicted, the effects will become physically visible as you grow older. You will end up looking like a 50-year-old at 35! It depends from person to person how quickly your habits age you. No matter what you do, it should be your personal choice that you take full responsibility of when things go wrong. Don't rely on your peers to pull you out of mess, they have their own to handle. And, instead of trying to be one of the crowd by adopting similar habits, dare to be different because not everyone does.

Dealing with Physical Changes:-

Your teenage years are that time of your life when you experience the most rapid changes emotionally, mentally and physically. Out of these, physical changes can really boggle you. Knowing about these changes just doesn't suffice because it is a different story when you actually go through this. In fact, most parents end up having a really awkward conversation about these things. Almost every other month, you will notice a new change in your body. This is the time when girls learn about periods and cope with it, while boys deal with changes in voice, hair growth and other changes in their body. Your physical features start changing and transition can heighten anticipation. You might become the poster child of duckling-to-swan or just remain one for the ducklings. It is hard for both the sexes. You suddenly experience feelings that you didn't think existed and you try to come to peace with them. Physical changes give everyone a hard time, but nearly everyone adjusts to these changes by 18. Instead of becoming obsessed and insecure about your appearance, try to accept and bring the best out of yourself. This is a good time for both boys and girls to take up sports. It helps you get a fit body. If you have acne, it is okay. It all clears up with time and basic cleanliness. Don't interfere much with it else it will only spread like wild-fire in a forest. If it bothers you so much, try to hide the pimple.

Coping with Depression:-

I remember being so stressed out during my teenage years that I would have persistent headaches. Most teenagers are prone to mood swings due to hormonal changes. They often tend to have the blues. If you are having suicidal thoughts and you think that ending your life would be a better option than dealing with all the depression, let me tell you that you are not alone. Most teenagers secretly have such thoughts but it's just a part of this phase in life. We all come out of it really well and life becomes a lot less harder because you become more familiar with it. You might often want to disconnect yourself from everyone around you. All that we need is someone to talk to us and listen. So, find a listener in a friend or a suicide prevention hot-line. Just talking it out helps relieve the stress of school, friends and everything else. It is really not worth brooding over things and feeling sad. You shouldn't really be wasting your time when you could pursue your hobbies and interests to become multifaceted!

Procrastination:-

Whether it's the cute guy or girl that you just met and are absolutely intoxicated by their thoughts or it's the damn video game that just won't let you live in peace unless you cross this super-difficult stage that is keeping you away from finishing your assignments, procrastination is a serious problem with teenagers. Nobody is particularly excited about doing the dishes or clearing up the kitchen. Neither was I. But, trust me, procrastination is the mother of most problems. Even though it is so thrilling to push yourself to complete the assignment, within 2 hours of the deadline, that everyone else took a week to finish, the stress is just not worth it. See, you are going to do it sometime so why not just do it right now and then spend rest of your time doing your favorite things without having to constantly worry about doing your chores, in the back of your mind. By the way, stress is the cause of acne and weight gain. Now you see why I am asking you to stop procrastinating.

I wish someone would have really understood me back then and honestly, given me all these tips to enjoy life as a teenager. Things would have probably been easier although I would have still been a rebel. But, at least I would not have goofed up the way I did with so many things. I am glad that my parents were always there to slap some sense into me, not so gently though. Most teenagers don't have the best of the relationships with their parents. It is okay. Such is the age. Just remember, no matter how you enjoy your life as a teenager, do not do something that will cause irreparable damage to your bond with your parents or anything that makes you too embarrassed to hold your head high. In your teenage years, life is all about experiences and learning from them, so enjoy every bit of it to the fullest.


Concluding with a little humor,

"Telling a teenager the facts of life is like giving a fish a bath." ~ Arnold H. Glasow

History Of Baisakhi

Baisakhi or Vaisakhi Festival is celebrated as the Sikh New Year and the founding of the Khalsa Panth. History of Baisakhi traces its origin from the Baisakhi Day celebrations of 1699 organized by the Tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh to form Khalsa - Brotherhood of Saint Soldiers to fight against tyranny and oppression.

Story of Baisakhi

The story of Baisakhi Festival began with the martyrdom of Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru who was publicly beheaded by the Aurungzeb, the Mughal ruler. Aurungzeb wanted to spread Islam in India and Guru Tegh Bahadur stood up for the rights of Hindus and Sikhs and the Mughals therefore saw him as a threat.
After the death of Guru Teg Bahadur, his son, Guru Gobind Singh became the next Guru of the Sikhs. Guru Gobind Singh wished to instill courage and strength to sacrifice among his fellow men. To fulfil his dream, Guru Gobind Singh called on the historic Baisakhi Day congregation of Sikhs at Keshgarh Sahib near Anandpur on March 30, 1699.
When thousands of people assembled for Guru’s blessing, Guru Gobind Singh came out of the tent carrying an unsheathed sword. He gave a powerful speech to infuse courage amongst fellowmen. At the end of the speech he said that every great deed was preceded by equally great sacrifice and demanded that anyone prepared to give his life come forward. On the Guru’s third call, a young man offered himself. The Guru took the man inside a tent and reappeared alone with a bloodied sword. Guru Gobind Singh asked for another volunteer. This was repeated another four times until a total of five Sikhs had gone into the tent with the Guru. Everyone present was worried and though that Guru Gobind Singh has killed five Sikhs. At this point Guru presented all the five men before the people. Every one present was surprised to see all five men alive and wearing turbans and saffron-coloured garments.
These five men were called Panj Piara or 'Beloved Five' by the Guru. The Guru blessed them with a Pahul ceremony. In an iron vessel, the Guru stirred with a sword called Khanda Sahib, the batasha that his wife, Mata Sundari Ji had put into water. The congregation recited verses from scriptures as the Guru performed the sacred ceremony. The water was now considered the sacred nectar of immortality called amrit. It was first given to the five volunteers, then drunk by the guru and later distributed amongst the crowd. With this ceremony, all those present, irrespective of caste or creed, became members of the Khalsa Pantha (the Order of the Pure Ones).
The Guru regarded the Panch Piaras as the first members of the Khalsa and the embodiment of the Guru himself. With the constitution of the Panj Pyare the high and low castes were amalgamated into one as among the original Panj Pyare, there was one Khatri, shopkeeper; one Jat, farmer; one Chhimba, calico printer; one Ghumar, water-carrier; and one Nai, a barber. The Guru gave the surname of Singh (Lion) to every Sikh and also took the name for himself. From Guru Gobind Rai he became Guru Gobind Singh. This was seen as a great step in national integration because society at that time was divided on the basis of religion, caste and social status.
Guru Gobind Singh also bestowed on Khalsa, the unique Sikh identity. He directed Sikhs to wear five K's: Kesh or long hair, Kangha or comb, Kripan or dagger, Kachha or shorts and a Kara or bracelet. Guru Gobind Singh also discontinued the tradition of Gurus and asked all Sikhs to accept the Grantha Sahib as their eternal guide. He urged them to come to him with their hair and beard unshorn to get baptized by the sword. 

!! A Silent LOVE !!

A Silent Love 

From the very beginning, the girl's family objected strongly on her dating this guy. Saying that it has got to do with family background & that the girl will have to suffer for the rest of her life if she were to be with him. 

Due to family's pressure, the couple quarrel very often. Though the girl love the guy deeply, but she always ask him: "How deep is your love for me?" 

As the guy is not good with his words, this often causes the girl to be very upset. With that & the family's pressure, the girl often vents her anger on him. As for him, he only endures it in silence. 

After a couple of years, the guy finally graduated & decided to further his studies in overseas. Before leaving, he proposed to the girl: "I'm not very good with words. But all I know is that I love you. If you allow me, I will take care of you for the rest of my life. As for your family, I'll try my best to talk them round. Will you marry me?" 

The girl agreed, & with the guy's determination, the family finally gave in & agreed to let them get married. So before he leaves, they got engaged. 

The girl went out to the working society, whereas the guy was overseas, continuing his studies. They sent their love through emails & phone calls. Though it's hard, but both never thought of giving up. 

One day, while the girl was on her way to work, she was knocked down by a car that lost control. When she woke up, she saw her parents beside her bed. She realized that she was badly injured. Seeing her mum crying, she wanted to comfort her. But she realized that all that could come out of her mouth was just a sigh. She has lost her voice...... 

The doctor says that the impact on her brain has caused her to lose her voice. Listening to her parents' comfort, but with nothing coming out from her, she broke down. 

During the stay in hospital, besides silence cry,.....it's still just silence cry that companied her. Upon reaching home, everything seems to be the same. Except for the ringing tone of the phone. Which pierced into her heart every time it rang. She does not wish to let the guy know. & not wanting to be a burden to him, she wrote a letter to him saying that she does not wish to wait any longer. 

With that, she sent the ring back to him. In return, the guy sent millions & millions of reply, and countless of phone calls,.. all the girl could do, besides crying, is still crying.... 

The parents decided to move away, hoping that she could eventually forget everything & be happy. 

With a new environment, the girl learnt sign language & started a new life. Telling herself everyday that she must forget the guy. One day, her friend came & told her that he's back. She asked her friend not to let him know what happened to her. Since then, there wasn't anymore news of him. 

A year has passed & her friend came with an envelope, containing an invitation card for the guy's wedding. The girl was shattered. When she opened the letter, she saw her name in it instead. 

When she was about to ask her friend what's going on, she saw the guy standing in front of her. He used sign language telling her "I've spent a year's time to learn sign language. Just to let you know that I've not forgotten our promise. Let me have the chance to be your voice. I Love You. With that, he slipped the ring back into her finger. The girl finally smiled.

How To Forget A Girl In 10+1 Ways

You always have to be a MAN and MOVE ON :-

It has been two years since I last experience the tremors caused by heartbreak. It has been over six months since I got busted by the woman I loved seriously and it has been days since I heard as sad story about break up. I know breaking up with your girlfriend/boyfriend for years is a heart tearing moment— not just to me but also to my best buddy. He may not shed a tear in front of consumed beer bottles and beer mugs but I know how much he’s hurting from the inside. It was his first serious relationship and his very first girlfriend. Indeed, it was earth shattering. I have to take my iPod bombarded with songs from The Script away to calm him down.Sorry I would not like to mention his name...

His break up with the first woman he loved inspired me to read my older blog post about “How to forget a girl in 10 ways”. It was a bit too old as I checked that I wrote it during college back in 2006. I shared it to him and now I will be sharing it to the world. This inspired me to share my thoughts on how to forget a girl in 10 ways for the broken-hearted young boy and vice versa.

Take her out of your system.

I know how hard it is to take her out of your system especially if she has always been part of it. But you can always do it step by step. You don’t need to rush things, right? A wound takes time to heal so as your broken heart and probably, it will mend as soon as the right time comes. When I experienced this, taking her out of my sight was hard. She's my classmate and every day we see each other. If this is the situation that you're into, face the problem. Don't talk to her. As much as possible avoid encounters. Look for other people to talk to so you will not be distracted...

Cut the communication lines

As what they say, communication holds society together. And this is also the thin line that connects the both of you. As much as possible cut all the connections that you have. If you are friends in Facebook, block her. If you are following her on Twitter, unfollow and block her.Unfortunately im unable to do so...

Burn all the memories

You might not talk but the memories of the past always reminds of her of you. Throw everything that she has given you that you think would bring the past back. Burn it, bury it in the farthest forest just to forget her. Don’t leave any traces of her memory in your room, in your system and in your life. You should know that such feeling lingers. Burn her pictures and tell her she’s just another picture to burn. Aww!

Call your friends

THE BEST PART:-

Friends will always help you out. Talk to those people whom you haven’t spoke to for years. Pay them a visit and enjoy the life of being single. Now that you are free, you may probably invite these people for outings. Meet new friends and enjoy the time without any attachment to anyone. Never lie in your bed and think about her forever. One day you’ll probably wake up that you have wasted the opportune time to make friends and be merry. Thus, re-connecting to people and the society is possible and just a call away!

Do things that you haven't done before

Your life will surely be a big cycle if you continue to do the same things over and over. This will just give you hurtful feelings of the past. It wouldn't be cool if you grow old not even experiencing the best things in life. Hence, make a move, flex your muscles and see what lies on the other side of the fence. After all, there is no harm in paying a look at a different direction, right? Okay, just set your mind that it is better to regret the things that you have done rather than regret the once that you haven't.

Engage yourself to a new sport

Engaging yourself to sport is a good avenue to release all the heavy feelings that you can hardly bear. Try to kick some butt with taekwondo or muay thai or go to the gym for some power lifting. These new sports might give you that abs that will give her the greatest regret of her life. If you think that you are big, fat and ugly, this will help. Burn calories as you burn her memories. After a year, she will be surprised that you have a six pack and give her a doze of her own medicine. Sweet revenge, isn’t it?

Focus on what you do

If you are still studying, study hard. If you are working, work hard. Focus your attention on these things instead of giving your time to people who can’t reciprocate the love that you can give. This way you are able to divert your attention to important matters rather than think of her every day and every night. Experience in live like are are too painful to fathom, sometimes, are the circumstances that can either make us stronger or weaker. It depends on how people take it.

Find a new girl

Breaking up is not the end of the world. There are so many birds in the sky and fish in the sea. Talk to your friends and ask them to introduce you to their network. You may also go on blind dates and speed dating. You might probably get a girl better than your ex. But don’t compare, this will only lead you back to her.Ofcourse the reason would be human mentality...

Go on a spiritual journey

Corny as may sound to some but going on a spiritual journey will help you find your soul and mend your heart. Do charity works and translate your erotic love to the people in need in the form of relief goods and gifts in kind. Volunteering for a charity will surely help you spend your time in more important things. Plus, you might probably get to know other people and make new friends. You can also go to other place without seeing traces of her. Go on mountain climbing, canyoneering, biking and other fun activities that can be done alone. You can also travel to some parts of the world where you heart can find tranquility. Doing things like these will give you the time to think, to refresh your mind and to start anew.

Move On

Realize your mistakes and accept the fact that she is gone. Everything else will not work out if you keep denying the truth to yourself. Don’t cry over spilled milk if you have a wide selection of coffee cups in front of you. Don’t dwell on the past and follow the nine aforementioned steps to totally erase her on the new chapter of your life. After all, you deserve someone better

And now the+1d:-

You need not always think of her go onn move onn,make GREAT friends and develop a great friendship by helping them whenever they need you, at any time be focussed on your friend's issues.

This would definately help you to totally forget her ...

Think and say it.Think that she ain't beautiful and say that she's not important to you.

Very Nice YouTube Video About Forgetting Someone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkqUAyc-9Ew&feature=related

BUDGETS (RAILWAY) 2012-2013

As he presents his first rail budget, Dinesh Trivedi has his task cut out. His focus, he says, is three-pronged: "Safety, safety, safety."  Following very closely behind are consolidation, decongestion and modernization.

So aided by poetry, quotable quotes and many mentions of his party chief and predecessor Mamata Banerjee, the railway minister today proposed the highest ever annual plan outlay for the railways at Rs 60,100 crore, of which Rs 50,000 crore he said, would be from market borrowing. Mr Trivedi’s big emphasis will be on safety. This would include setting up an independent Railway safety authority and phasing out level crossings in five years among other initiatives.


Time now, said the minister, for a national policy on railways, as he sought big financial support from the government for the world’s second largest railway network. The minister says he needs to modernize 19,000 km of rail tracks; also new tracks are needed, he says, in tribal areas and backward regions of the country need to be connected. The bill for this will be an estimated Rs 6,467 crore.

The minister said that 725 km of new lines will be completed in this year and proposed 700 km of new line to be built in 2012-13. 100 stations via PPP route have been planned over the next 5-years, he added.     

Addressing the key issue of rising operating ratio, Mr Trivedi proposed to bring doe the operating ratio from 95% currently to 84.9% in 2012-13. Operating ratio is the amount of money spent for every rupee earned and it has been rising to alarming levels.

Earlier, Trivedi started his speech by thanking the PM, UPA Chairman Sonia Gandhi, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and the leader of opposition. I am thankful the 14-lakh strong rail parivar, Trivedi said.

I AM BAD IN ...

I AM
BAD in ENGLISH
BUT
i can tell you
that I LOVE YOU...♥
... ... .
.
I am BAD in GEOGRAPHY
BUT
i can tell you
thAt you LIVE in my HEART.
.
.
I am BAD in HISTORY
BUT
I can REMEMBER
when i FIRST saw you.
.
.
I am BAD in CHEMISTRY
BUT
I can tell
WHATS the REACTION
when you SMILE.
.
.
I am BAD in PHYSICS
BUT
I can tell the
INTENSITY of SPARK of my EYES
when they SEE you.
.
.
I am BAD in every SUBJECT
BUT
I can TELL ALL
I will PASS all SUBJECTS
if the TOPIC is YOU...?

Why is Diwali Important To Sikhs?

The Third Sikh Teacher, Guru Amar Das institutionalized this as one of the special days when all Sikhs would gather to receive the Gurus blessings at Goindwal. In 1577 the foundation stone of The Golden Temple was laid on Diwali. The Diwali festival took place during the life of the sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind Sahib. The Muslim Emperor Jahengir, imprisoned the Guru and 52 Kings.The Emperor ruled India at this time. The Asian Indians begged the Emperor to release the Guru and the Emperor agreed but the Gurus said also release the kings. Guru ji had a gown made with 52 string pieces for the Hindus to hold. The Guru and the Hindu kings were also freed at Diwali, Sikhs were very happy when their leader was released. Guru Hargobind Sahib went to the Golden Temple Amritsar in the Punjab. Sikh Diwali is recalled throughout India and in many countries; each year to remember Guru ji's release. At Diwali we worship the religious freedom for Sikhs and this is why Diwali is called the Light Festival. As Guru's Mother was full of happiness that her son was released she ordered food and sweets and gave them to everyone. The worshippers float multi-coloured light candles on the water at the Golden Temple. The gurdwara, hold a grand fireworks display.

SACRIFICE ON DIWALI BHAI MANI SINGH 
Bhai Mani Singh was a great Sikh scholar and martyr who was the scribe of the final version of the Guru Granth Sahib under the guidance of Guru Gobind Singh. In 1737 Bhai Mani Singh took permission from the muslim governor of Lahore for the Sikhs to celebrate Diwali at the Golden Temple on the payment of Rs. 5,000 as tax, a practice which had been banned. Not enough people attended Diwali that year because they were afraid of the muslim authorities and as a result not enough money was collected. The muslim authorities arrested Bhai Mani Singh and publicly executed him in Lahore. This great Martyr showed his courage as he recited Sukhmani Sahib while he was cut LIMB BY LIMB, JOINT BY JOINT and remained in high spirits through the torture.wahegurooo waheguroo wahegurooo waheguruooo..


How to Celebrate Bandi Chhorh Diwas / Diwali 
Guru Hargobind Ji was released in 1619 AD from the Gwalior fort and He also helped other 52 rajas to be freed from the life imprisonment. The celebrations were held when he arrived at Amritsar.

Question is that why do we celebrate the day many hundred years after ?
Do we understand ?

Probably NOT. An attempt has been made to answer the above questions as follows :

Purpose of the Celebrations is to remember Guru Ji and pray for one's own release from the imprisonment like 52 rajas. One might think that he/she is not in prison and is free to do whatever ...

One might be wrong here. Most people are constantly being forced into the PRISON of pride, rat race, show off, peer pressure and one may go to the extent of turning morals against what Gurus have laid down (smoking, using intoxicants, adultery, removing hair and so on .....). Most of us are prisoners of the culture & society.


Objective of the celebration is to pray for our liberation from the worldly bonds and act upon Guru's path of truthfulness to avail human life time (i.e. to be one with Waheguru / Lord). Rather than lighting a deeva of clay, oil & wick, one should light the mind with the divine knowledge contained in Gurbani.

Therefore, lighting a deeva in true sense is acquiring Divine knowledge & virtues (being kind, humble, meek, tolerant, selfless, sweet spoken .....) that leads one to become one with Waheguru / God.

Gurbani advises us which deeva to light and where in the following shabad ;

Aasaa Mahalaa 1, Deevaa meraa ek naam dukh vich paayeyaa t'ail || un chaanan oh sokheyaa chookaa jum seon mail ||

which means that God's Name (divine devotion) is my lamp (to be lighted in the mind); I have put the oil of suffering (ego, jealousy, anger, lust, greed) into it. Its flame has dried up this oil, and I have escaped meeting with the Messenger of Death i.e. attained union with Waheguru. (Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Page 358)

May our prayers be listened and Waheguru grant us freedom, like the 52 rajas, from the worldly bonds (ego, lust, anger, greed, jealousy, hatred and peer pressure etc.).