The sangat of Gurudwara Johannesburg Sahib offered langar sewa at Shree Radhe Shyam Mandir on Tuesday 26 September 2023. Mr. Harbinder Singh Sethi thanked the head priest for letting them offer sewa during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
It goes without saying that religion and culture are two cornerstone pillars of society. Both come together not just to provide a framework for our society but also offer a sense of identity and belonging. The very purpose of religion is to provide meaning to our lives. It won’t be an understatement to say that these two are an indelible source of comfort and support that can be of great utility to a human in times of distress.
Religion can also influence culture in more subtle ways. For example, religious beliefs can influence the way people dress, eat, and celebrate holidays. Religion can also influence the way people view the world and their place in it.
Showing this as part of Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations, Gurudwara Sahib of Johannesburg under the leadership of Sardar Harbinder Singh Sethi, Director/Trustee organised Shabad Kirtan along with Langar Sewa at Shree Radhe Shyam Mandir on Tuesday 26 September 2023.
For this, the Sangat of the Gurudwara came together in unity and prepared langar for 500 people. The Sangat of the Gurudwara along with the disciples of the Mandir sang bhajans in the name of the one supreme lord. The bhajan singing was followed by Aarti. This showed a classic example of unity in diversity, of how our religions and cultures are so similar. They not only intertwine but also embrace each other in love and glory.
The aarti was followed by langar which was served by ‘sewadars’ of Gurudwara Sahib Johannesburg. In the end, Mr. Harbinder Singh Sethi conveyed his best regards with a speech. He thanked the head priest of the temple Pandit Kirit Kumar Acharya for allowing the Gurudwara Sahib to participate in the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
Here is an excerpt from his concluding speech:
Mr. Harbinder Singh Sethi came on stage and began his speech with the famous Sikh chant/prayer, “Waheguru ji da khalsa, Waheguru ji di fateh” which celebrates God’s blessings. He then graciously chanted “Ganpati bappa maurya”! And when the crowd didn’t respond with equal enthusiasm, he addressed the crowd by saying, “Suna nahi ache se”, (I didn’t hear it clearly).
He began with a deep sense of faith in his voice, “Thank you very much for this invitation. We are very very grateful to the Sangat of mandir of Marlboro. This has been our first invitation to the mandir and we are very very humbled by the sangat and this celebration of today’s auspicious occasion. The sangat of Johannesburg is very close with the Hindu sangat. We have always been working together in many ways, areas where even the Consulate General of India is involved. We thank you all for this auspicious occasion. We congratulate you all. We pray that Lord Ganesha bless us all with lots of happiness, love, peace and unity.
It is a great pleasure to see all of us together from all different regions, like Pandit Ji said, from all parts of India people are around here. Today, really, you have made this mandir look like India itself. From Gurudwara Sahib Johannesburg, as you all know, in November, we are going to celebrate Guru Purab of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and we will humbly request all of you to come for the three days akhandpaat which will be held at Gurudwara Sahib Johannesburg. We are also going to have a nagar kirtan which is a march past in Sandton Drive. We would request the mandir sangat to come and join us so that we can showcase all that the Indian community is together in Johannesburg. He shared the dates for the Guru Purab event and addressed the people to consume langar with love and a sense of brotherhood. Then with a loud and clear “Waheguru ji da khalsa, Waheguru ji di Fateh” he concluded his speech amid a round of applause.