The Ghadar Party was founded in a distant land from India in San Francisco a century ago in 1913. The centenary celebration was held at the ‘Yugantar Ashram’ the original headquarters of the Ghadar Party at 5 Wood Street in…
Know Your Poets: Amrita Pritam’s Influential Poem ‘Ajj akhaan Waris Shah nu’ On Partition Violence Against Women That “Prickled My Heart And Touched My Soul”
Having worked half round the world as landscape architect for several years, I finally made central valley California my home when along with my wife and two children we bought a house in Fresno in 1992. Shifting gears from landscaping…
What is Poetry and What Makes People Write it?
I enjoy reading interviews with other poets and frequent websites on the craft of poetry. What is interesting to me is that inevitably someone will ask the question of what even constitutes poetry and what makes poets write it. While I am sure novelists and short story writers are asked this question from time to time, poets are asked this question much more frequently. These interviews, articles on poetry, and numerous books that have entire sections devoted to this aspect tells me how many times this question must have been asked before, with many answers in the past, yet the inquiry to get at the bottom of it all has not been diminished. Nor would it prevent the inquirer to ask and the poet to answer this question in the future. And I must admit, it is a question and answer I look forward to reading or listening to as well!
Know your Poets: Devneet Singh
I chose to write about a Punjabi poem titled “Kwai Temple,” from Devneet Singh’s other wonderful poems in his poetry book ‘ Hun Stalin Chup Hai’ -meaning Stalin is silent now. I selected ‘Kwai Temple’ not only because it is one of my favorite poems but also to use it to serve another special purpose which I will explain further on. Unlike my other blog posts on Know Your Poets, this time I am saving his poem until the end of my post for reasons you will see.
Singing All the Way, The Sikh Journey in America is on the Move now ; Gurpreet Singh Sarin, ” The Turbanator ” On American Idol
I was very happy to see a young Sikh American named Gurpreet Singh Sarin nicknamed ‘ Turbanator ’ on American Idol. He has set out to spread Sikh Awareness in his own artistic way. I had recently watched him on…
Punjabi Poem (romanized): Tera Kaun Vichara
Dulla Bhatti was a Legendary Hero of Punjab, who led a rebellion against the Moughal King Akbar. . .