Support marathon man Hardeep!
Today's Your Shout is by London Marathon entrant, Hardeep Bath. Hardeep needs your support to raise funds for the Sikhs and World War One project.
If everyone reading this post could give just £3, the cost of a cup of coffee, then he'd reach his target! Please consider donating today here and read on to find out why Hardeep is so passionate about this cause!
Hardeep will be one of the 30,000 or more amateur runners running to raise funds for good causes this Sunday the 21st, at what is the largest annual fundraising event on the planet – runners have raised over £500 million for good causes since the race began in 1981.
Why I support UKPHA
Hardeep has chosen to run for charity the UK Punjab Heritage Association (UKPHA). UKPHA is currently raising funds for a major project to tell the untold story of the massive contribution of Sikhs in World War One.
If you want to support our very own Marathon Man, and help raise funds for this worthy project you can give as much or as little as you wish on his official charity page. To inspire you, here's Hardeep's take on why he's running for UKPHA:
I’m really proud to be running for UKPHA. Their work has been fundamental in helping me learn about my heritage – and in fact change my understanding of it and helping me to remove ignorance and prejudice from my life.
UKPHA is one of the few organisations around today that celebrates Punjabi and Sikh culture, history and spirituality with diverse exhibitions and publications, but without dogma, preaching or any sense of exclusivity – this culture is for sharing seems to be their mantra, and one I wholeheartedly agree with.
For example one of its strengths is highlighting classical traditions of arts, music and literature, as well as reminding us of the near forgotten Sikh martial tradition.
As a result of their landmark Golden Temple exhibition I now have a much greater appreciation of how people from different faith traditions played their part in the development of Sikh culture.
For example I was truly humbled to hear Bhai Chand, a Muslim Rababi or traditional performer of classical Kirtan (devotional music) perform at the exhibition. It brought joy to my heart to witness this great artist and realise how he is part of an unbroken chain that goes back to the very beginnings of Sikh history as the performance of Kirtan by Muslim Rababis began with Bhai Mardana, the lifelong associate of Guru Nanak. It is only through UKPHA that Bhai Chand was even able to visit the UK, and a matter of great joy that many gurdwaras welcomed him to sing at their establishments, again thanks to UKPHA.
Inspiring future generations
One of my greatest hopes is that my children grow up knowing about the rich culture, history and traditions that they are a part of. It’s been heartening to see them delving into the books published by Kashi House, a not-for-profit publishing company run by members of UKPHA.
I cherish reading their classic book 'Warrior Saints' with my 10 year old daughter, Amrit, and being able to answer her questions about the Sikhs in an informed and evidence-based way. Together as father and daughter we are able to go on a journey of discovery of her cultural inheritance and ensure that it is passed on to her, and in turn her children one day.
I'm proud to be able to rely on the UKPHA team's expert knowledge in order to introduce to her to this incredibly rich inheritance. And I'm grateful for the work that UKPHA have done and continue to do - including next year's commemorations of Sikhs and World War One - which is why I'm running for them this Saturday at the London Marathon. Wish me luck - and if you can, please help me, help them, help us all!
Links
- You can support Hardeep's efforts to raise funds for UKPHA, a registered charity, here.
- Learn more about the London Marathon.