Today I had a huge breakfast which consisted of fruit, cooked vegetables and steamed rice. I hope that it will last me until the evening, unfortunately I am hungry again by lunchtime!! I really need to cap my eating!
After a relaxed morning where I was digesting my food, we walked into the city to find a laundry. When we did find one, the lady behind a counter/desk/pile of clothes informed us that there are no self service laundries in Georgetown!! Just means we would have to hand wash the essential clothes and dry them on the back seat of the car.
Afterwards, we walked to
Lilys
Vegetarian Kitchen
98 Ground Floor
Noble House
Madras Lane
10400 Penang
Malaysia
W: www.lilysvegekitchen.com
Before you say anything…..I was still full from breakfast, so Sangeet had lunch here….okay I lie, I had a little taste for review purposes! It did taste nice but not a restaurant we would go back to.
Afterwards we popped back to the hotel to hand wash the clothes. The things we have to do!
Whilst I was looking into Cambodia (Sangeet had given me the dates of where we should be and when,) Sangeet walked to the the Wadda Gurdwara, Penang
87 Jalan Gurdwara (Jalan Brick Klin)
10300 Penang,
Malaysia
Later, Sangeet came to the hotel and together we went back to the Wadda Gurdwara. On entering the Gurdwara we saw a couple of students from the camp, they were so happy to see us. They said to me “we are going to pray for you tonight” I asked “why?” They said “so you come back to camp next year!” I cannot emphasise the love given to us. The sangat of Malaysia have been fantastic.
After evening prayers we went outside, it was raining very heavily. A couple who had also been at the Gurdwara offered us a lift back to the hotel which we accepted.
Later in the evening we met Gelinder, who took us out to a nice Indian restaurant in a location called Little India. We were later joined by her father and friend Shareenjit Kaur. They showed us so much love, her father said “next time you come to Penang, you are to stay at our home”. That is so nice of him to offer.
Sri Ananda Bahwah
25 Penang Street
Georgetown
Penang
Malaysia
Gelinder’s father had to leave early. Gelinder and Shareenjit were very kind to show us around. We went to Straits Quay. Straits Quay is Penang’s first retail marina. Lapped by the waves of the Andaman and set over 12.4 acres, Straits Quay is a veritable hub of shops, boutiques and restaurants.
We had a fantastic evening and were so glad and privileged that they all took the time out to spend with us.
Today we are leaving Tanah Rata for Georegown, Penang. We attended Simran, Nitnem and then after breakfast, there was IPS (inspiration sessions) with Sant Baba Sohan Kirtan Sewak Jatha. Afterwards our veerji (brother) gave a talk and asked us both to come on stage to share some words. Sangeet gave a great speech, I was next and just said a few words.
Goodbyes are always difficult, in this case they were very difficult. The love shown to us from this sangat has been amazing. We have not seen this much love anywhere else!
We left Tanah Rata at 11:30am when we were supposed to leave at 9am! The drive to Georegtown was firstly through winding roads then via a motorway
Stall on the side of the road
They knew I was coming!
Bridge crossing to Pinang island
After arriving into Georgetown we checked into
Traders Hotel Penang
Magazine Road
George Town
10300 Penang
Malaysia
T: +60 4 2622 622
F: +60 4 2626 526
E: [email protected]
W: www.tradershotel.com
After checking in we went to grab some food
Life Style Veggie
50 Macalister Road
10400 Penang
Malaysia
T: +60 1 3398 8933
The food tasted amazing, this restaurant is definitely worth a second visit.
Georgetown
Coordinates: 05°25′N 100°19′E George Town (less commonly also spelt Georgetown,) is the capital of the state of Penang in Malaysia. Named after Britain’s King George III, George Town is located on the north-east corner of Penang Island. The inner city has a population of 720,202 and the metropolitan area population are 2,500,000 making second largest metropolitan area in Malaysia
Formerly a municipality and then a city in its own right, since 1976 George Town has been part of the Municipality of Penang Island, though the area formerly governed by the City Council of George Town is still commonly referred to as a city. George Town is also known as Tanjung (“The Cape”) in Malay, 乔治市 (Qiáozhì Shì) in Chinese and ஜோர்ஜ் டவுன் (Georgetown) in Tamil.
The inner city of George Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
George Town was founded on 11 August 1786 by Captain Francis Light, a trader for the British East India Company, as base for the company in the Malay States. He obtained the island of Penang from the Sultan of Kedah and built Fort Cornwallis on the north-eastern corner of the island. The fort became the nexus of a growing trading post and the island’s population reached 12,000 by 1804.
The town was built on swampy land that had to be cleared of vegetation, levelled and filled. The original commercial town was laid out between Light Street, Beach Street (then running close to the seashore), Malabar Street (subsequently called Chulia Street) and Pitt Street (now called Masjid Kapitan Keling Street).
The warehouses and godowns extended from Beach Street to the sea. By the 1880s, there were ghauts leading from Beach Street to the wharf and jetties as Beach Street receded inland due to land reclamation. A new waterfront was created at Weld Quay, where commercial buildings sprang up.
The historic commercial centre was segmented into the banking and trading areas related to port activities which included shipping companies, the import and export trade, and the wholesalers who dominate the southern section of Beach Street until now. It has been listed as a World Heritage site since July 2008.
At the turn of the 19th century, the northern section of Beach Street and the adjacent Bishop Street were the ‘high street’ where the ‘modern’ European emporium and stores selling imported merchandise were situated.
Among the early foreign companies that located their offices on Beach Street were the Netherlands Trading Society, the Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), the Chartered Bank, Boustead & Co., Guthne & Co., Caldbeck & Macgregor, Behn Meyer, Sandilands & Buttery, G.H. Slot and the stores of Pritchard & Co., Whiteaway, Laidlaw & Co., and others. Among the local businesses that were established here during this period were H.M. Nooradin, Tiang Lee & Co., Guan Lee Hin Steamship, Tye Sin Tat, Pinang Sales Room, Koe Guan and others. Penang’s first petroleum lamps were installed on this section of Beach Street by Huttenbach & Co..
Today is the amazing race. The children have to visit various posts around the town solving problems and hopefully having fun on the way. Sangeet was with the Bhai Mati Das Ji team. I was with three other guys looking after two stations the first where the children had to answer Sikhi related questions. The second was where the children had to take photos of the group from various distances 21 feet, 14 feet and 7 feet. So the children would stand only in one area as the camera angle was decreasing they had to use their imagination to get in the picture.
Got the T-shirt now part of the team!
In the evening there was a slide show on Giani Mahinder Singh Ji Khalsa, Giani Mahinder Singh Ji Khalsa – Khalsa Ji (1941 – 2012)
Giani Mahinder Singh Ji Khalsa, more affectionately known as “Khalsa Ji” is recognised as an institution in the corridors of Sikh Missionary work – Sikhi Parchar in this part of the world – Singapore & Malaysia. He travelled extensively to promote the message of Sikhism to the Sikh Youth around the world.
He was well-versed with the sacred scriptures of the Guru Granth Sahib and was extremely knowledgable on Gurbani and is admired and well-respected by many.
Khalsa Ji was born in Ipoh in 5th September 1941 to Mata Dharam Kaur Ji. His father Sardar Bhagwan Singh Ji, shared a close relationship with the revered Sant Baba Sohan Singh Ji of Malacca from whom tthe family gained much spiritual guidance. Khalsa Ji started learning kirtan at the tender age of 12 years from Ragi Bhai Badhan Singh Ji (Head Granthi Sahib at Gurdwara Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Malaysia).
Though Khalsa Ji worked in Kuala Lumpur, he never failed to visit Sant Baba Sohan Singh Ji in Malacca whenever he possibly could. These visits got him closer to Sant Ji and they started doing sangats together in Malacca. Khalsa Ji was eventually transferred to Batu Gajah Land Office in Perak, Malaysia.
When Sant Ji grew gravely ill Khalsa Ji would stay with him in the hospital nightly, attending to his needs. Sant Ji found Khalsa Ji’s sewa remarkable. Sant Ji then made him promise that he would commit himself to the panth, extending out a hand of promise. This was obviously reciprocated by Khalsa Ji in the presence of Late S. Ranjit Singh and his wife who was a distant niece of Sant Ji. From that day on, Khalsa Ji kept to his promise and carried on a legacy of work.
The Sant Baba Sohan Singh Ji Vidiyala was then setup in Malacca in the loving memory of Sant Ji after his passing, to promote Sikhi and Gurmat Studies. Khalsa Ji obviously volunteered himself to this noble cause. He became a parcharak and was sent to Shahid Sikh Missionary College in Amritsar Punjab (India) for training in areas of Sikhi and Gurmat. He learnt Kirtan, Katha and Parchar. Khalsa Ji returned in 1976 and once again, carried on his love of sewa.
Khalsa Ji’s devotion and dedication eventually led him to take over Giani Santa Singh Ji’s duties as the Head Teacher. There were 5 students under Giani Santa Singh Ji at that time. After Khalsa Ji took over the duties from Giani Santa Singh Ji at the Vidiyala, 22 students enrolled to be trained as parcharaks. Of these initial batch of students, 5 of then graduated in 1979 and went on to do parchar fulltime in various parts of Malaysia. Giani Dalgit Singh Ji (currently at Gurdwara Dharamsala Kuala Lumpur), Late Giani Jagjit Singh Ji (Gurdwara Pusing, Ipoh), Ranjit Singh Ji (Bentong, Pahang), Giani Gurnam Singh Ji (currently in Gurdwara Sahib Muar, Johor), Surinder Singh Ji (Giani Jagjit Singh Ji’s brother).
After leaving Vidiyala in 1979, he started training parcharaks at Gurdwara Mantin in Negri where the Late Giani Jagjit Singh Ji Khalsa started his sewa after graduation from the Vidiyala. Dedicated students from Vidiyala who were under him, followed him to the Gurdwara as well. Amongst those who join to be trained as parcharaks at Gurdwara Mantin was Giani Sukhdaiv Singh Ji (Gurpuri Foundation).
At Gurdwara Mantin, Khalsa Ji encouraged youth from Singapore and Malaysia to setup a registered society known as Sant Baba Sohan Singh Ji Vidiyala to promote the message and mission of Sant Ji, but this was turned down as there was already a society registered bearing that name; hence Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Khalsa Gardh was chosen. The aim of this society was to promote and educate people on Sikhi and Gurbani parchar, not just locally but in the global arena.
This missionary work eventually led to the formation of the Sant Baba Sohan Singh Melaka Kirtani Sewak Jatha in 1979.
In the name of parchar, the jatha toured countries like Germany, Holland, United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Indonesia and Singapore. Since, 1980 the Jatha also conducted annual Barsi programmes in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) inviting foreign and local kirtani jathas to participate. This was done in commemoration of Sant Baba Sohan Singh Ji’s Barsi (Death Anniversary).
Khalsa Ji has continually been doing Nisham Sewa for Sikhi parchar in the form of kirtan tours and programmes. He never fails to emphasize the importance of taking the Amrit and being part of the Khalsa brotherhood. He stresses greatly on the importance of Naam Simran and the benefits of doing it as a family.
Khalsa Ji never fails to offer assistance whenever needed and ensures Naam Simran is conducted every second Saturday of the month, in Gurdwara Sahib Dharamsala (Kuala Lumpur). Also, Kirtan programmes are conducted at the request of the sangat in Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Giani Mahinder Singh Ji Khalsa uttermost dedication to service is commendable. He is an ideal exemplar for every Sikh to emulate. His unconditional service to the Sikh community and the extensive knowledge he has accumulated over the years almost makes him a walking Gurbani dictionary.
Khalsa Ji carried on selfless service of the Sikh Panth through kirtan tours till he was called to be with the Almighty Lord Waheguru on 2 Sept 2012 (Sunday) at his residence in Shah Alam, Malaysia. Cremation of the physical body was done with respect the next day on 3 Sept at Jalan Loke Yew Crematorium at 3pm.
The Sikh community has indeed lost a dedicated Spiritual Mentor, we pray and hope that Khalsa Ji’s mission for the Sikh panth and message to us all will be permanently instilled in us, to make us good Gursikhs.
Afterwards there was Kirtan being sung by Giani Daljeet Singhji
Time for the carbed!! I was so amazed that the elderly chaps here worked very hard during the day. For sleeping arrangements they would just sleep in the car!
In the morning, okay to be more truthful at lunchtime I was woken up by Melvin tapping on the car window. He said “come the lunch is good!” It is great to find another foodie!
It took me a while to straighten up….sleeping in the car can be cramped!
For lunch we had nasi Lemak. Nasi lemak is a fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and “pandan” leaf commonly found in Malaysia, where it is considered the national dish; Brunei; Singapore; Riau Islands; and Southern Thailand. It is not to be confused with Nasi Dagang sold on the east coast of Malaysia or Terengganu and Kelantan although both dishes can usually be found sold side by side for breakfast. However, because of the nasi lemak’s versatility in being able to be served in a variety of manners, it is now served and eaten any time of the day. Wow if the food is like this I am definitely coming back to camp next year.
After lunch I was talking to the local sangat. I have never experienced so much love with unknown sangat. They will do everything to accommodate you.
In the afternoon the children get a 1.5 hour break, some were playing soccer
We then popped into a lecture which was based on the movie ‘Oh My God’ OMG: Oh My God! is a Bollywood comedy-drama film that satirises certain religious beliefs. It is directed by Umesh Shukla & co-produced by Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal. The movie features Paresh Rawal in the lead role and Akshay Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty, Lubna Salim, Poonam Jhawer, Govind Namdeo, Mahesh Manjrekar, Nidhi Subbaiah, Murli Sharma and Om Puri in supporting roles. The movie also features Prabhu Deva and Sonakshi Sinha in a special appearance in the song “Go Govinda”. The movie is based on a Gujarati play called Kanji Virudh Kanji (literally Kanji vs. Kanji), and with a plot similar to that of the Australian film The Man Who Sued God. Made on a budget of 20 crore (US$3.64 million), the film received positive response from critics upon release. Box Office India declared the film a Superhit after its three week run.
Afterwards I went for some tea, somebody said there is tea I helped myself looked a bit strange, okay, I thought perhaps Malaysian Indian tea. Tried it wooooah how much sugar in here….had another taste then I knew this must be milo!!
Milo is a chocolate and malt powder which is mixed with hot or cold water and/or milk to produce a beverage popular in many parts of the world. Produced by Nestlé, Milo was originally developed by Thomas Mayne in Sydney, Australia in 1934. It is marketed and sold in many countries around the world.
Most commonly sold as a powder in a green tin, often depicting various sporting activities, Milo is available as a premixed beverage in some countries, and has been subsequently developed into a snack bar and breakfast cereal. Its composition and taste differ in some countries.
In the evening we had a Kirtan programme called Holy-wood, the kirtani Gurmukh Singh who is well respected sung Kirtan to Bollywood show tunes. Some people look down upon this, but the children loved it. The children listen to Bollywood songs so could relate to the familiar tune. We are very quick to criticise and say this is wrong, all that is performed here is that children are listening to Shabad Guru. Slowly they get attracted to the Shabad Guru and are wanting to learn the actual raags. It is a fantastic way for kids to learn. Personally, I felt such an amazing connection with Shabad Guru something I last felt at morning Sardhana in Espanola.
Today was our last day in Kuala Lumpur. We used the 4pm check out to our advantage. I called the front desk and said that because it is our last day here and we need to plan our trip from the comfort of our room, can we could use the wifi dongle for free. The front desk said please let me look into it and call you back. At the moment if we want free wifi we would have to go to the hotel lobby bit of a hassle. We got a knock on the bedroom door and was given our courtesy wifi dongle (saving RM50).
We were really interested in going to the camp so called good old Amex to sort out a car. They did this through Avis collecting this afternoon at 4:30pm and dropping back Thursday 13th December 2012. We took a taxi to Avis as Amex told us they do not do a courtesy pickup….later to find out they did!
We met Melvyn at the Gurdwara, from there we went to his friends house. Around 7:30pm we set off to Cameron Highlands. The joinery takes about 3.5 hours the last hour is through a very winding roads, as it was pitch black with no road markings and sharp corners, one had to be careful. If a lorry was oncoming around a corner you had no option but to stop and let it pass, otherwise it would cause serious damage to your car!
On the way there are various tolls where the charge is RM1.
Stopping at the services for ice cream
We arrived at the gurdwara where the camp is held in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands at midnight there were people chatting and such a great vibe. I was thinking when is everyone going to sleep!
The camp is organised by Simran Group
Gurdwara Sahib Tanah Rata,
Jalan Jasar Valley,
Tanah Rata
Cameron Highlands,
Pahang,
Malaysia, 39000
Tanah Rata is the largest township of Cameron Highlands, located along the main road 10km up from Ringlet and 4km before Brinchang. This tourist town is the most popular destination among international visitors, especially backpackers, resulting in a large collection of budget hotels, inns and lodges. Tanah Rata means ‘flat land’, a reference to its spacious setting within a vast valley. The relatively flat terrain and abundant land space is why there is much development, shoplots and buildings – but nowhere as dense as Brinchang. Much of the economic activity is centered around tours, accommodation and restaurants, with a few farms nestled among the hills.
We were offered Guru Ka Lungar which I was happy to have, as I was starving, Sangeet does not eat late at night so did not have any.
A fantastic and loving group
The guys then offered to look for a hotel for us. These guys have to be up early but they still found the energy and time to sort our accommodation. We found accommodation and in hindsight I should have checked the room. I did not check it as I did not want to get the guys to carrying on looking. We booked and paid for it.
Planters Hotel
44-A Jalan Besar
Tanah Rata
Cameron Highlands
The deco
After securing the room we went to the Gurdwara
Gurdwara Sahib Brinchang
19 Jalan Wisma Muhibbah,
Brinchang
Cameron Highlands,
Pahang,
Malaysia, 39100
In the early 1930s, there were about 500 Sikhs residing in Brinchang, the majority of whom were bachelors. Most of these Sikhs were employed by contractors as general workers to build roads, bridges and buildings. Some of the Sikhs worked as woodcutters as wood was required for cooking as well as to heat the bungalow houses. Later, Sikhs were also employed in the various vegetable farms and tea estates.
The site of the present Gurdwara Sahib, which is 38,000 square feet, originally had a store house, which was used by British personnel. Sardar Gurdit Singh of Village Sultanpur District Jullandar, a contractor, bought this property in 1933 from the British owner. He then sold the land to the Sikh sangat of Brinchang for a token sum of Straits Settlement $100.00 to enable the Sikhs to build the Gurdwara Sahib.
In 1935, Sardar Gurdit Singh and Bhai Sadhu Singh together with the Sikh sangat built a Gurdwara Sahib on this piece of land. Timber was obtained from the surrounding forest and cut up into planks. This single storey structure was built at a minimum cost as everyone chipped in to help with its construction. In 1960, this Gurdwara Sahib building was demolished as it was in a state of disrepair.
In 1957, the President, Sardar Gurdit Singh and his Management Committee, decided to construct a new single storey wooden building on the site of the previous Gurdwara Sahib. At the same time, a new Granthi’s quarters, lang gar hall, kitchen and eight rooms for Sikh visitors were built at a cost of RM10,000.00.
The first Granthi of this Gurdwara Sahib was Bhai Sadhu Singh of Village Bahopur District Jullandar who served here from 1935 to 1945. The next Granthi was Bhai Gurdial Singh of Village Akawali who served from 1946 to 1954. Bhai Samund Singh took over the duties of a Granthi around 1955. Bhai Fauja Singh served as a Granthi from 1958 to 1993 in this Gurdwara.
The Management Committee comprises of the President, Secretary, Treasurer, their assistants and six committee members.
There are presently about 26 Sikh families residing in the Brinchang and Tanah Rata areas who participate in the religious activities in this Gurdwara Sahib.
It can become very cold at night in Brinchang. The rooms for Sikh visitors have thick blankets to keep them warm. Hot water is also available, as water heaters have been installed in the attached bathrooms. The Sikh visitors who stay here usually make a donation in cash or in kind which is used to upkeep the Gurdwara Sahib.
The normal weekly prayers are held on Sundays at 5.00 p.m. The Sikh Sangat from other parts of Malaysia and Singapore also occasionally hold prayers in this Gurdwara Sahib.
Brinchang (also Berincang) is a town located in Cameron Highlands in the state of Pahang, Malaysia. It is the second tourist town in Pahang after Tanah Rata. One of its attractions is the Night Market available during weekends and the Malaysian school holidays, where many vegetable stalls and food stalls are set up.
The road connecting Gunung Brinchang and Federal Route at Brinchang is the highest motorable road in Malaysia.
Afterwards, around 2am Saturday! everybody said lets go eat!!!! It was around 1am we found a 24 hour indian restaurant which specialises in fantastic Malaysian food.
The restaurant
We got back to the hotel around 3:00am. There were strange stains on the sheets and funny looking insects crawling on the bed. There was little point in going to sleep anyway as the amrit vela programme was going to start in a couple of hours. We decided to freshen up then checked out around 4:30am going back to the Gurdwara. I slept in the car whilst Sangeet (who has had no sleep!) went to join the sangat in Simran.
Hi, thanks for visiting my blog, feel free and have a look around.Here is a bit about me, as you may or may not have guessed my name is Mandeep,I work to travel as opposed to work to pay bills and die!Every trip for me is an adventure, I have been very fortunate to stumble across amazing places and meet awesome people along the way.
Why gaygoat? When I first started this blog I was a vegetarian, so gaygoat – happy goat! Also you have to admit it is catchy and a URL you will not forget!
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