Bridgewater, NJ: Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI) is organizing the first diaspora conference in honor of Bhai Vir Singh to celebrate his lifetime achievements. Bhai Vir Singh is remembered as the creator of modern Panjabi literature, a poet, scholar, Sikh theologian, and one of the founders of the Chief Khalsa Diwan.
“To the world, he is Bhai Vir Singh, the ‘Sixth River of Panjab.’
To me, he is simply Pitaji. There are no family or blood ties,
but there is a bond that transcends time and space.” – Inni Kaur
The following speakers will be sharing their views:
Credits: SikhRI
Jasbir (Jesse) Kaur is our emcee for the event. Jasbir Kaur is an author, lawyer, and civil rights advocate. She is the Assistant Law Professor at Howard University School of Law who specializes in legal writing, appellate advocacy, and racial profiling.
Dr. Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh will be presenting Bhai Vir Singh’s Cosmic Symphony and its poetic resonance. She holds the Crawford Family Chair in Religious Studies at Colby College and has been published extensively in the field of Sikhi.
Harinder Singh will discuss the vision and leadership of Bhai Vir Singh. Harinder is an educator, activist, and a co-founder of SikhRI as well as Panjab Digital Library. He holds a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, M.S. in Engineering Management, and M. Phil in Guru Granth Sahib.
Inni Kaur will be sharing her journey of discovery and falling in love with the First Patshah through “Pitaji’s” inspirational writings. As a prolific and passionate storyteller, she is inspired by Sikh and Sufi thought. Inni Kaur is the author of the Journey with the Gurus children book series.
Peter Kirn will explore why Bhai Vir Singh’s poetry can be relied upon for guidance and focus. Peter Kirn earned his MFA in poetry from Drew University in New Jersey. His first collection of poetry T he Intimacy with which Stone Combusts & Praising the Nervous Life will be published this winter.
Dr. Rajdeep Singh is a practicing neurologist. Brought up in a family heavily influenced by Bhai Vir Singh’s writings, he has continued the tradition and introduced Bhai Sahib to the children of the Gurmat School in Charlotte, NC.
Amrita (Ami) Kaur is a vocalist, sitarist, composer, and producer from Baltimore, MD. As a Sikh-American, her music ranges from classical North Indian to modern day electronic and dance-pop.
The conference in honor of Bhai Vir Singh will take place on:
September 24, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Hoff Theatre
0126 Stamp Student Union
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
At the conference, SikhRI will also release Bhai Vir Singh’s Prit Vina, a Panjabi poem also known as Love Harp. It is described as a dream of constant beautiful love-joy, in which a myriad of vibrations are resounding within the depths of the spirit. Prit Vina has been translated into English by Harinder Singh and Inni Kaur, and will be available for purchase on Amazon as a Kindle edition starting September 24.
“This silent poet makes the rivers cry and sets the hills on fire by the
touch of his emotion. He remains behind the scenes, invisible, with
his flute ringing in the loneliness of a dark midnight.” – Puran Singh