The wedding of Sat Darshan Kaur and Krishan Shiva Singh

This past Sunday was the wedding of Sat Darshan Kaur and Krishan Shiva Singh. It was a day full of joy for everyone. I took the photographs for them of the wedding and some afterwards so was there next to them the whole time.

I have to say, that I have been to quite a few weddings (participating and taking pictures) and just about every time I still get teary eyed and emotional at the end. I don’t know if it is that I am a sensitive guy, or just a remembrance of my wedding. I always think about when I got married to Arjan and after the fourth Lavaan when we sat down before the Guru. The sangat shouted out five Jakaras, “Bole So Nihaal! Sat Siri Akal” (as is very common in our Gurdwara at weddings). I just felt so much love from everyone and there was so much enthusiasm in it. It makes me feel the power of love and the the gift that the Guru’s gave to us as Sikhs. Marriage is such a beautiful Gift! It really can take you as a person to a much better place spiritually.

• Video clip from my wedding. (Realplayer software needed to watch)
• Pictures from our wedding

A humorous story that Shanti Kaur told us during Gurdwara :
(I’m not that great of a story teller so I’ll recap as best I can)

Years ago Shanti Kaur questioning the Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh about the practice of having the Palay (the shawl) wrapped over the Man’s shoulder, and the woman holding it from behind as the man leads the woman. She thought this was some old non Sikh practice and was wondering why we do this. Especially from the aspect of why the woman had to be in the back and following the man (being subservient).

The first answer that Yogi Bhajan gave Shanti Kaur was, “Well, someone has to go first.” (chuckle) But he was just testing her, and of course she wasn’t satisfied with that answer. When she pushed the point, he replied, “It is all in your point of view. You see the woman following the man subserviently. What I see is that marriage is a carriage in which the husband and wife ride to Infinity together. The horse is in front and the driver sits behind and holds the reins.” He was teaching her that people filter things through their own frame of reference and that it is not “this or that” but that there are many levels of meaning.

8 Responses to “The wedding of Sat Darshan Kaur and Krishan Shiva Singh”

1. Rajveer and Guru Jaswant says:

   July 27, 2005 at 2:19 am

   I think the first one is that the man and woman are both an equal distance from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib as they circumambulate the Guru. So its like the moon and the sun as a satellite and both are equally distant at all times.
   I always feel like crying when I attend my friend’s weddings too. Whenever I see the Lavaan in fact…

2. isingh says:

   July 27, 2005 at 7:39 am

   not to make it controversial but i think we as sikhs started out getting married by just sitting infront of the Guru. and the practice of walking around the Guru came later on (after the 10 Gurus’ times of course and probably upto the time of maharaja ranjit singh’s times or maybe way way later). i too would’ve liked to just sit there but…

   also are the sikh weddings recognized in the state of NM?

3. Gurumustuk Singh says:

   July 27, 2005 at 7:45 am

   >>are the sikh weddings recognized in the state of NM

   Yes, definitely.

4. Anonymous says:

   July 27, 2005 at 8:13 am

   First I have to say that SSS was a wise man. And I also like rajveer and gurujaswant’s response.

   Second, are these weddings of people from Espanola sangat or they are outsiders but came to the gurdwara to get married?

5. Guruka Singh says:

   July 27, 2005 at 8:22 am

   The first answer that Yogi Bhajan gave Shanti Kaur was, “Well, someone has to go first.” (chuckle)

   But he was just testing her, and of course she wasn’t satisfied with that answer. When she pushed the point, he replied, “It is all in your point of view. You see the woman following the man subserviently. What I see is that marriage is a carriage in which the husband and wife ride to Infinity together. The horse is in front and the driver sits behind and holds the reins.” He was teaching her that people filter things through their own frame of reference and that it is not “this or that” but that there are many levels of meaning.

6. Gurumustuk Singh says:

   July 27, 2005 at 9:44 am

   Many of the people who get married here in Espanola are from the Local Sangat, however there are also many others who do not live here, but get married here because many of their friends and family come here.

7. Nanki says:

   July 27, 2005 at 11:36 am

   Someone had asked this question on sikhnet youth forum about a year ago. I remember reading about it and was very impressed with the reply. The reply was that since the woman is walking behind the man, she can easily catch up with the man. However, the man has to go all around the circle to catch up with the woman.

8. Carsten says:

   November 14, 2005 at 10:10 pm

   Thanks so much for the great photos taken at the Anand Karaj ceremony. They give great detail to what I could only see from a greater distance at my friend’s wedding ceremony in Bangkok. Good luck to you.