Indian culture, beliefs preserved

Indian culture, beliefs preserved

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A mother of Indian descent stood in front of the altar inside
the Gurdwara, a Sikh temple, holding the hands of a toddler to
show him how to bow toward the Sikh holy book, the Sri Guru
Granth Sahib.

Clad in a light blue sari, the mother whispered praises in
Punjabi over and over to her son, "My God is one, and He is my
protector".

Anjani, is one of the thousands of Indonesians of Indian
descent in Jakarta who adhere to strong religious and cultural
beliefs.

"I'm a Sikh. I go regularly to this temple during the day to
pray, while taking some time to introduce my baby boy to our
religion," said Anjani, who came to the temple, located on Jl.
Pasar Baru Timur, Central Jakarta, with her older sister and her
uncle.

Fifty-something Pritpal Singh, a member of the Sikh Gurdwara
Mission Foundation, whose office is located in the temple,
confirmed the notion of the Indian community in Jakarta that it
was important to protect the younger generation from the negative
influence of foreign values.

"Jakarta is widely exposed to modernization and western
values. We don't want our children to fall into a negative
environment. That's why parents, as early as possible, introduce
religion and culture to their children," said Pritpal.

"Even the Indians who know little of religious teachings, try
to learn by coming to the temple, just so their children and the
coming generations can hold on to the traditions."

Pritpal, who originates from North India, said that Giani, the
priest at the temple, had his own way to get children to learn
about their culture.

"He uses the sweet sound of Indian music to attract children
to listen to his lectures. Even though unable to speak
Indonesian, Giani always gets the children to laugh and enjoy the
entire religious ceremony," said Pritpal. "We invited him all the
way from India, and he has been staying in Jakarta for five years
now."

The children of Sadh Sangat, or the Sikh community, are taught
how to read the prayers in Punjabi, known as Gurbani, followed by
singing praises accompanied by Indian musical instruments the
harmonium and tabla.

Pritpal explained that the Indian community values its culture
and background highly despite differences in their religions.

"The Indians here never have any cultural problems. There are
Indians who are Protestant, Catholic, or Muslim, but when it
comes to cultural gatherings, we are one."

The Sikh religion was founded by Guru Nanak Devji in 1469 in
Punjabi, India, where he taught people to believe in the oneness
of God and God's will, and to see God as truth. The teachings
were later carried on by nine other gurus, including the last
one, Guru Gobind Singhji.

In the temple, or the House of Guru, people from various
ethnic groups and beliefs are invited to taste many kinds of
traditional Indian food, which they eat while sitting on a
pangat, or long bench.

"People of different religions or cultures are welcomed in the
temple. Here, we set aside our differences to share stories and
life experiences," said Pritpal.(001)