Army cantts are an epitome of religious harmony: Nimrat Kaur

On the occasion of Gurpurab, Nimrat Kaur, who comes from an Army background, shares with us memories of celebrating this special day in Army cantonments across the country while growing up and how she plans to celebrate the day this year. Excerpts :

Given that now there are no COVID restrictions, what will your Gurpurab celebrations be like this year?
I plan to go to a gurdwara and participate in sewa. Langar (community kitchen) is also something that I want to do. I love doing all the chores with my family, but this year, I am not going to be with them in Delhi. So, I will go on my own for the paath (prayers). A day prior to the festival, it’s customary to donate some raw (food) material as a contribution towards the preparation of langar. I have grown up doing that. And I will decorate my house with lights. It’s a wonderful occasion and most importantly, I am excited to be able to celebrate it after a two-year break caused by the pandemic.

You come from an Army background and must have celebrated Gurpurab in several different states. Any special memories?
The beauty of Army cantonments is that the mandir, masjid, church and gurdwara are adjacent to each other. We would go to the gurdwara and do sewa with our parents. Sewa is when you serve food to everyone. And after a long day of sewa, when you sit down feeling tired, that fatigue is the most wonderful feeling. You serve food to the sangat (congregation) as they sit in a pangat (a row). It’s a long activity and what is really satisfying is that at the end, everyone who has been serving, sits down and eats together no matter what faith or culture they follow. It’s the most beautiful sentiment that I have grown up with. In a langar, you are a common person. That equality and discipline is the core essence of Sikhism. I have experienced this while growing up in the outside environment, too. Whenever you go to a gurdwara, the sentiment is the same the world over. This makes me feel proud about my roots. I feel that Army cantonments are an epitome of religious harmony and strength.

Talking about your work, you are doing a social thriller, Happy Teachers’ Day, which will hit the theatres next year. Tell us something about it.
It’s a very different genre, one that I have never attempted, so I am very excited about it. We shot in Pune and it has some incredible actors, including many from the Marathi film industry. Rest, I can’t reveal much as we are shooting.

Apart from the covid, there’s aggression and wars happening. You have always advocated peace. So, any particular Ardas you will perform?
There is no particular Ardas. Frankly speaking, I am not that literate in religious matters yet. There is the pehli paudi of Sukhmani Sahib Ji paath that I always say. I love saying it. When the Ardas happens in the Gurdwara, everyone stands up and sings along. The closure of the paath… that’s something I really look forward to. One always wishes for peace and harmony in the world. Such acts only cause loss of lives, heartbreak and grief. I am hoping that better times will come soon.

You were recently in Patiala, a city known for its variety of street food, sweets, etc. In food it's a much visited place after Amritsar.
It was such a delight. I went to Patiala after decades. The city is versy close to my heart as I have spent almost three years there when I was growing up. My alma mater Yadvindra Public School (YPS) is my favourite school. The foundation for my career was laid there. I give a lot to my initial years. As a kid we were not allowed to move out much or relish street food. I remember visiting a place called 100% near 22-number Phatak for ice-cream. But sadly those joints are not there anymore. But recently when I went there I went to the AC Market and relished butter pop corn. There’s still a chai vala there who makes some amazing tea. Also, I went to the Adalat Bazar and bought some gorgeous Punjabi juttis from the AC mkt.