Ankur Batra (BOMBAY TIMES; November 8, 2022)

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 this festival in several different states. Any special memories from those times that come to your mind?
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.