
WALNUT, CA - IIGS invites everyone to come and be part of the evening program at Gurdwara Sahib Walnut on Saturday, Feb 22 from 6pm-9pm. ‘Day of Remembrance’ is an annual event organized in the memory of Captn Harbhajan Singh. On this day, let’s all come together and celebrate Papaji’s life, enjoy some melodious Kirtan, talks and also give away IIGS’s Capt. K.H. Scholarships to the deserving 2013-14 winners.
At the age of nineteen, he founded Young Sikh Missionaries in Lucknow, India. He led and motivated college-going youngsters to take active part in gurpurab seva and formed Kirtan groups. He particularly loved to decorate gurdwaras, and take part in “shoe seva”. In 1972, he renamed his organization Institute of Gurmat Studies and pioneered the co-ed Sikh Youth camping movement. IGS became international when the 12th Sikh Youth Camp was held in Kathmundu, Nepal in 1979.
To date, 92 IIGS camps have been held in India, Nepal, U.K., U.S.A., Canada, Australia, and South East Asia. These include 78 Sikh Youth Camps and 14 family and women’s camps. Thousands of campers were inspired and are continued to be inspired to take Amrit at these camps. Many Kirtan groups were formed under his guidance and conducted performances in several countries. He worked passionately towards disseminating knowledge of gurbani through the written and oral word. While he moved audiences with his oratory, IIGS, under his guidance, published several nitnem books with translations, Kirtan books, Kirtan teacher handbooks and produced Kirtan CDs.
He moved to the U.S. in 1985 and SoCal became the headquarters of IIGS. In 1986 he started celebrating the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh ji on Dec 25th in a manner so grand and unparalleled in pomp that the annual event is now widely known as the Darbar-e-Khalsa. A day long festival of Kirtan, speeches and awards for exemplary Sikhs and Sikh organizations culminates each year in a grand finale. He left for his Heavenly abode on Jan 30, 2011.
To date, 92 IIGS camps have been held in India, Nepal, U.K., U.S.A., Canada, Australia, and South East Asia. These include 78 Sikh Youth Camps and 14 family and women’s camps. Thousands of campers were inspired and are continued to be inspired to take Amrit at these camps. Many Kirtan groups were formed under his guidance and conducted performances in several countries. He worked passionately towards disseminating knowledge of gurbani through the written and oral word. While he moved audiences with his oratory, IIGS, under his guidance, published several nitnem books with translations, Kirtan books, Kirtan teacher handbooks and produced Kirtan CDs.
He moved to the U.S. in 1985 and SoCal became the headquarters of IIGS. In 1986 he started celebrating the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh ji on Dec 25th in a manner so grand and unparalleled in pomp that the annual event is now widely known as the Darbar-e-Khalsa. A day long festival of Kirtan, speeches and awards for exemplary Sikhs and Sikh organizations culminates each year in a grand finale. He left for his Heavenly abode on Jan 30, 2011.