Singapore-based Sikh couple comes up with docuseries on Guru Nanak's travels in Punjabi

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 17

The Punjabi version of the docuseries on Guru Nanak Dev’s spiritual travels, across the distant lands of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Tibet, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka, was launched at Khalsa College for Women here on Friday.

The series has been produced and documented by Singapore-based Sikh couple Amardeep Singh and Vininder Kaur, who had previously compiled a book documenting the same. The docuseries was first released in English and now the Punjabi version has been launched.

The English version was titled ‘An Allegory — A Tapestry of Guru Nanak’s Travels’, while the Punjabi docuseries has been named ‘Sainat-Guru Nanak Dey Paindeyan Di Roohani Chaap’.

“It chronicles the vast expanse of multi-faith sites visited by Guru Nanak for spiritual dialogues. The series is available on the website www.thegurunanak.com for free viewing. Anyone who is curious to know how Guru Nanak took this fascinating journey across vast lands and how his life was influenced by his experience can get access to the docuseries,” said Amardeep Singh.

He said the English version of this docuseries was released in September 2021 and is also freely available on the website. In total, there are 24-episodes. The series is a joint production of Lost Heritage Productions, a Singapore-based production house and Sikh Lens Productions, a US-based non-profit organisation. The couple filmed the tele-series in over 150 multi-faith sites in nine countries, where Guru Nanak had travelled in the 15th century during a 22-year-long spiritual quest.

Talking to Dr Inderjit Singh Gagoani, a noted Sikh historian, during their interviews as part of the event, Amardeep and Vininder said the narratives of 14 saints from across the sub-continent, contemporaries and predecessors of Guru Nanak, whose verses are enshrined in the Guru Granth Sahib have been presented in the docuseries. Amardeep said: “We travelled from the deserts of Mecca in Saudi Arabia to Mount Kailash in Tibet, explored remote regions of perilous Afghanistan, experienced the scorching heat in Iraq, scaled the arid Baluchi mountains in Pakistan and sailed across the waters of the Indian Ocean to disembark in Sri Lanka. Not only this, we also blended with the Persian culture in Iran, crossed the delta region of Bangladesh and mapped all four directions in India. Every moment in Guru Nanak’s footsteps was philosophically liberating. It encouraged us to challenge our own conditioning, unlearn, relearn and assimilate the beauty of unity in diversity. We are seeking community support for this non-commercial endeavour to also produce the Hindi, Shahmukhi and Urdu versions of the docuseries. We would love to collaborate with like-minded people to spread the message of positivity and harmony across the globe.”

Gunbir Singh, member of Khalsa College Governing Council, said the documentary is the analytical study of the oldest ‘Janamsakhis’ (biographies of Guru Nanak) and supported by the allegorical messages in Guru Nanak’s verses. The team, he said, spent over three years in research and filming all multi-faith sites in the geographies visited by Guru Nanak. Thereafter, it took over two years to edit the data to create the 24-episode docuseries.

Later, in the evening, Amardeep Singha also participated in a special session at GNDU, presenting the making of the 24 episodes. Amritsar MLA Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar and Chief Khalsa Diwan president was the chief guest and Prof Dr Jaspal Singh Sandhu presided over the session. Prof SS Behl, Dean, Academic Affairs, conducted a panel discussion on experiences during the making of this series with Amardeep Singh.

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