The Sikh & Punjabi Student Association hosted representatives from Baleyo Charaag — an international Sikh organization — for a “Chaa & Chill” event this past Thursday. During the event, the Baleyo Charaag representatives gave a special presentation to spread awareness for Guru Nanak Gurpurab, the Sikh holiday coming up on Nov. 15.

Guru Nanak Gurpurab commemorates the birth of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first of the Sikh gurus and founder of Sikhism, and is a celebration that focuses on oneness, universal light and love for all of humanity. The presentation focused on Baleyo Charaag’s primary initiatives — establishing Guru Nanak Gurpurab as a globally recognized holiday and spreading Sikh messages of kindness and community throughout multicultural outreach.

The speakers, Sahej Khurana, a senior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, and Aamer James ’24, a second-year graduate student, described the importance of messages of community, love and oneness being embraced regardless of religious affiliation, race or ethnicity. Sharing the teachings they received through Sikhi, they prompted attendees to think about how they could further spread these messages in their own communities.

Baleyo Charaag’s initiative includes getting people worldwide to sign a pledge that commits them to put up lights on their homes for the holiday and has received over 375,000 signatures thus far.

Prabhmeet Chana, a Baleyo Charaag volunteer from Toronto, Ontario and a sophomore majoring in civil engineering at York University, shared how Baleyo Charaag plans different outreach activities.

“This November, especially on the 15th we are encouraging communities to engage in ‘Sweeten Your City’ campaigns where Ladoos (a type of Indian sweet) are made and distributed to spread joy and foster community spirit,” Chana wrote in an email. “Baleyo Charaag ultimately aims for everyone to embrace this message of unity and celebrate Gurpurab.”

The organization began as a shared community project and has since reached over 12 countries and covered 175 cities worldwide. The project was inspired by the Akal Takhat Sahib’s instruction — the highest level of order given to Sikhs — to spread the message of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s message globally.

As Khurana and James told the association on Thursday, it’s important that people all over the world know who Sikhs are and what it means to be Sikh.

The presentation went on for about an hour, and the speakers provided an opportunity for members to ask and respond to questions. Following the formal presentation, samosas and chaa were provided for attendees and Baleyo Charaag hosted a jeopardy game for participants to reinforce what they just learned.

Jasmeet Kaur, the association’s vice president and a senior majoring in economics, shared her hopes for students to become more aware of Sikhi.

“I’d love more students to understand that Gurpurab, along with other Sikh religious holidays, is an opportunity for people of all backgrounds to come together and honor the principles of love, equality, and unity, something our first Guru taught us, Guru Nanak Dev Ji,” Kaur wrote in an email. “Sikhi places a strong emphasis on inclusivity and selfless service, values that resonate across various cultures.”

The association has a few events coming up, including Bandi Chhor Divas and Seva Day, which will provide opportunities for interested students looking to learn more about Sikhism in general.

Harshjeet Singh, the Sikh & Punjabi Student Association’s president and a junior majoring in business administration, reflected fondly on the event.

“I would like people to know that we are our own people too,” Singh wrote in an email. “Sikhism is one of the most beautiful and most powerful religions in the world; coming from a warrior class we are taught to fight for ourselves and anyone in need. Gurpurab is an example of what we stand for and what we want to show the rest of the world.”