Sikh
Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...
environmental organization. It is the most prominent Sikh environmental organization working on global environmental issues. It has been one of the foremost organizations promoting Sikhism as a "green" religion.
History
Background
Antecedents of Sikh forays into environmentalism can be found within the
Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib (, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Adi Granth (), its first rendition, w ...
itself. The second ''
shloka
Shloka or śloka ( , from the root , Macdonell, Arthur A., ''A Sanskrit Grammar for Students'', Appendix II, p. 232 (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 1927).) in a broader sense, according to Monier-Williams's dictionary, is "any verse or stan ...
'' of the ''
Japji Sahib
''Japji Sahib''
(, pronunciation: ) is the Sikh thesis, that appears at the beginning of the '' Guru Granth Sahib'' – the scripture of the Sikhs. ''Jap'' is the original name of the prayer and to show respect, it is called ''Jap ji Sahib''. I ...
'' of
Guru Nanak
Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also known as ('Father Nanak'), was an Indian spiritual teacher, mystic and poet, who is regarded as the founder of Sikhism and is t ...
stresses on the importance of living in-harmony with nature. Furthermore,
Guru Har Rai
Guru Har Rai (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇ, pronunciation: ; 16 January 1630 – 6 October 1661) revered as the ''seventh Nanak'', was the seventh of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion. The '' sarbat da bhala'' philosophy of Sikhs calls upon them to promote the well-being of all.
Some earlier Sikh organizations and movements that delved into environmental efforts include Pingalwara, established by
Bhagat Puran Singh
Bhagat Puran Singh (4 June 1904 – 5 August 1992) was an Indian writer, environmentalist, and philanthropist. As a young man he decided to dedicate his life to humanitarian work, and in 1947, he established Pingalwara, a home for the sick and ...
, whom had pro-environmental inclinations.
Balbir Singh Seechewal
Balbir Singh Seechewal (born 2 February 1962) is a Nirmala (sect), Nirmala Sikh who spearheaded an anti-river pollution campaign in Punjab, India, Punjab, India. By combining his assiduously cultivated self-help philosophy with the environmenta ...
of the Nirmala sect, spearheaded the movement to clean-up the
Kali Bein
Kali Bein is a rivulet in Punjab, India that flows into the confluence of the rivers Beas and Satluj at Harike. Guru Nanak attained enlightenment after taking a bath in the Kali Bein, and despite its religious history in Sikhism, the rivulet is ...
rivulet in the year 2000 and also raised awareness on the condition of the Buddha Nullah.Sewa Singh, director of the Nishan-e-Sikhi Charitable Trust based in
Khadur Sahib
Khadur Sahib is a town and a nagar panchayat in Tarn Taran district of Khadur Sahib tehsil of the Majha region of Indian state of Punjab. Khadur Sahib is a historical place in view of eight out of ten sikh gurus having visited this place. T ...
, supervised the distribution and planting of hundreds of thousands of tree saplings, including along the roadways of Khadur Sahib.
Establishment
EcoSikh was established in 2009 through a partnership with the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE). The establishment of the organization was influenced by the
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...
and the
Alliance of Religions and Conservation
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...
initiatives. The founder of EcoSikh is Rajwant Singh, who is the Global President.
Activities
EcoSikh primarily operates in the Indian state of Punjab but also conducts global projects. EcoSikh is working towards the "greening" of
gurdwara
A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and place of worship, worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhism, Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and rel ...
s by reducing disposable wastage in the langar halls by introducing environmentally-friendly alternatives. Furthermore, they are working toward the "greening" of the areas in-vicinity to the
Golden Temple
The Golden Temple is a gurdwara located in Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism. It is one of the Holy place, holiest sites in Sikhism, alongside the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Kartarpur, Pakistan, ...
in Amritsar. Other activities of EcoSikh include general cleanup drives, solar panel installations, and seminar events. EcoSikh aims to change individual Sikh attitudes and behaviours toward the environment, and the promotion of a healthy eco-friendly environment surrounding gurdwara complexes.
Since 2013, EcoAmritsar, an initiative of EcoSikh based in
Amritsar
Amritsar, also known as Ambarsar, is the second-List of cities in Punjab, India by population, largest city in the India, Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab, after Ludhiana. Located in the Majha region, it is a major cultural, transportatio ...
, has been providing instruction on the organization of green '' nagar kirtans'', such as by recommending the usage of usage and collection of biodegradable plates and cutlery made from leaves and the serving of organic-based '' langars''.
EcoSikh reportedly was involved in over 1,500 activities in the year 2013.
In 2013, a painting by Rahi Mohinder Singh was gifted to EcoSikh which depicts Guru Har Rai giving a tree to a petitioner to plant, however the tree species portrayed in the painting is an
eucalyptus
''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...
, a
non-native species
An introduced species, alien species, exotic species, adventive species, immigrant species, foreign species, non-indigenous species, or non-native species is a species living outside its native distributional range, but which has arrived ther ...
that was not found during the lifetime of Guru Har Rai, making the painting
anachronistic
An anachronism (from the Greek , 'against' and , 'time') is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of people, events, objects, language terms and customs from different time periods. The most common typ ...
.
In May 2017, the EcoSikh proposed the establishment of a 100-acre "sacred forest" around the shrine of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur,
Pakistan
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
to celebrate the then upcoming 550th
Guru Nanak Gurpurab
Guru Nanak Gurpurab (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਜੀ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ), also known as Guru Nanak Prakash Utsav (ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਉਤਸਵ), celebrates the birth of the first Sikh ...
celebrations slated for 2019. Rajwant Singh, president of EcoSikh, also expressed dreams of developing the site as an eco-tourism hub, alongside the sacred forest proposal. EcoSikh also suggested a botanical garden could be established at Kartarpur instead of a sacred forest. Alongside the sacred forest suggestion, it was proposed that efforts covering organic farming, install a solar panel installation, dedicated forest areas, amid others, should be considered for Kartarpur. The Guru Nanak Sacred Forests mission of EcoSikh was launched in 2019.
EcoSikh also operates a branch in Canada, known as 'EcoSikh Canada'. In 2019, EcoSikh Canada planted hundreds of trees in the areas of
Brampton
Brampton is a city in the Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario, and the regional seat of the Regional Municipality of Peel. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a List of municipalities in Ontario#L ...
and
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, sub ...
,
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
. 550 trees were specifically planted in the city of Brampton to celebrate the 550th
Guru Nanak Gurpurab
Guru Nanak Gurpurab (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਜੀ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ), also known as Guru Nanak Prakash Utsav (ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਉਤਸਵ), celebrates the birth of the first Sikh ...
celebration. This was followed by another 550 trees planted in Scarborough. Roop Sidhu, founder of the Canadian chapter of EcoSikh, claimed that EcoSikh had planted 10,000 trees across Canada by 12 November 2019 and further plan to have planted 55,000 trees across Canada by 2021.
Aside from Punjab, EcoSikh has also planted trees in other Indian states and regions, such as
Haryana
Haryana () is a States and union territories of India, state located in the northern part of India. It was carved out after the linguistic reorganisation of Punjab, India, Punjab on 1 November 1966. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with les ...
,
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
,
Delhi
Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
,
Maharashtra
Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
,
Gujarat
Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
, and in
Jammu
Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...
.
On 14 March 2022 (Sikh Environment Day), EcoSikh planted 1,150 trees in
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
, 500 trees in
Derbyshire
Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...
, United Kingdom, and 250 trees in
Surrey
Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...
, B.C.
EcoSikh has opened a new segment of industrial forests under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), where producers and corporations can lower their carbon footprint with affordable price and minimum land investment.
EcoSikh maintains its own plant nursery at Sajjan Precision Castings, Sahnewal, Punjab, India.
In January 2024, EcoSikh was honoured in the category of 'Sikhs in Charity' at the 12th Sikh Awards, held at Bel La monde Hotel in New Delhi. EcoSikh made a commitment to plant 1 million trees by 2025.
EcoSikh currently operates in five countries. EcoSikh has been invited by the White House, the Vatican, the United Nations, and many other international platforms.
Sikh Environment Day
In 2011, EcoSikh established the celebration of Sikh Environment Day, known in Punjabi as 'Sikh Vatavaran Divas' (). The 14th of March was the date selected to celebrate Sikh Environment Day because it was the anniversary date of Guru Har Rai's '' gurgaddi'' (ascension to the guruship). In 2013, the president of EcoSikh described Guru Har Rai as the "green guru", emphasizing the Sikh guru's close-bond with nature, in a press-release statement. Sikh Environment Day has been adopted by many important gurdwaras, such as Takht Hazur Sahib, one of the five takhts, in
Nanded
Nanded is a city in Maharashtra state, India. It is the List of cities in Maharashtra, tenth largest city in the state and the List of cities in India by population, seventy-ninth most populated city in India. It is the second largest city in ...
. It has also been adopted amongst diasporic Sikh gurdwaras, such as ones located in
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
and
Singapore
Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
. In 2013, leaders of all the five takhts of Sikhism formally endorsed Sikh Environment Day. The ''
jathedar
A jathedar () is a leader of high regard chosen to head and ensure discipline within a jatha, a troop of Sikhs. In modern-times, the term is used to in-reference to leaders of Sikh spiritual organizations, such as any of the Panj Takhts.
Hist ...
'' of Takht Hazur Sahib promoted tree planting activities to be held on Sikh Environment Day.
Guru Nanak Sacred Forests
EcoSikh has planted many "mini-forests", composed of native plant species, in the state of
Punjab, India
Punjab () is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. Forming part of the larger Punjab, Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, the state is bordered by the States and union territories of India, Indian states ...
using the Japanese Miyawaki methodology, that are named 'Guru Nanak Sacred Forests'. The Guru Nanak Sacred Forests mission was launched in 2019 in-collaboration with ''Afforestt'' to coincide with the 550th birth celebrations of Guru Nanak. The ultimate goal for the mission is to plant one million trees using the methods devised by Akira Miyawaki. In-short, the method is distinguished from conventional tree-planting methods in that Miyakawi planting has a much smaller distance between the planted saplings, allowing for the faster maturation of the forest.
EcoSikh claims that its Guru Nanak Sacred Forests are 30 times more dense, have a 10 times higher growth rate, are 100 times more biodiverse, are cost-effective, easily maintainable, and are chemical pesticide-free. EcoSikh project manager for South Asia, Ravneet Singh, explains that the Miyawaki method helps grow dense and native forests through the plantation of dozens of native-species of flora within the same vicinity, after which the forest becomes maintenance-free after a period of three years. The forests provide habitat for wild animals and help improve soil quality of the area. The soil of the forests are extensively mulched to improve the micro-organisms & small animals inhabiting the soil and it assists with regulating the soil temperature. EcoSikh believes every plot of land has the potential of being transformed into a forest.
The steps for establishing a Guru Nanak Sacred Forest are as follows:
* Select a fenced plot that is suitable for plantation with underground and overhead clearance.
* Test the soil for its capacity of water retention, perforation and organic content.
* The required biomass is selected and mixed to stabilise all the above requirements.
* The forest bed is carefully prepped, including levelling of the land.
* Quantification and procurement of indigenous species of the local area is undertaken.
* The native species are distributed and planted following a layered structure as per the Miyawaki method.
Ludhiana district
Ludhiana district is one of the 23 districts in the Indian state of Punjab. It is Punjab's largest district by both area and population. Ludhiana, the largest city in Punjab, is the district headquarters.
The main industries are bicycle parts ...
contains a large amount of these sacred forest projects, despite heavy environmental concerns related to pollution in the district. In a low-lying, industrial-area of
Ludhiana
Ludhiana () is the most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab.164.100.161.224
http://164.100.161.224 › filesPDF
Ludhiana State: Punjab Business & Industrial Centre, Tier 2 1 ... The city has an estima ...
city, EcoSikh claims that even after water-logging and oil-spill events, 80% of its planted forest's trees survived these environmentally adverse incidents, showing the resilience of the forests.
In 2020, nearly a hundred Guru Nanak Sacred Forests had been planted in Punjab. By 2021, EcoSikh had established over three-hundred Guru Nanak Sacred Forests, primarily in Punjab. These mini-forests are home to 150,000 indigenous species of flora, providing habitat for insect and bird species. Some of the Guru Nanak Sacred Forests are located in urban areas, which are claimed to assist with improving the area's air quality and restoring biodiversity.
By 2024, EcoSikh had planted over 850 forests in Punjab.
Guru Granth Sahib Bagh
The ''Guru Granth Sahib Bagh'' is an initiative of EcoSikh, working in-collaboration with PETALS, regarding the establishment and upkeeping of a garden near the historical Sikh shrine, Gurusar Sahib, located in
Moga district
Moga district is one of the twenty-three districts in the state of Punjab, India. It became the 17th district of Punjab state on 24 November 1995, being cut from the Faridkot and Firozpur districts. Moga district is among the largest produc ...
. The garden was inaugurated in September 2021 and contains all fifty-eight plant species that find mention by name within the
hymns
A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
of the Guru Granth Sahib. Each plant is accompanied by a stone with an engraving containing the relevant excerpt from the Sikh scripture mentioning the specie.
Naulakha Bagh
A traditional Sikh garden located in Kiratpur, known as Naulakha Bagh, was believed to have been founded and cared for by Guru Har Rai during his guruship period. EcoSikh has been involved in a project to restore this garden. EcoSikh is coordinating with other Sikh organizations, such as Shree Ganga Nursery, Shree Ganga Nursery Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and Nishan-e-Sikhi. The project aims to emphasize
medicinal plants
Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for various functions, including Plant defense against h ...
, which will help revive native, traditional medicinal knowledge.
Ek Bageecha
EcoSikh has compiled an online
anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...
titled ''Eak Bageecha'' (meaning "one garden") on "green ''
gurbani
Gurbani (, pronunciation: , lit. the Guru's words) is a Sikh term, very commonly used by Sikhs to refer to various compositions by the Sikh Gurus and other writers of Guru Granth Sahib. In general, hymns in the central text of the Sikhs, the Gu ...
''" compositions that discuss the environment, as found in
Sikh scriptures
The principal Sikh scripture is the Adi Granth (First Scripture), more commonly called the Guru Granth Sahib. The second most important scripture of the Sikhs is the Dasam Granth. Both of these consist of text which was written or authorised by t ...
. The title of the anthology references a composition of Guru Arjan which symbolizes the guru as a gardener taking care of mythical plants imbued with the '' Naam''. Thus, this divine gardener serves as a role-model for humanity to recognize the divinity present in all things and to be stewards of them. The anthology contains works praising the natural beauty of the world and that divinity can be found across the Earth's ecosystems, from oceans to deserts.
One of the selected "green gurbani" compositions found in the anthology, authored by
Guru Arjan
Guru Arjan (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜਨ, pronunciation: ; 15 April 1563 – 30 May 1606) was the fifth of the ten total Sikh Gurus. He compiled the first official edition of the Sikh scripture called the Adi Granth, which later expande ...