Today, approximately 3000 sikhs live in the country, under a 1000 of which are in Kabul city. Ever so often I drive past the area they live and every single time my driver will point out "look look this is where the sikhs live, they are from your country".
The Sikhs are often asked by fellow Afghans "when are you returning to india". They are not returning to India. Afghanistan is their home and its been their home for centuries.
It traces back to 1834 AD, when Sardar Hari Singh Nalua (a Sikh) was appointed the first non-muslim governer of Peshawar by Maharaja Hari Singh. Dost Mohammad, the Afghan ruler of Kabul attempted to regain his supremacy over Peshawar that he had lost and dispatched his son Akbar in 1837 AD to recover it. He did, after a bloody battle ensued and Sardar Hari Singh Nalua lost his life. Thus the great Sardar with the terror of whose name Afghan mothers used to quieten their fretful children attained his martyrdom.
One prominent Sikh and his brother run an Ayurvedic clinic in their neighbourhood in Kabul. A fresh stock of medicines are imported from Pakistan each month.
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| The ayurvedic healers |
As soon as I heard about them, curiosity got the better of me and I was on my merry way to meet them.
We chatted for an hour or so. Talked about India, Punjab and the famous Sikh/Punjabi hospitality.
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| Ayurvedic Medicines imported from Pakistan |
The four walls of the clinic not only holds a 1000 bottles of Ayurvedic medicine in odd shapes and sizes but has witnessed endless sessions in counseling, therapy, astrology and marriage advice. Patients come in for medicine and leave with a smile on their face, not from the medication but from receiving a 5 star love astrology report.
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| The faith healer |
People want to know their future, the unknown always spikes curiosity in us. Given the grim conditions in Afghanistan where it looms over us like a cloud of darkness, people don't want to be reminded of the present, they only want to know the happy positive and good things about their future. The little hope they can hold on to.
"Even in the midst of war and despair, people want to know that they will find true love and marry" they said to me. "It is love that keeps us alive".
Lovely post, Rima. How amazing it must have been in that pharmacy/clinic. Am now truly curious about those star love astrology reports! Afghanistan is such a different country through your blog than what the mainstream media tell us. Keep the love, the strength and the humanistic fibre in Afghanistan vibrating in all of us through your blog.
ReplyDeleteAline
Nice post chica. Am sharing this with my ayurveda doctor. It is an industry that is increasingly on the decline: it will delight him and his team to no end to read your post.
ReplyDeleteLoads of love, aparna
Very Interesting... so how do they hold their own community together ? especially in the days of the Taliban ?
ReplyDeleteGood Point Preeti, actually there used to be over 50,000 Sikhs in Afghanistan and after the civil war broke out in the early 90s and the rise of the Talebs, many fled to the west, Iran, Pakistan and India.
ReplyDeleteSo Rima, do tell us about the charming men lined up outside of your door. Medicine or no medicine, they would have been anyhow but this is wonderful folklore.
ReplyDeleteI love going behind the scenes in Afghanistan in such a warm and inviting way. Such a rich culture that we know so little about. Thank you for turning the spotlight on the good stuff.
Maybe I should ask them to ship me my migraine treatment instead of the Ayurvedic clinic of Jaïpur...
ReplyDeleteVery nice! Awesome! I want some of that liquid too...I can taste chyawanprash or whatever in my mouth as I read your post :)
ReplyDeleteIt seems like a regular day in a normal city :) So much hope around. Love is the answer. thank you for demystifying this wonderful country for us Rima. Beautiful it looks from your lens.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I am waiting outside your door now. Have u been taking that medicine by any chance :) :)
such an interesting place, takes me back to my early years when things were simple. The life style looks very focused on just getting by. Any chance that you could ship several bottles of that liquid? Uncle Richard
ReplyDeleteA little worried about you babes, taking this strange liquid..................cannot manage all your admirers now, what will happen after the liquid.
ReplyDeleteMama
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ReplyDeleteMe too me too... I too want that liquid but obviously with opposite effect(it may be kept on the opposite shelf). It should make my face also shine and no 'woman' should be able to resist me. When are you back Rima? Anxiously waiting to meet you and get hold of the bottle with colored liquid.
ReplyDeletefantastic - u should this published. Are there any other unlikely communities still around?
ReplyDeleteDear Rima
ReplyDeleteHow is the magic potion working? You already make men swoon, now what?!! Sankar
Hi Rima, I write from Kart-e-se and found your blog as I went to see Masoud's grave & village yesterday - all rich green winter wheat bursting from the ground and almond blossom! Can you tell us where this majical Sikh ayurveda clinic can be found in Kabul? Ankerre
ReplyDeleterima tohli("tima tohli" not rima kohli, and nothing can change that)
ReplyDeleteHello Rima, i heard about you from your mom (We are both free spirits as she indicated) i would like to share with you, that I'm the head of Green Hand, (Environmental Social Cultural NGO) in Lebanon and we work mainly through empowering youth and women to reveal themselves and create the positive change.
ReplyDeleteI would like to know you more and seek ways of collaboration, all the best.
Email: info@greenhand.org.lb
Green Regards,
Zaher Redwan