Over 500 people dressed in colorful traditional South Asian dresses representing many parts of the world came to witness the historic event, the inauguration of a four month long exhibition, “I See No Stranger: Early Sikh Art and Devotion” accompanied by films, poetry, music and lectures, at the Rubin Museum of Art in the heart of New York City on Saturday, September 16, 2006. The Drums of Punjab resonated off the muted elegant walls of the Rubin Museum commingling with the voices of the Sikhs exuding with pride. One could feel the exuberance for life the Sikhs exhibited as they spontaneously joined in expressing their joy in dance and music.
In his welcome address, Tejinder Pal Singh Bindra, President of Sikh Foundation and President of the Sikh Art and Film Foundation, recalled the history of the Sikh community, particularly in the United States. Sikhism, he said, the world’s fifth-largest organized religion, has more than 20 million followers. Over 2 million of them have made North America their home. Sikhs live in the popular imagination—they are known for their courage and resolve, and for their striking appearance and distinctive dress. Less well known, however, are Sikh beliefs and ideals, and the roots of Sikh culture and art in the traditions of North India. This exhibition is aimed at filling that void, making the Sikh religion and its vibrant community well known to the larger world, Bindra added. Thr primary objective of this Sikh exhibition and Film Festival, he said, was to unveil the mysticism of the Sikh Religion and to take a moment of pride in seeing the rich Sikh heritage and culture on display at the capital of the world- New York City.
 
Bindra praised the efforts and contributions of Dr Narinder Kapany, President of the Sikh Foundation, Dr Caron Smith, Deputy Director and Curator of the Rubin Museum in working hand in hand with the Sikh Art and Film Foundation coordinator Inni Kaur, in creating this masterpiece of a show. He thanked all the sponsors, patrons, committee members, volunteers and the entire leadership of all neighboring Gurdwaras whose contributions made this event a success. Bindra made a special reference to Ambassador Ronen Sen, Member of Parliament Sardar Tarlochan Singh and Consul General Neelam Deo, whose valuable support and help made this event possible.
 
India’a Ambassador to the United States, Ronen Sen, in his address spoke highly of the rich cultural history and the great contributions of the Sikh community to India and to the United States since their arrival here over a century ago. Sikhism, he said, was founded at the end of the 15th century in northern India, when a young, high-caste Punjabi Hindu named Nanak had a revelation. It led him to believe that God was a formless spiritual force shared by all religions, and that social ranks based on faith, class, caste, gender or race were illusory. He congratulated the President of the Sikh Art and Film Foundation Tejinder Bindra, the President of the Sikh Foundation, Dr Narinder Kapany for their contributions in making this event possible.
Member of Parliament and Honorary Patron of Sikh Art and Film Foundation, Sardar Tarlochan Singh, said, “I bring greetings from India to all of you gathered here to celebrate the Sikh culture.” Lauding the Sikh community in North America for making this historical event happen in the New York, Singh said, “It once again shows your love and dedication to the Sikh faith and the historical traditions of India.” He said, he was happy to shared in the Sikh pride and spoke on the contributions of the Sikhs to the larger community life in the US.
 
Congressman Gregory Meeks paid rich tributes to the Sikh community in the United States. He spoke of the world being a global village and referred to how Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent resistance inspired Dr Martin Luther King in his struggle for emancipation of the African Americans in United States. He told the mainly Indian American audience who were present at the event, “You have enriched this great nation with your presence and contributions.”
 
Donald Rubin, whose visionary idea to create a venue for the world religions and cultures to be displayed and learn from, opened the night, welcoming everyone to the event. In his brief address, he highlighted the importance of having the exhibition on Sikhism. Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany, Chairman, The Sikh Foundation, emphasized the need to educate the larger society on the unique traditions of Sikh religion. This exhibition, is aimed at accomplishing this goal, he said.
The exhibition, organized by the art historian Dr. B. N. Goswamy of the Punjab University, conveys something of the flavor of all this through dozens of miniature paintings in Hindu and Mughal court styles illustrating the life of Nanak, or Guru Nanak as he came to be called. In them he emerges as a figure of commonsensical wit, unassuming piety, superhuman power and increasing physical bulk.
Dr. Caron Smith, chief curator of the Museum, in her address gave a brief introduction on the current show and added, the exhibition presents approximately 100 works from the sixteenth through the nineteenth century, including paintings, drawings, textiles, metalwork, and photographs that identify core Sikh beliefs and explore the plurality of Sikh cultural traditions.
 
Ishar Singh Bindra, Sant Chatwal, Dr Sabarwal, New York State Assemblyman Thomas Di’Napoli, New Jersey State Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, Ambassador Lewis, and Consul General of India in New York Neelam Deo were among other dignitaries who were present at the inaugural ceremony.
 
Vivid but concentrated, the exhibition on the 6th floor of the it presents, mostly through paintings, a culture’s version of its own origins, the image of history shaped far more by hard work, pluralistic politics and mysticism than by militancy. The holy book of the Sikhs, the Adi Granth, in addition to the sacred teachings of Guru Nanak Sahib, consisting of poetic songs, blending the fragrances of Hindu ragas, Muslim hymns and Punjabi folk tunes into a music of spiritual astonishment, was at the center of the exhibition.
The highlight of the evening was the Exhibition itself.  Each painting had a story to tell, weaving a story of a boy maturing into adulthood, his vision of divination and his need to end oppression of any kind from humanity.  One is lead on this passage of self discovery and the discovery of One Creator is intricately told in drawings of  Guru Nanak’s day to day life to his clarity of vision.  Each picture is interpreted by the artist with artistic license leaving the viewer a chance to give their own interpretations.
 
The Exhibition tells the story of Guru Nanak and the religion he created, progresses into the succession of 9 Gurus with Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru passing on the guruship to Guru Granth, their living Guru, which is the written word of their faith. The Sikh faith places importance on honest labor and enjoying in the fruits of that labor with their neighbor. This is symbolized in many pictures and paintings, portraying the everyday Sikh in different forms of labor.
 
The museum’s artistic use of light and darkness offsets the objects of art and helps in creating the illusion of traveling in this journey discovering new concepts at each time, leaving this undeniable feeling that this historic exhibition will help to unite the world as one family, irrespective of one’s caste, color or creed. And it’s true what Tejinder Bindra said, “ Sikh Religion is - love for all humanity, just as Guru Arjun, said, ‘I See No Stranger , I See No Enemy; I look Upon All with Goodwill…’”. The exhibition will run through January 29, 2007. For more details of the exhibition, please visit: www.rmanyc.org
 

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