ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥

India Trips: The Kaljugi Sant and the Poor Tailor

Very close to Siri Harmandir Sahib there is a tailor who makes beautiful cholas and Kurtaas. We had ordered some clothes to be stitched and around May 15-16 2006, I went to pick up my clothes. As I approached the shop, I noticed two expensive SUVs (big size cars) parked in front of the shop. Inside there were about 10-12 young singhs wearing White Cholas and White Dastaars. At least a couple of them were carrying rifles. Amidst these young Singhs was a middle aged person who seemed to be their leader.

Since there was no room for me in the shop, I just stood outside the shop. I noticed that none of the Singhs were wearing Siri Sahib. It looked odd to see someone wearing a chola, Dastaar but no Siri Sahib. I could not restrain myself and asked them where their Siri Sahibs were. They were taken aback and quickly mumbled something along the lines that they were wearing their Siri Sahibs underneath. Something about their behavior suggested to me that they were lying.

While I was waiting, I noticed some dispute between the shopkeeper and the leader of this group. Finally the leader tried a chola on himself and looked in the mirror very keenly from all angles just like a model would do. None of this was spiritual.

Finally, the group started to walk towards their cars and at that point I noticed what was written on the back window of the two cars. The message was “Sant Mahapurakh *******waalay”. It happened just too quickly. I was standing there wondering if I should ask this person if he is a “Sant Mahapurakh” and who gave him the right to call himself a “Sant Mahapurakh”. He did not look even like an “Aam-Purakh” (Ordinary person) let alone “Mahapurakh”. While I was pondering upon whether to approach him, their cars sped away. I very much regretted losing an opportunity to do bachan-bilaas with a “Sant Mahapurakh”. It would have been an interesting conversation.

When I entered the shop, I noticed that the shopkeeper was visibly upset. I asked him the reason for his condition. He narrated me the conversation he had with the so called Sant as follows:

Fake Sant: "So how much do you charge for one chola?"

Shopkeeper: "Rs. 150, Baba jee."

Fake Sant: "Oye, tu taan thug hain tey tu lutt machaayee hoye hai" (Oye, you are a thug and you are looting people here by charging them so much).

Shopkeeper: "Baba jee this is what our rate is."

Fake Sant: "Don’t loot people. I will not pay you one rupee more than 100."

Shopkeeper: "Baba jee, why don’t you just forget the money. I will stitch all your cholas for free."

The shopkeeper said that hoping that the Baba would be embarrassed and would drop this issue of money but the Baba was a Mayadhaari

Fake Sant: "Haan, hunn tu kamm dee gal keeti hai. Asee teri sewa kabool karde haan". (Now you have said something meaningful. We approve your sewa of free cholas).

The shopkeeper was shocked because he knew that he would now have to stitch 9-10 cholas and this would be a considerable burden on him.

I was standing there wondering who the thug was - Fake sant or the poor tailor.

Kulbir Singh

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Very close to Siri Harmandir Sahib there is a tailor who makes beautiful cholas and Kurtaas. We had ordered some clothes to be stitched and around May 15-16 2006, I went to pick up my clothes. As I approached the shop, I noticed two expensive SUVs (big size cars) parked in front of the shop. Inside there were about 10-12 young singhs wearing White Cholas and White Dastaars. At least a couple of them were carrying rifles. Amidst these young Singhs was a middle aged person who seemed to be their leader.

Since there was no room for me in the shop, I just stood outside the shop. I noticed that none of the Singhs were wearing Siri Sahib. It looked odd to see someone wearing a chola, Dastaar but no Siri Sahib. I could not restrain myself and asked them where their Siri Sahibs were. They were taken aback and quickly mumbled something along the lines that they were wearing their Siri Sahibs underneath. Something about their behavior suggested to me that they were lying.

While I was waiting, I noticed some dispute between the shopkeeper and the leader of this group. Finally the leader tried a chola on himself and looked in the mirror very keenly from all angles just like a model would do. None of this was spiritual.

Finally, the group started to walk towards their cars and at that point I noticed what was written on the back window of the two cars. The message was “Sant Mahapurakh *******waalay”. It happened just too quickly. I was standing there wondering if I should ask this person if he is a “Sant Mahapurakh” and who gave him the right to call himself a “Sant Mahapurakh”. He did not look even like an “Aam-Purakh” (Ordinary person) let alone “Mahapurakh”. While I was pondering upon whether to approach him, their cars sped away. I very much regretted losing an opportunity to do bachan-bilaas with a “Sant Mahapurakh”. It would have been an interesting conversation.

When I entered the shop, I noticed that the shopkeeper was visibly upset. I asked him the reason for his condition. He narrated me the conversation he had with the so called Sant as follows:

Fake Sant: "So how much do you charge for one chola?"

Shopkeeper: "Rs. 150, Baba jee."

Fake Sant: "Oye, tu taan thug hain tey tu lutt machaayee hoye hai" (Oye, you are a thug and you are looting people here by charging them so much).

Shopkeeper: "Baba jee this is what our rate is."

Fake Sant: "Don’t loot people. I will not pay you one rupee more than 100."

Shopkeeper: "Baba jee, why don’t you just forget the money. I will stitch all your cholas for free."

The shopkeeper said that hoping that the Baba would be embarrassed and would drop this issue of money but the Baba was a Mayadhaari

Fake Sant: "Haan, hunn tu kamm dee gal keeti hai. Asee teri sewa kabool karde haan". (Now you have said something meaningful. We approve your sewa of free cholas).

The shopkeeper was shocked because he knew that he would now have to stitch 9-10 cholas and this would be a considerable burden on him.

I was standing there wondering who the thug was - Fake sant or the poor tailor.

Kulbir Singh

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