Chabeel Day honouring a martyrdom by offering refreshing free drinks
The international Sikh celebration of Chabeel came to a corner of South London recently – with cool refreshments handed out to the public in a traditional homage to a 17th century martyr.
Chabeel Day is marked for June 5, but is based upon a period where Sikhs mark the martyrdom of the fifth Guru of Sikhs.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji was burnt alive by India’s Mughal Emperor of the time for refusing to change Sikh scripture.
To honour this, Sikhs have traditionally served cool drinks to the public on hot days around June, when this occurred in 1606.
On June 2 in Erith and June 5 in Woolwich, the South London-based Guru Nanak Seva team were only too pleased to maintain this old custom.
Chabeel Day is seen as a great occasion for community engagement during summer.
Jasveer Singh, of the Sikh Press Association, said: “The Guru Nanak Street Seva team are a great bunch of locals and Chabeel Day helps people in the area learn why Sikhs do what they do.
“This is how Sikhs across the world remember the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji who was tortured with heat, by maintaining chardi-kala (ever rising spirits) and cooling others on a hot day.”
Picture: The tradition of Chabeel Day is honoured by Sikhs handing out cool refreshments, also inset Picture: Guru Nanak Street Seva