It gives me great pleasure to inform our members that Palbinder has added a milestone to the MPSA assets. We  have designed and created a “Shri Mata Gujari” MPSA  Award. This is on solid mahogany, hand-carved with gold letterings of Our Lady’s name decorated with ‘C16 Indian/  Persian’ fresco from the Golden Temple; Amritsar; it is  also gilded with 23ct gold in parts. This is a product of the MPSA. It will be awarded annually to the individual/  group that does the most for the plight of women. This shall be housed by the MPSA. This award in the name of the mother of Shri Guru Gobind Singh will strengthen the MPSA into the steel-frame-work of Guru Nanak’ s philosophy on women. Shri Mata Gujari has a unique  position in our proud, enriched and dignified history. The restructure of the MPSA has enabled the MPSA to focus on substantial and core Sikh subjects such as this.  We are honoured to have made this dream a reality.

Shri Mata Gujari

Mata Gujari was the soul partner to the 9th Sikh Pontiff;  Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur. When her 9-year-old son; Gobind Rai (later to become Shri Guru Gobind Singh) suggested  that his father sacrifice his life for the protection of the Hindu way which was being ridiculed and massacred by the Moghul government, she uttered no distress and accepted the sacrifice of her beloved husband and Guru.  She then nurtured the young Gobind Rai as the 10th Guru of the Sikhs. She was the custodian of her youngest 2 grandsons – Sahib Zorawar Singh Ji and Sahib Fateh Singh Ji, aged 9 & 7, when they got diverted from their father-Guru crossing the river Sarsa, after evacuating Anandpur on false promises of the Moghul King. Shortly  afterwards they were betrayed by Gangu, who served in the langar of the 10th Guru. Mata Gujari and the youngest 2 son’s of the 10th pontiff were captured and imprisoned in inhuman conditions. She encouraged her 2 beloved grandsons to remain steadfast in their faith. The 2 pillars of the Sikh faith did not convert to Islam, this was one of the choice offered to them, the other being death. After days of tormenting the youngest two sons of Guru Gobind Singh; Sahib Zorawar Singh Ji & Sahib Fateh Singh Ji  were bricked up alive and then beheaded. Mata Gujari was kept in freezing conditions in a castle; know known as “Thanda Burj” where she later died. 

There is not a greater Sikh woman who has borne so many sacrifices for her faith, the martyrdom of her  husband, all four grandsons were sacrificed, the youngest two in such barbaric fashion that has no parallel in the history of the world, yet this great Sikh woman kept the Sikh ideal flying high and is a inspiration to all Sikhs. 

It was Baba Banda Singh Bahadur who sacked Sirhind (1710AD) and established a just and peaceful government in the Punjab, after the battle of Chappar Chiri executing the governor Wazir Khan who was responsible for the murders of Sahib Zorawar and Sahib Fateh Singh and paving the way for Gurdwara’s to be built at the site in remembrance of the two youngest sons’ and Shri Mata Gujari. It is therefore, only right, that the MPSA create a prestigious award in her name, that can be presented to those that champion the Sikh ideals that she practiced. 

The inaugural winner of the Shri Mata Gujari – MPSA  Award was Councillor Balwinder Kaur Saund, the  chairperson from the Sikh Women’s Alliance. Please contact the MPSA office, if you wish to nominate any  person for this MPSA Award who has championed women’s causes.  

Shri Mata Gujari MPSA Award' - Application