Mandeep Sethi, a filmmaker and hip hop artist from California, has made available his recently-released documentary SIKLIGAR, an inside look into the history of the original weapons makers of the Khalsa Army. The Sikligar community traces their origin to Guru Gobind Singh in the 18th century, but now have been long forgotten and marginalized in India.
More information about the film — and the charitable foundation taking up their cause — is below, and a recent interview with Mandeep Sethi about this project is on The Langar Hall.
SIKLIGAR :: A Mini-Documentary
Synopsis:
Sikligar Sikhs (photo: Jagmohan Singh)
A documentary portraying the lives of the Sikligar Sikhs, the blacksmiths/ironsmiths and weapons makers of the Khalsa Army of the Sikhs. Very little is known about the Sikligars in and outside of India, as they have been displaced through years of colonization and government oppression. Originally named Sikligar by the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, they now live in the slums of Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra, and beyond. Illiterate for the last 300 years, the Sikligars are beginning to empower themselves through different means. Learn about their history, their current state, and what is being done to assist in the growth and development of this community.
To Contribute to the Sikligar Community via A Little Happiness Foundation, please visit:
http://alittlehappiness.org/share-today.php
Filmed on location in Alwar & Agra, India.
Directed, Shot, & Edited by: Mandeep Sethi
http://www.mandeepsethi.com
http://www.facebook.com/mandeepsethiX
Produced by Sami Brar, Jagmohan Singh, & ALHF:
http://www.alittlehappiness.org/
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