This is the third election that I am covering in this blog, the fourth if you include Brexit, and the fifth if you include my coverage of the American elections. You can read about my coverage of the 2017 election here, and you can read about my views on the 2019 election here. 

During the last two elections I tried to be neutral and give a balanced view. But given the absolute shambles we find ourselves in, this one will be a lot more subjective. That might annoy some of you, and while that isn't my intention, we need to wake up. The most important thing, regardless of who you vote for, is to go out and vote and make the voices of the Sikh community heard.

In my review of the "Unstruck Melody" exhibition (that you can read here), I mentioned that we are currently in a Sikh Renaissance period, and the new Maharaja Ranjit Exhibition, titled "Sikh, Warrior, King" is another high-profile Sikh exhibition in Central London. This exhibition focuses on the life and times of one of Sikh history's most successful and complex characters and doesn't shy away from his successes, or his flaws.

We are living through a Sikh Renaissance, a reawakening of Sikh creativity that has lain dormant since 1849. Exhibitions celebrating Sikh art (that you can read about here), music (that you can read about here), history (that you can read about here), and philosophy are extremely popular, particularly among the diaspora, and are providing a connection with the non-Sikh world in a manner not seen since the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. In this article I cover the latest popular exhibition - 'Unstruck Melody'.

Gurdwaras - the doorway to the Guru - serve multiple functions. Primarily, they exist to provide a place for the Shabd Guru to reside, allowing people to visit the Guru, gather learnings, and exchange these learnings with other members of the community and wider afield. Over the years they have grown to include social and political functions, playing a central part in the important life milestones of Sikhs, as well as serving as a shelter and refuge for the most vulnerable.

Gurdwaras have evolved from simple Dharamsalas, into multimillion-pound projects covered in gold and marble - far removed from their original simplicity. More recently, many Gurdwaras have evolved again to serve and host important community and charity projects, feeding local communities regardless of race and religion. 

From having a single custodian, to committees that cause as much harm as they bring stability, the story of the Gurdwara is as fascinating as it is important in Sikhi. In this series, I explore Gurdwaras around the world and discover how communities have integrated local differences into Gurdwaras, from architecture, to ways of worship.

Part 1: Gurdwaras in the Midlands
Part 2: (More) Gurdwaras in the Midlands
Part 3: Gurdwaras in London & the South East
​Part 4: Gurdwaras in Europe​
Part 5: North America
​Part 6: Rest of the World 

If you've read my blog, you'll know that I don't always 'get' art. I grew up in a council estate, first world poor, and interpreting art was the last thing on my mind. However, recently, I've attended some art exhibitions and my appreciation for art is growing. Additionally, over the past few years the growth of interest in Sikh art has helped plug me into the importance of art as an effective medium for story telling and sharing important messages. It's into this renaissance of Sikh art, and a growing awakening of the importance of art within me, that I visited the Art of Punjab exhibition in Birmingham,

The last exhibit I wrote about was the 'Empire of the Sikhs' exhibit made possible by the Toor Collection (and you can read my review here). It was honestly one of the best exhibitions I've ever been to because it taught me about my background and it showed me artefacts and items that I had heard about or read about. But I don't really 'get' art, I don't understand how some works of art are considered classics and others aren't - and I definitely didn't 'get' the obsession the western world has with Vincent Van Gogh. So, this exhibition was something I wasn't so sure about.

Ever since I started this blog 6 years ago, I didn't just want to share problems or issues at airports, but I also wanted to find a way of solving them. One of the biggest problems I have time and time again is getting my salai through my hand luggage and it's something that I finally decided to try and rectify by designing a travel friendly salai. You can purchase one of these salais here, or, if you want to save money or design your own, read this article to find out how to make one yourself.

Earlier this morning, news broke that the European Super League (ESL) - a proposal that has been floating around for over a decade - was one step closer to reality with 12 football clubs from England, Spain and Italy resigning en-masse from the European Club Association and committing to a new league backed by American bank JP Morgan.

In this article I look at the proposals, how we got here and what this means for football going forward.

Music is a core part of Sikhi, and having learned the harmonium from a young age, it's something that fascinates me. However, the vast majority of Sikh music you hear today uses neither the traditional instruments of the Sikhs, nor is it sung in the way the Gurus intended the compositions to be sung. This point, as well as the evolution of Sikh music, is beautifully explored in a new documentary on Amazon Prime called the Sikh Musical Heritage - the untold story. This article is my review of this award winning documentary.