– 12th Annual –

K.S. Makhan

– For more information visit: www.punjabiamericanheritagesociety.com –

Featuring Live Performances By Famous Artists!

Gurpreet Ghuggi

Surinder Shinda

Sun., May 28 • Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds / 11am - Sunset

Welcome to our celebration of culture, food, fun and heritage

Dr. Rajpreet DhesiPAHS President, 2006

The yearly routine ofthe Memorial day weekendreminds us of where we camefrom and where we are today.On this day I would like tothank and remember all thosewho came here before us, forthe sacrifices they made, sothat we could celebrate thisday. The Punjabi AmericanHeritage society extends aspecial invitation to all Yuba-Sutter residents to attendthe twelfth Annual PunjabiAmerican Festival, Sunday,May 28th 2006 at the Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds in YubaCity. “Come one, come all” The Punjabis haveintegrated themselves sowell in America and havecontributed so much to thisgreat country. We feel that ourefforts, which started morethan 12 years ago, has givensome recognition for their

hard work. While doing so wehave fostered friendships whichmake our society a better placeto live. The Punjabi AmericanHeritage Society strives tomake an effort to assure thateveryone is aware of the diversityin our culture. We also wish tolet the beautiful heritage ofThe Punjabi’s show throughthe medium of the universallanguage of music, and dance onthis day. In the last few years Punjabisongs and dances have becomemore popular and have receivedair-time on radio and televisionnationwide. The colorfulcostumes from the Punjab aremore and more recognizable onthe streets of America. As the oldadage says, America is a meltingpot. We would like to proudlypresent this rich heritage to youour neighbors on this day. And,we wish to make the youngergeneration understand what isbeing put into the pot so thatthey can get the smell of thegourmet dish in the making. During this Festival one willsavor songs and folk danceswhich will try to throw somelight on the images in traditionalPunjabi villages. One will alsoexperience earth shaking, heartpulsating, and energizing soundsfrom the familiar “Dhol” a drumlike a percussion instrument, inaddition to many other familiarinstruments. The fair goers willenjoy shops selling clothes,jewelry, art, books, and beautiful

henna designs (temporarytattoos). There will be vendorswho will try to get you hookedon the tantalizing tastes of exoticfoods from the Indus Valley (oneof the oldest civilizations knownto man). In addition to this fun filledday, all the festival goers will alsosee family, friends, and neighbors,side by side with people fromvarious parts of the world, andrealize that each one of us bringsa rich heritage to make this greatcountry of ours The Great UnitedStates of America “E PluribusUnum.”

Some members of the 2006 Punjabi American Society. Photo by Charan Kang.

“E Pluribus Unum” Out of many, one.

First Museum to Honor Pioneer Punjabis in USA Is Coming Soon!

One of the major goals of the Punjabi American HeritageSociety is to promote friendship and understanding amongst allpeople. In an effort to expand this goal, the Punjabi American

Heritage Society, in partnership with the Sutter County Community Museum, is currently in the process of planning a

permanent exhibit that will showcase the story of migration of thePunjabi Americans to the United States over the last century. Thisexhibit will provide a wealth of information in an effort to educatethe public at large. It will also include the contributions of PunjabiAmericans to mainstream society, culture, faith, and heritage. It isour hope that the exhibit will serve as a source of information tostudents, teachers and any other visitor to the museum. In orderto accomplish our goal of completing this exhibit, we are in need

of input, support, and funding. To learn more please download oursponsorship brochure at www.punjabiamericansociety.com

Look for our special supplement in theAppeal-Democrat coming soon!

Becoming American

� — 12th Annual Punjabi American Festival 2006� — 12th Annual Punjabi American Festival 2006

Gurpreet Ghuggi

PAHS MembersMr. Kuldip S. Atwal and Mrs. Narinder Atwal

Mr. Bhajan S. Aujla and Mrs. Ravie Aujla Dr. Narinder S. Bajwa and Mrs. Harjit Bajwa

Mr. Surinder and Mrs. Suky BainsMr. Harnek S. Banga and Dr. Rupinder Banga

Dr. Yash Gagan Brar and Mrs. Harpal BrarMr. Hitpal Deol and Mrs. Davinder Deol

Mr. Hardeep Dhadli and Mrs. Jaswinder DhadliDr. Rajpreet S. Dhesi and Mrs. Anita Dhesi

Mr. Amrik S. Dhugga and Mrs. Gurdish DhuggaDr. Paramjit Everest and Mrs. Surinder Everest

Dr. T.S. Ghuman and Mrs. Matlesh GhumanMr. and Mrs. Maninder S. Gurcha

Mr. Kulwant S. Johl and Mrs. Jaspal JohlMr. Sarbjit Singh and Mrs. Prabhjot JohlDr. Jasbir S. Kang and Mrs. Sukhjit Kang

Mr. Jasjit S. Kang and Mrs. Sandeep KangMrs. Siri Pritam Kaur Khalsa

Mr. Tejinder S. Maan and Mrs. Maninder MaanMr. Amarjit S. Rai and Rani Rai

Mr. Harjit Singh and Paramjit KaurDr. Narinder Singh and Mrs. Hardeep Kaur Singh

Mr. and Mrs. Satnam Tatla

2006 Executive BoardPresident: Rajpreet Singh Dhesi

Vice President: Sarbjit Singh JohlSecretary: Hardeep Kaur Singh

Joint Secretary: Prabjot Kaur Johl Treasurer: Kulwant Singh Johl

Past President: Siri Pritam Kaur Khalsa

Honorary MembersMr. Lakhbir Singh Bhella

Mr. and Mrs. Baljit BoparaiMr. Surjit Singh and Mrs. Sarabjit Kaur Boparai

Dr. Rupinder Singh BrarDr. Gurpreet Dhugga

Mr. Amarjit Singh DulaiMr. and Mrs. Ranjit Johl

Dr. Gulzar Singh JohlMr. Amarjit Singh Dulai

Mr. Lakhbir Singh BhellaMr. and Mrs. Jaswinder Lal Banga

Friends of The SocietyMr. and Mrs. Rajinder Chohan

Dr. and Mrs. Karanbir Singh GrewalNavjit Singh Ghuman

Rupaul Singh GhumanAsha Sharma

Gurjatinder S. RandhawaBaljit Lachhar

J.R. Thiara

Live Performance By Famous Recording Artists

K.S. Makhan

Surinder Shinda

This year’s festival will highlight performances by internationally acclaimed artists, singers K.S. Makhan and Surinder Shinda. Comedian Gurpreet

Ghuggi will also be performing on the Main Stage

Featival Highlights include:• Top U.S. and Canadian Bhangra/Gidha Teams• Many other ethnic dancers and performers• Special appearances• Comedy Skits and much moreMaster of Ceremonies: Asha Sharma

Festival Vendors Feature:Arts & CraftsTraditional ClothingChildren’s GamesPunjabi CuisineMehndi JewlryHenna Tatoosand more

Get tickets for the festival online at: www.punjabiamericanheritagesociety.org or at local Punjabi/Indian stores

Featured Documentaries:The Widow ColonyShows at: 2pm and 5pmDirected by Harpreet Kaur “The Widow Colony’ borrows its name from the settlement in Tilak Vihar, west-New Delhi, which is locally called the Widow Colony. The film takes the viewer to the streets of Trilokpuri, Kalyanpuri, Himatpuri, Sultanpuri and Mongolpuri, the same localities that suffered the major brunt of the massacre of innocent civilians (Sikhs) in November of 1984. Sikhs In The City

Show at: 4pmA BBC Production (30 minutes)A day in the life of different Sikh’s including the oldest marathon runner in the world, Fauza Singh of the U.K.

12th Annual Punjabi American Festival 2006 — �

� — 12th Annual Punjabi American Festival 2006

12th Annual Punjabi American Festival 2006 — �

Valuable Health Education and FREE Screenings

at the Punjabi-American Festival

Blood Clucose / Cholesterol / HbA1c / Blood Pressure

The Sikh form of marriage is called “ Anand Karaj”. This form of marriage was introduced from the time of the Sikh Gurus (1600’s AD) and was given statutory recognition during the British rule in India in 1909. Grown up Sikh boys and girls get married when they are fully able to take the responsibilities of married life. Child marriage is forbidden. Sikh marriages may be arranged and assisted by parents but there is no bar to the boy and girl arranging it on their own, as is done in recent times. Monogamy is practiced by the Sikhs. Amongst Sikhs all superstitions about good or bad days, rituals before during and after

marriage are strictly forbidden and deemed unnecessary.

The role of husband and wife is regarded complementary. The bride and the bridegroom along with their relatives and friends form a congregation in the presence of the holy book Guru Granth Sahib, the present Guru of the Sikhs. The bride holds the scarf of the bridegroom. Four stanzas (lavan) are read from the Guru Granth Sahib each explaining in detail a stage in the development of a life of love. At the end of each stanza the couple rises and walk slowly around the Guru Granth Sahib, the bridegroom leading the bride while the stanza is sung to the accompaniment of musical instruments. After each circuambulation of the Guru Granth Sahib the

SikhWeddings

couple bows in acceptance to the teaching of the lord. Both the husband and wife vow fidelity to each other. They signify their consent by bowing before Guru Granth Sahib. The officiating person apprises the couple of the duties of the married life according to the Guru’s teachings. The Guru is a witness to the marriage. After the reading of four Lavan, Anand Sahib is read. Finally the Ardas (supplication) is done to complete the ceremony. Parsad (holy sweet pudding) is distributed to the congregation before dispersing.

Actor/Director Kavi Razto Appear at thePunjabi-American Festival A lead appearance in Big River, official selection for Pusan International Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival, and the directorial debut of a major motion picture marks a new direction in the career of Kavi Raz. For Kavi, The Gold Bracelet, which he wrote, produced and in which he plays the lead role of Arjun is his first major feature film as a director. Kavi is very passionate about his work, whether it is writing, producing, directing or acting. He takes nothing for granted but treats the process as a constant learning experience. “Whatever I do, writing, producing, directing or acting, I delve deeper into my soul to find something new, different and challenging,” admits Kavi. “What excites me is how far can I reach? I don’t consider myself an artiste, just an explorer, who knows so little but has the desire to learn so much. I want to swim in the vast ocean of artistic expression. Regardless, if I will ever achieve the stature of a true artiste, is not the means to the end. But the journey itself would be fulfilling enough if I can continue to do what I love the most, make movies.” said Kavi. From his humble beginnings to the present, Kavi has made a long and difficult journey. “I have treaded the treacherous path

of an actor in Hollywood for so many years. That journey has been an emotional rollercoaster.” Kavi’s perseverance paved the path and opened doors for many others to follow when he became the first ever South Asian actor to be signed on as a regular in a major Television series. That series was St. Elsewhere, an award winning show that appeared on NBC in the early-eighties. St. Elsewhere lead to other shows: The A Team,

Hardcastle and McCormick, Hunter, Mash and more. Kavi starred in feature films such as Night Train to Katmandu, Warning Signs, and Storm in the Afternoon, among others. For his performance as Dr. Ajay Bose in Storm in the Afternoon, the LA times singled out Kavi Raz as “a powerhouse of an actor.” The Gold Bracelet was awarded the best feature, audience choice award at

Cinequest Film Festival and the Palm Beach International Film Festival.

Kavi Raz will be honored at this year’s Punjabi-American Festival.

GSK Healthy Communities

to provide:

A scene from The Golden Bracelet

� — 12th Annual Punjabi American Festival 2006

Special Thanks to our Grand Sponsor

Zee TV USA, Inc. Starting its operations on 15th July 1998, Zee TV USA, Inc., has today become a platform South Asian Diaspora in the USA identifies with. The subscriber base today spans all the 51 states including Alaska and Hawaii. Growing at an astronomical rate every month even today, Zee has the largest base of paying subscribers among minority television offerings excluding Hispanic television channels. With a bouquet of four channels namely Zee TV, Zee Cinema, Zee Gujarati and Alpha ETC Punjabi in the Americas, Zee is forging ahead to bring the best in South

Asian Television Programming to the South Asians in this part to f the world. In its 8 years of operations, Zee reaches over 400,000 households and is present on Dish Network and every large cable system in the country. Zee TV is available on Comcast Cable in Yuba City, Stockton and Fresno areas. Comcast has been a partner of Zee since 2000 and offers great service, products and value addition to its South Asian customers. Comcast and Zee made it possible to bring entertainment and news from the Indian subcontinent to the South Asians in Yuba City, Stockton and Fresno areas. Global presence Zee TV over the years has reached generic dimensions for the South Asian Diaspora across the world. It is the first brand that comes to one’s mind when we think of South Asian

TV entertainment. Spanning five continents, Zee reaches out to more than 350 million viewers in more than 120 countries. The South Asian Diaspora is spread across the length and breadth of the world and is of relevance in most countries, both financially and culturally. Zee was also the first network to make a foray into language programming for the North Indian region, with launch of its regional channels. A rich & heady bouquet Zee TV’s leadership is based on the carefully organized product mix, which caters to the family across the board. A general entertainment channel which includes soaps, sitcoms, thrillers, news and movies among other programming genres, this channel is built to appeal to the whole family. The day begins with the religious programming for the ones

with the religious orientation. GURBANI is relayed from the GOLDEN TEMLPLE IN Amritsar, India daily; the afternoons are devoted to homemakers with programs on cookery, fashion and homemaking. The evenings attract the largest audience and thus Zee brings to them a comprehensive mix of varied programming genres targeted at the whole family. The prime time opens with a light-hearted film and music based programs like Sa Re Ga Ma Pa along with the game shows and sitcoms and steadily moves to the serious genres like thrillers and Soaps namely Kasamh Se, Saat Phere...Saloni Ka Safar etc. Other than this Zee TV has six bulletins of daily news downloaded every day from South Asia in 3 languages namely Hindi, Punjabi and Gujarati; and for the movie buffs, Zee TV brings 2 movies everyday giving it a full and rounded feel. Zee has one

of the largest growing libraries comprising of Hindi feature films and Hindi TV Software. The reserves in the library include 3,000 titles of Hindi Feature films and about 30,000 hours of programming. Continuous innovation As always, quest for higher viewer satisfaction is of paramount importance to Zee TV. Fostering creativity has been the mantra for this last year. This year, Zee’s upcoming programs again include some more innovation in terms of interactive shows, gripping soaps dealing with social issues, global events like the Zee Cine Awards and much more.

Keep watching Zee to keep informed and entertained!

12th Annual Punjabi American Festival 2006 — �