Did You Know
Kalsi, Dehradun
Cradled in the valley of Kalsi, Dehradun lie The Rock Edicts of Kalsi which provided an important link in the spread of Buddhism. In the 3rd century BC, Kalsi used to be the seat of dhamma, where under the patronage of Mauryan King Asoka, various missionary activities were carried out to spread Buddhism. Kalsi is the only place in the entire Himalayan range where the 14 edicts are inscribed. And at this time, Kalsi was a hub for traders, and there was a lot of movement of traders especially from the Tibetan plateau and it is this propagation that is believed to have lead to the spread of Buddhism to Tibet.
The Rock Edicts of Kalsi
Ashoka Rock Edict at Kalsi, Dehradun Navigable 3D view
A solid quartz rock in Kalsi contains all fourteen of the Major Edicts of Mauryan King Asoka. These edicts describe Ashoka’s beliefs in peaceful moral behavior and running of a kingdom. The east face of the rock contains Edicts 1 to 12 and part one of Edict 13. The south face continues with part two of Edict 13, and Edict 14. The north face has a drawing of an elephant. The inscription for Edict No.13 on this rock made it possible to date the reign of Ashoka to between 260 and 230 BCE. The edicts were inscribed into the rock in 253 BCE and are written on Prakrit language using Brahmi script.
Our Story | The Family of Sardul Singh Kalsi
Sardul Singh Kalsi is traced back to be from Kalsi, Dehradun in the district of Uttarakhand, India. Sardul Singh Kalsi had three sons who moved to Haripur Khalsa, a village in the Jalandhar District of Punjab, India. His sons, oldest to youngest, were Kaan Singh, Diwan Singh, and Maan Singh Kalsi.
Kaan Singh Kalsi did not have any descendants but Diwan Singh Kalsi and Maan Singh Kalsi both had families. This site documents the ancestry of Diwan Singh and Maan Singh Kalsi and, where possible, relationships through marriage. Eight generations later, descendants of Sardul Singh Kalsi are living in Kenya, Dubai, England, Canada, United States, and Australia.
Kalsi Samadhi’s and Gurudwara, Haripur Khalsa
Kaan Singh Kalsi and some of our forefathers are known for being spiritually enlightened. In honor of this, two samadhi’s were built recognizing the spirtual seat they had attained.
Two samadhis and locations are shown below with the larger of the two attributed to Kaan Singh Kalsi and a smaller one attributed to an unknown Kalsi family member. Kalsi forefathers, Battan Singh Kalsi, Pritam Singh Kalsi, and Mehar Singh Kalsi, along with Kalsi family members are shown visiting the samadhi’s after the marriage of Amritpal Singh Kalsi.
Kalsi Samadhi
Haripur Khalsa, Kalsi Samadhi Location
Gurudwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Nagar was built by a Kalsi family member. Folklore has it that this person could find no cure to medical ailments he was facing. And through a chance encounter with a woman who knew of the spiritual strength of his forefathers, she encouraged him to build a Gurudwara on land that had their spiritual strength and to seek their blessings for recovery. Today this Gurudwara is maintained by Kalsi Family Members from Kenya and around the world (see Seva).
Gurudwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Nagar (front entrance)
Gurudwara Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Nagar (front view)
Gurdwara Paonta Sahib
Gurdwara Paonta Sahib
Just 30 kms from Kalsi is Gurudwara Paonta Sahib. This is where Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji wrote the Dasam Granth. The palki at this gurdwara is made of pure gold.
Ramgarhia Sikh Temple Yatta Road of River Road, Nairobi, Kenya
The Yatta Road Ramgarhia Hall came into existence when Sardar Hem Singh Sehmi laid the foundation stone in the year 1933. The construction of the hall was completed four years later and the opening ceremony was performed on 26th March 1937 by Kehar Singh Kalsi.
Kehar Singh Kalsi
Ramgarhia Gurudwara, Yatta Rd.
Ramgarhia Gurudwara, Yatta Rd.
Pioneering Spirits
From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad? From her, kings are born. From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all.
– Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Raag Aasaa Mehal 1, Ang 473
GURMIT CHAGGAR
Gurmit Kaur Chaggar was one of the matriarchs of the Kalsi Family. As a single mother, she raised five children in 1970’s England. And even though she spoke little English, she was able to find work at Walkers Crisps in Leicester. As her family became settled, she moved to supporting the family business along with her children.
BASANT KALSI
Basant Singh Kalsi, the oldest son of Bhagwan Singh Kalsi, served in the British Indian Army during World War One. He was awarded two medals for his bravery and service to the British Indian Army. Basant Kalsi was registered in Haripur (Jalandhar) under regiment number 25720.
SARJIT RIYAT
Sarjit Kaur Riyat broke stereotypes and cultural barriers in 1970’s England as she become one of the first Registered Nurses of Indian descent. Her trailblazing journey continued as she rose to rank of Matron managing and running Hospital Wards.
SADHU KALSI
Battan Singh Kalsi, started a small sand transportation business in Athi River, Kenya. Sadhu Singh Kalsi worked by his side to build this business. And when he took over the venture, he continued to grow the business. Today, his sons Amritpal Singh and Pritpal Singh Kalsi have expanded this venture into a transportation and logistics business that spans across much of East Africa.
SARWAN kalsi
One of the first Sikh Kenyan entrepreneurs, Sarwan Singh Kalsi established K.S. Kalsi & Sons which quickly rose to be one of the premier construction companies for the Government of Kenya. Kalztech Kenya Ltd., another startup, has established itself to a dominant manufacturer of brake linings and pads for automobiles, trucks, and trailers. And his adventurous spirit saw him branching out into the Hoteling industry. Today, he is assisted by his sons Jaswinder Singh and Harbinder Singh Kalsi in operating and expanding business operations.
DEEP KALSI
If you have ever looked at Rand McNally World and Country Maps, England’s ‘A to Z’, maps of Africa, India, Pakistan, the Middle East, and Canada, then you are looking at the life long work of Deep Singh Kalsi. He spent many years as a cartographer mapping these and many other places in detail. In fact, shortly after moving to Canada, he drew the first detailed a map of Vancouver, B.C. And today, the Government of Canada still uses his design standards for airport and runway layouts.
KARNAIL KALSI
Karnail Singh Kalsi took over a maintenance and operations role from Battan Singh Kalsi at The New Stanley Hotel. His carpentry and mechanical skills saw him manage key projects and he rose to become the Head of Operations and Maintenance. And when the The Norfolk hotel was being built by the owners of The New Stanley Hotel, Karnail Singh oversaw the entire construction and build of the new hotel. Today, these hotels are known as Sarova Stanley and Fairmont The Norfolk, and Karnail Singh’s craftsmanship is seen to this day.
JEEVAN kalsi
Jeevan Singh Kalsi has the distinction of being the first Kalsi family member to hold a university degree. In 1940 (est.) he graduated in India from a University with a Bachelors of Arts Degree.
BALBIR CHAGGAR
An idea born in his garage and a chance encounter with a General Manager of Datsun (Nissan) gave birth to Big Spot Accessories, which quickly expanded to provide plastic and rubber OEM products to many automobile manufacturers. Later business expansion included ventures in engineering, textile, and property management. Balbir was supported by his mother, Gurmit Kaur Chaggar, and brothers Jasbir Singh and Ragbhir Singh Chaggar in these ventures.
kamaljit lehal
Kamaljit Kaur Lehal earned her Law Degree from the University of British Columbia, and in 1992 opened her own law practice focusing on immigration, personal injury, and mediation. She is passionate in her representation of women on gender persecution grounds, and has reunited many families in Canada. Today, Kamaljit is certified as both a mediator and arbitrator for civil and family law matters, and has earned the privilege of representing cases in front of The Supreme Court of Canada.