Gurupurab was celebrated with religious fervour in New Zealand on 8 November. Devotees thronged their local gurdwaras to pay their obeisance to Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of Sikhism, on his 553rd birth anniversary.
Traditionally on the day, various prayers and kirtans programmes are held in the Gurudwara. The two gurudwaras in Christchurch, in Riccarton and on Ferry Road, were decorated with bright lights and flowers to mark the occasion. People from different faiths participated in 'shabad kirtans' and ‘paths’ being held in Gurudwaras.
Being a workday many people were at work, making it difficult for some to travel to the gurudwara, particularly the older members of the community who rely either on personal transportation or on others who can drive.
It didn't take long for a good Samaritan to post on Facebook that they'd offer free taxi rides from anywhere in Christchurch to/from Gurudwara Singh Sabha Christchurch on Ferry Road or Riccarton Gurudwara Sahib.
The post further said, “If you have parents or anyone who is unable to drive, and wants to visit Gurudwara Sahib, please message me.”
The post was posted by Harry Singh(name changed as he does not want personal publicity) and shared on many Facebook groups.
In addition to being liked and shared, the offer received much appreciation from many social media users.
The community appreciated the gesture and thanked Singh for the offer.
Singh told us, “I just happened to talk to some friends and asked if they would be coming to the Gurudwara. Some of them expressed inability due to being dependent on a driving member of the family. That is when the idea came to him and he put out the post on social media.”
Singh is a courier operator by profession and has many friends who drive Uber. He says I spoke to some of them, and they were happy to do this for fellow community members.
Some of the senior community members who utilised Singh’s offer were very happy to have been able to visit Gurudwara and were all praises for him and his friends.
“I am happy to have been of use and it’s always good to get blessings from elders,” Singh said.
“This is also a great example of how social media can be used as a tool for good deeds in the real world.”