Lifestyle

A blessing in the Punjab

Husband and wife Ashok and Manon Ahir talk to JULIE McNICHOLLS about their trip to the Punjab for a special ceremony for youngest daughter Maya…

 

FOR Aberystwyth-born Manon Edwards, marriage brought with it more than just a change of name.
For the 39-year-old, a former Ysgol Gymraeg and Penweddig school pupil, has spent the last nine years learning the language and faith of husband Ashok Ahir.
The couple, along with their three children, Osian, 7, Noa, 5 and Maya, 1 now use three languages - Welsh, English and Punjabi - and follow two faiths - Christianity and Sikh.

Chapel - Capel y Morfa - played a significant part in Manon’s Aberystwyth upbringing and the Christian faith continues to be important to her. Ashok is a British Punjabi, born in the Midlands, where he had a British Indian upbringing and where family life centred on the Gurdwara, the Sikh temple.

 

Manon and Ashok are keen to keep both faiths and cultures alive in their home, though that can be “quite a challenge at times” admits Manon.
Trips to India, where Ashok’s parents spend part of their time, have been regular events for the couple and sons Osian and Noa, but earlier this year, the family embarked on Maya’s first trip to the Punjab.
There, one-year-old Maya received a Sikh blessing in keeping with her father’s faith.

 

“We decided to go after Ashok’s mother asked us to visit the Punjab to introduce Maya not only to the family but to her father’s faith, and for her to receive a blessing,” said Manon.

 

“After a journey lasting a day and a half we reached Jalandhar – Ashok’s parents’ home. It was the middle of the night but a number of family members had gathered, a feast awaited us and the house was lit up like a Christmas tree.
“We had a busy fortnight ahead of us – a large number of relatives to see, a visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest shrine of the Sikh religion, and, of course, Maya’s blessing ceremony.”

 

 

The blessing ceremony – the Akhand Path – started in a temple in the countryside. Two days later, the family returned to the temple for the culmination of the ceremony which took place during Harvest Festival in the Punjab.
“Under the shade of a tree, the family had gathered to greet us – over 50 of them,” said Manon.
“Their arms were outstretched to welcome our little girl to their midst. The fact that we live on the other side of the world and speak a foreign language didn’t matter at all – we’re a family who’ve returned to the Punjab, and that’s what counts.”

 

The family’s amazing journey to India was captured by S4C in the documnetary series Y Daith.
And there was an Aberystwyth connection on the TV team in the shape of producer, Caryl Ebenezer.

 

Caryl Ebenezer, was born and raised in Bow Street. She joined Opus Television (now called Rondo Media) in 1995 having obtained a First Class Honours degree in Music from the University of Wales, Bangor.
She has produced and directed various programmes initially specialising in music – live Musical Festivals, ‘Eisteddfodau’ including the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, various classical music concerts and Operas from the Wales Millennium Centre. Through this she has worked with a diversity of artists from Bryn Terfel to Karl Jenkins.

 

Caryl has also produced numerous documentaries including The Celts which was broadcast on S4C and worldwide.
The series subsequently won three BAFTA awards for best documentary/drama series, best camera work and best original music. Caryl’s voice also features on the CD, Adiemus IV – The Eternal Knot (Karl Jenkins) which is the soundtrack for the series. Most recently she produced Y Daith: O Gapel Salem i’r Deml Aur, the special programme following Manon, Ashok and their children on a special pilgrimage to the Punjab, India.

 

Pictured (from top): The Ahir family; Manon and Maya; The extended family in Jalandhar; The Golden Temple; Caryl Ebenezer; and TV cameras capturing the journey for the Ahir family.