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Summary of Question:	Greet My Fiancee With "Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh".
Category:	Sikh Practices
Date Posted:	Tuesday, 6/28/2005 3:27 PM MDT

Waheguru ji ka khalsa, Waheguru ji ki fateh

I am a 27 year old sikh. I used to greet only my elders or people in Gurudwara
with "Waheguru ji ka khalsa, Waheguru ji ki fateh". Now I have started saying it to every fellow sikh when I meet.

My fiancee(she is also sikh) gets uncomfortable and embarrassed when I greet
her like this. She says that when we have Waheguru ji in heart, we do not have to say it everytime and to everyone. I feel no sikh should feel uncomfortable while saying "Waheguru ji ka khalsa, Waheguru ji ki fateh". She feels
that I am not in tune with the youth and it makes all my converstaion more spiritual (un-romantic).

I feel the way I conduct myself is the correct way a Sikh should do.
Please let me know your suggestions in greeting the fellow youth.

Thank you.
Singh

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reply
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Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji Kee Fateh. I have always understood this greeting to be used between amritdhari Sikhs. Which is not to limit it; there is nothing wrong about using this Sikh greeting. It is, however, why some folks get uncomfortable when it's used. I used to greet a Sikh restaurant owner with this blessing and he was clearly uncomfortable and much preferred Sat Siri Akaal as a greeting. Perhaps some Sikhs view it as being extreme or fanatic, I really cannot say.
I think if your fiancee is uncomfortable with this, she is not being fully honest. Find a quiet time to sit and ask her why it really bothers her. Perhaps she likes to keep her Sikh-ness quieter than you.... You want to find these things out before the knot is tied.
The decision for you is this: if someone you greet is clearly not comfortable being greeted this way, do you alter the greeting in the future to make him/her feel more at ease, or do you persist because of your belief in it? Let Guru be your guide. Guru ang sang,
-DKK