Jasleen Kaur

Research Associate

Jasleen Kaur is a Research Associate at the Sikh Research Institute. She has received a Religious Studies B.A./M.A. from the University of Virginia, focusing on South Asian Religions through the lens of literature and poetry.

She is one of the commentators and transcreators of The Guru Granth Sahib Project. She is passionate about projects that create comfortable spaces for community members of all ages and backgrounds to engage in dialogue and learn from one another. She also loves singing in her free time, whether on stage with her friends or alone in her kitchen.

She hopes to go back to school to pursue a Ph.D. in either religious ethnography or history and fulfill her dream of teaching and learning from others.

Jasleen Kaur resides with her family in the United States.

Videos

Tuesday
,
6
October
2020

Why was sexuality an important topic to cover?

Jasleen Kaur talks about why we chose to talk about sexuality for the state of the Panth report.

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Saturday
,
3
October
2020

Sikhi & Sexuality Webinar

Watch the entire thought provoking conversation with Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur as they try to understand and explain sexuality in the context of a Sikh worldview.

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Sunday
,
30
August
2020

Why is the GGS Project important to you? - Jasleen Kaur

This project aspires to make the Guru Granth Sahib accessible to English speakers globally. People from all around the world can build that deeper connection that they couldn’t before. Beyond that, there are increasing generations of Sikhs in the diaspora who do not consume Panjabi content, let alone the Guru Granth Sahib. The universal messages and timeless wisdom of Sabad are trapped behind a disconnection with the script and lexicon of the time. Research, interpretation, and technology converging to make Guru Granth Sahib accessible to all! https://app.gurugranthsahib.io

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Tuesday
,
26
November
2019

Sikhi & Abortion – Gurmat Perspective

In the past few years, more and more US states placed restrictions on abortion practices and the issue has been dominating news headlines ever since.

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Thursday
,
8
November
2018

When will Sikhs have their #MeToo movement?

October 2017 saw #MeToo grow into an international movement, after going viral on social media as a hashtag used to break the silence that empowers perpetrators and to illustrate the prevalence of sexual assault, harassment, and gender-based violence.

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Podcasts

Saturday
,
10
April
2021

Countdown to Vaisakhi 2021: Jasleen Kaur

Jasleen Kaur, Researcher at Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI) shares her reflection on Vaisakhi.

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Thursday
,
18
March
2021

Transcendent Love | The Sikh Cast

What’s “Love” got to do with it? Love is indeed a four-letter word, heavily used, very interpretive, and often taken out of context in our personal lives. How do we understand love in the Sikh context?

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Friday
,
30
October
2020

The Guru Granth Sahib Project — Live Webinar

Our panel discusses the newly launched Guru Granth Sahib Project. The Project states that, although there are Gurbani translations available in Panjabi text belonging to the early twentieth century by many celebrated Sikh giants, and some in English from recent times, there is a need for a fresh perspective for contemporary audiences. The project aims to make the Guru Granth Sahib accessible to English speakers globally via technology. Our lead Researchers discuss the challenges in creating this work, their transcreation process, and how these translations may differ from others.

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Friday
,
9
October
2020

Sikhi & Sexuality

Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI) has released its sixth report in the State of the Panth series titled Sikhi & Sexuality, exploring how Sikhi has influenced the collective behavior of the Sikhs when it comes to sex, pleasure, and procreation.

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Thursday
,
26
September
2019

Whichever day comes, that day goes (Pt. 1)

Jasleen Kaur says "This sabad has gently nudged me forward, too many times to count — moved me in some tangible direction, reminded me that the hard days — the days when I cannot get myself to do much of anything — are transient."

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Wednesday
,
23
October
2019

Whichever day comes, that day goes (Pt.2)

At this point in my life, this sabad has come to me for reasons other than telling me to keep moving even when everything feels big and hard to navigate.

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Articles

Monday
,
17
March
2025

On Performing Piety

Jasleen Kaur reflects on Guru Nanak Sahib’s sabad, exploring the question of what is genuine within us, and what elements of ego we must navigate.

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Monday
,
11
December
2023

Sikhs, Panjab, India & the Diaspora: Locating the Current Crisis

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the current crisis involving Sikhs, Panjab, India, and the diaspora, with a focus on the historical context primarily from 1984 to 2023.

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Wednesday
,
21
August
2024

Caste & Race

This report aims to understand and explore caste and race within a Sikh worldview, the complexities of their intertwined developments, and the varied responses to practices and structures of casteism and racism from dominant and marginalized groups.

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Tuesday
,
25
April
2023

Women & Gender in Sikhi

Women’s issues and the issues of gender as it applies to all gender identities are being grappled with globally. These issues have existed throughout history, and as time goes on, they change shape.

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Tuesday
,
8
March
2022

Beadbi: Locating Irreverence amongst the Sikhs

In recent news and current events, “beadbi” has come to the forefront as a topic of discussion. But do we as Sikhs collectively understand what beadbi is, how it has been dealt with historically,...

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Friday
,
14
January
2022

Dan: Sikhi, Nonprofits & Giving

As the world becomes more interconnected, we understand how some have an abundance of monetary wealth, and others do not, and the more we understand the various needs unaddressed in our backyards and abroad.

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Presenting at Upcoming Events

Sat
,
Jul 12

Vanjara: From Worldly Trader to Spiritual Seeker

Khalsa School, Glen Rock Gurudwara

This presentation explores Guru Ramdas Sahib’s Vanjara, situating it within its cultural framework and lived experience. We will reflect on the composition's foundational themes and their relevance to our daily...

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