Born to a Christian mother and Muslim father of Iranian descent in Texas, Michelle Nicole should have been just another kid in the US, dealing with issues that come with growing up in an inter-racial family. Instead, she has adopted a totally different identity and lifestyle now. She is one of the rarest white Sikhs who has become a Nihang, a Sikh military order with famous victories in historical wars.
Renamed Harsangat Raj Kaur, she takes pride in calling herself Persian-Scandinavian Singhni who was born and raised in Texas. Today, she is a mounted archer in true Sikh tradition. Inspired by a Nihang Sikh, Kaur not only adopted the lifestyle but also completed the ritual baptism to become a Nihang Singhni. She was baptized by Baba Budda Dal Jathedar Joginder Singh in 2012 during his first visit to the UK.
She told sources that she had been riding horses since she was five. Trained as an archer too, she was fascinated
by what she calls “the brotherhood of the horse” and slowly got attracted to the Nihang way of life.
GURU’S SOLDIER: White Sikh woman Harsangat Raj Kaur, born and
raised in Texas, swears by the Nihang way of life
She aspires to have her own Dal of Nihangs
Harsangat Raj Kaur says she finds this lifestyle to be natural and today, she can easily recite Gurbani and parts of Dasham Granth.
Kaur has also visited Takht Shri Damadama Sahib and tried her hand at Gurmukhi by writing the letters in sand.
“My father's native tongue is Farsi so it's an advantage for me with Gurmukhi at times,” she says.
On how her family reacts when they see her in the flowing robes of a Nihang, she says, “It's not their favorite image of me.”
However, she admits that ever since she embraced Sikhism, there have been several changes in her lifestyle. “My life has changed for the better and I give thanks to Waheguru each day,” she says.
Kaur is not surprised that Sikhs are attacked in the US. Speaking about hate crimes she says that in America’s deep South it had always been that way.
“Growing up, I had to hide the fact of being Persian. I personally don't like the attention that it (dressed as a Nihang) can bring but the way it makes me feel is another story,” she says.
Kaur aspires to have her own Dal (group) of Nihangs in Texas with horses. “I want a place where the Sangat can come to spend some time to meditate,” she says.