Sikh Studies

Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize

Awarded by Hofstra University in collaboration with the Sardarni Kuljit Kaur Bindra Charitable Foundation

As the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak taught that we discover our oneness with humanity by exploring the differences that separate us. The Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize recognizes and supports the efforts of those individuals and organizations who work to advance that vision.

According to Guru Nanak, religions are paradoxical. They help us to discover and cultivate what is best and most hopeful about one another and the world that sustains us. And yet, they often spark conflict and violence. The Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize is based on the conviction that religious dialogue helps to minimize religious conflict by cultivating awareness that we each view the world from the limitations of our own traditions, and we have much to learn from the traditions of others.

Messages of Hope Offered in Honor of Guru Nanak’s Birthday

The 2022 Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize has been awarded to author, researcher, and filmmaker Amardeep Singh. Read about the winner.

The Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize was established with a gift from the family of Sardar Ishar Singh Bindra and Sardarni Kuljit Kaur Bindra, prominent Sikh-Americans living in Brookville, New York. In September 2000, the Bindra family endowed the Sardarni Kuljit Kaur Bindra Chair in Sikh Studies at Hofstra University in honor of the family's matriarch.

The family's company, Jeetish Imports, based in New York City, is a major distributor of apparel, and the family has substantial interests in real estate as well. The Bindras are deeply involved in philanthropic activities that benefit both the Sikh and non-Sikh communities. The Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize is an expression of Sardar Ishar Singh Bindra's longstanding dedication to interfaith harmony.

About Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak was born in 1469 in a village located near the contemporary Pakistani city of Lahore.