FANTASTIC explanation of ARDAAS! i'm a 40 yo woman sikh woman raised in the US (parents from india) and my mom is, and dad was, very religious but us kids never really learned punjabi. my mom always does paght and ardaas for all big events (when we started the school years, etc.) and all holidays. she always says my dad (who is now gone) always wanted us to learn ardaas and i can recite some of it - but b/c of this article i now understand what it is all about.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/history-of-sikhism/4784-ardaas-the-sikh-prayer.html

while reading this i was crying - it was so moving. and i find it wonderful that most of the prayer is to remember all the good saints and people who have come before, and then to finally ask for continued strength and devotion.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=4784

great - just great. god bless you for writing this.