As the tercentenary celebrations draw nearer, a group of 30 musicians are preparing to dedicate the next three weeks to serving and promoting the Siri Guru Granth Sahib throughout India. The team of Gurmat Sangeet students, studying with Raj Academy of Asian Music, will be uniting in the holy city of Amritsar from the UK, USA and Europe to perform kirtan from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib in accordance with the musical instructions contained within, and with the instruments that were promoted by the Gurus.
Their aim is to commemorate 300 years of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib and promote the Guru's teachings in their original form. The Academy began working on this cause in 1994 when Professor Surinder Singh, the founder of the institution, began teaching students to simply follow the Guru's instructions; "There is nothing complicated about it" Professor Surinder Singh explains, "anyone who reads and takes hukam from the Guru cannot ignore the fact that there is a title, and it will say the name of a rág beside the author. These sacred rágs have very powerful effects on us, and as part of our respect and adherence to our Guru, we should follow these guidelines for our own sake and the rest of humanity."
The team have been preparing for this tour since the beginning of the year and are looking forward to performing kirtan in Punjab, New Delhi and Nanded. Their twice-weekly rehearsals run alongside their other classes; the students are either undergraduates or postgraduates studying Sikh music with Raj Academy at Thames Valley University. One Gurmat Sangeet graduate, who is now a lecturer on Sikh music, braces himself for the opportunity of a lifetime: "Myself and 29 other kirtan students will be travelling to the sacred historical residences of the Jagti Jyot - Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji to sing the praises of the unseen, immortal creator - in the holy presence of the Sat Sangat. Although we shall be doing kirtan seva in Punjab and Delhi - and I imagine the experience of performing kirtan to audiences of thousands will be beyond comprehension - I envisage the pinnacle of my trip will be our visit to Hazur Sahib - the place I have longed to have darshan of - more than any other. The final resting place of my Gur-Pita - and the birthplace of the final sargun manifestation of nirgun Parmatma."
One student, a full-time mum, business woman and Masters student who is looking forward to singing for her Guru in the homeland of the Sikhs; "studying Gurmat Sangeet with the Academy has given me a new understanding of how my Guru Granth Sahib relates to me. I wish to share this with my community and would like the world to know that Sikhs can maintain Sikh values and uphold their faith where-ever they live in the world".
Their tour begins in Punjab after which the group will join the celebrations at Hazur Sahib, finishing in Delhi for a final week of Kirtan. Their schedule is available in this video:
From Amanroop Kaur