Friday, October 28, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Bhai Atma Singh from Panjokhra Sahib was staunchly against using the Pothi on the Vaja during Keertan
Bhai Atma Singh from Panjokhra Sahib was staunchly against using the Pothi on the Vaja during Keertan. If we look at the jeevan of these Gursikhs from old times we can see how much Sikhi they had inside them. Bhai Atma Singh was aptly named as ‘Pothi Jee’ by Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh and others in the Jatha. This was because Bhai Atma Singh had most, if not all of Siri Guru Granth Sahib memorised. In keertan Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh would sometimes signal to Bhai Atma Singh to finish of the pangtee. This was the jeevan of Puratan Singhs.
Unfortunately during the 1980’s Bhai Atma Singh was seen as a ‘hardliner’ and extremist by some leading figures in the Jatha and therefore was not allowed to take part in Jatha affairs. Bhai Sahib passed away in the early 1990’s.
The most disappointing factor is that in todays day and age we are slowly drifting away from the principles adopted by puratan Gurmukhs, codes conducts that were put in place for the reasons of respect and honour of Guru Sahib are no longer valued and don’t seem to hold any sort of significance.
To this day the maryada at Siri Harmandar Sahib Darbar Sahib Amritsar is that the Kirtan has to be done from memory. If we look back to the times of the Gurus up until the 1900’s all Kirtan was done Kanth as in them days there were no Harmoniums (introduced by the West). All Keertan took place using stringed instruments. This conduct is still in place at other Takhats and historical Gurdwaras across India.
When looking at the pothi one has to constantly keep referring back to it, therefore, there is not 100% concentration on the Shabad being sung. Our Kirtan merely becomes a performance of show and ego. These days Gursikhs who come across as being strict and ‘hardcore’ and have the biggest dumaley and Kirpans struggle to memorise small Shabads. These Gursikhs boast the strictest Rehat Bibek, unfortunately they are lacking Simran Bibek. They do not practice reading Gurbani or meditating on Naam in their own time. On the contrary our elder generation of Kirtanis will have much Bani Kanth and many Shabads Kanth. Famous Ragis of the Panth also have all their Shabads memorised. Not once have they been seen using a Pothi on top of the Vaja.
Unfortunately during the 1980’s Bhai Atma Singh was seen as a ‘hardliner’ and extremist by some leading figures in the Jatha and therefore was not allowed to take part in Jatha affairs. Bhai Sahib passed away in the early 1990’s.
The most disappointing factor is that in todays day and age we are slowly drifting away from the principles adopted by puratan Gurmukhs, codes conducts that were put in place for the reasons of respect and honour of Guru Sahib are no longer valued and don’t seem to hold any sort of significance.
To this day the maryada at Siri Harmandar Sahib Darbar Sahib Amritsar is that the Kirtan has to be done from memory. If we look back to the times of the Gurus up until the 1900’s all Kirtan was done Kanth as in them days there were no Harmoniums (introduced by the West). All Keertan took place using stringed instruments. This conduct is still in place at other Takhats and historical Gurdwaras across India.
When looking at the pothi one has to constantly keep referring back to it, therefore, there is not 100% concentration on the Shabad being sung. Our Kirtan merely becomes a performance of show and ego. These days Gursikhs who come across as being strict and ‘hardcore’ and have the biggest dumaley and Kirpans struggle to memorise small Shabads. These Gursikhs boast the strictest Rehat Bibek, unfortunately they are lacking Simran Bibek. They do not practice reading Gurbani or meditating on Naam in their own time. On the contrary our elder generation of Kirtanis will have much Bani Kanth and many Shabads Kanth. Famous Ragis of the Panth also have all their Shabads memorised. Not once have they been seen using a Pothi on top of the Vaja.
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