shaheediyan

Dear veer Niranjana Ji, Just a few points to clarify: "You now mention Tumris as non-acceptable since they are invented in the 19th century, however I would urge you to do some further research into Indian Classical Sangeet rather than relying entirely on the assertions made by one Professor Surinder Singh Matharu (with due respect), which seems to render all musical contributions of a devotional nature over the past 500 years to Sikhs alone – which is nonsense, have a look at the various Bhajans sung by Hindus and Muslims alike which adhere to Raag and format rather than ‘bollywood pop tunes’ used by Ragis!!! " I mentioned tumri as unacceptable because they were developed in and for coutian. Their aim is to invoke a lustful mood. In my humble opinion this is not acceptable in Guru Ghar, that aside, Tumri is not a style which fits into Gurbani or kirtan hukum, so the whole point in invalid in any case. With all due respect, please do not be so assuming and patronising, I take my little education from various sources, not just Professor Ji, whom I am happy to admit is large source, and believe it or not, we don’t agree on all points. Your point regarding Prof ji’s attitude couldn’t be further than the truth, we study and research Raag from as early as the veda’s and Bharats Natya shastra, through to Carnatic, Bhajan, Sufi and many forms of folk i.e. Rajastani. You should not be so negative and cynical about peoples mammoth efforts to “preserve†Sikhi. Most of the thought behind this “revival†is actually not new, it is drawing on existing practices preserved amongst few people. Nothing is really controversial, research is done (rightfully so) to identify our Guru’s contributions (why should they be forgotten or ignored, just so some stubborn folks world isn’t turned upside down). Everything is sourced, and constantly updated where better information (factual or historical) is discovered. In actual fact, the majority of the academic Gurmat Sangeet arena agree on most points. “Moreover, I would urge you to look into the ways in which raags have evolved from their inception and the possible implications that this may have for Sikhs who are currently undertaking a somewhat ‘blind’ view in their research of tradition.†Again, this is an offensive comment, you obviously are not at all familiar with gigantic efforts that have been made by many, including the preserving of many puratan reets (and in doing so the raag versions) over the past century. There are in fact not that many raags, where only very minor technicalities are in debate. Most are agreed. I would advise that you make a list of well researched points yourself and discuss these with the like of Professor Surinder Singh Ji before calling peoples views blind. Bhul Chuk Maaf.

Thanks you veer ji, I think that is a nice ending to the topic. Your source/reference for your definition of Rahao, is your naam bhagti experience, so I obvioulsy cannot challenge that. My conversation was at a more conventional/academic level. Your understanding of raag and it's use/purpose/effect, alongside the limitless nature of Gurbani seems a little restricted though, that is unless of course it is also derived from your naam bhagti (with all due respect), where of course, again, I cannot comment. Thanks for the discussion. Just a tip, in future, it would help if you only asked questions which you genuinely do not have the answer to and don't already have an indomitable opinion on already. Vaheguru

Nihang Ji didn't say only Nihangs wore helmets, or even that Nihangs wore them if i remember correctly. He was showing an example of a Sikh helmet. From what I know, they were only ever worn by Sardaars (generals) in Ranjit Singhs (M) armies, they were normally quite elaborate and expensive to make, hence the generally worn by the more wealthy members and associates of the "royal" family or generals etc. Nihangs wore and wear dhumalla's of various sorts, whic also serve the purpose of carrying shastar and identifying Akali Singhs.

This thread will have links to what I consider to be one of the most intelligent, educational, professional and inspirational efforts made in Punjab in recent times. Raag ratan is a series of traditional kirtan programmes broadcasted from Punjab every week, giving upcoming "raagis" the opportunity to perform kirtan at a high level whilst promoting traditional sangeet at the same time. Enjoy. Episode 1 http://sikhimedia.net/share/view_video.php...amp;category=mr Episode 2 http://sikhimedia.net/share/view_video.php...amp;category=mr Episode 3 http://sikhimedia.net/share/view_video.php...amp;category=mr Episode 4 http://sikhimedia.net/share/view_video.php...amp;category=mr

This thread is for posting Sri Dasam Granth Sahib & Sri Sarbloh Granth Sahib Ji Kirtan done in raag. http://sikhimedia.net/share/view_video.php...amp;category=mr Ajai alai.

An excellent and "live recording" (non-studio) of Raag Maajh with Shaan and Mangla Charan. It is so inspiring to see Professor Ji giving these young (some 14 years old) students the opportunity to present kirtan in it's original form. Note,, all the original Sikh saaj are used here - Jori, Dilruba, Tanpura, Saranda, Sarangi and Taus. The only one missing is the Rabaab. Shaan is a musical piece that ws traditionally played before singing a shabd. It serves multiple purposes i.e. allowing the raagi to practice and become familiar with the raag (as a preformance consists of many raags/shabds, so need to be able to adjust), sets the mood for the sangat, allows artistic expression in a controlled manner (unlike the many classical raagis today going over the top with alaaps, bol alaaps and technicalities)... It also traditionally proved to the once educated sangat, what the raag would be through playing the Mukh Angs (main characters, defining combination of notes). Mangla charans are the various combinations of Mul Mantar that appear in abbreviated form or in full form, at the beginning of each Raag, and are repeated within Raags where there is a change in the musical mode or where the writer changes. Please add any raag Maajh shabd videos or audio here.

Beautiful and educational introduction to Raag Sarang, great for kids and adults interested in kirtan. Please kindly add any shabd video's or audio that you find in this raag here. Dhanvaad. Vaheguru

Beautiful introduction to the raag, with descriptive raag narrative at the start of the video, as well as translation through out. http://sikhimedia.net/share/view_video.php...29a966504af0a63 The point of these threads is to talk of, and add videos or audio with regards to the aforementioned raag only. Please no childish or petty comments here, this is for the sangats general education, to give them a glimpse of kirtan as it used to be (as best as we understand)... Dhanvaad Vaheguru

Veer ji, In shabad kirtan we don't say rahao. In paath we do. This is the common and agreed practice. I have expressed my personal opinions here: http://www.sikhawareness.com/sikhawareness...opic.php?t=9366

Sorry veer ji, I am not the marketing agent for Baba Darbaara Akhara.. I honestly thought that on my senior veers had advertised it, but decided to double check early on today! Lecture was excellent. 2 hours long, going through many old paintings depicting Kali, Krishan Ji, Fighting from around India, wars from ancient times to the Anglo-Sikh wars.. some really beautiful and hugely descriptive art. Nihangs Ji then talked through the paintings, demonstrating the techiniques and psychology behind them. Also, many different shaster and their correct techniques were shown, battle formations were demonstrated. The unsuitability of Gatka techniques were clearly demonstrated. All this was of course presented in Nihang Ji's usually informal and humourous way. Really cool. Nihang Ji in my opinion carries a lot of weight on his shoulders being one of the last practitioners of this huge level of knowledge. I pray God blesses him and gives him the strength and resources to help preserve and share Guru beautiful Ji's gift with all Guru Ji's children. I will endeavour to post adverts earlier next time (if no one else has done so). Vaheguru

Veer Ji, Well we don't need to worry about ladoo, there is no instruction in the title to eat any. There is however a hugely comprehensive repetoire of musical instructions i.e. taal, style, raag, microtone..which are there for a reason, which luckily some people have retained as kirtan maryada. I think our Guru Arjun Dev Ji would have had better things to do than organise Maharaj in musical (Raag) format, if, kirtan, done in the correct way, was not important. The voice of the Guru is fine, but Guru Ji has blessed more, they have given us the essence of their voice, their mood, the tone in their voice to. There is no need to argue against kirtan and Guru Ji's stamp in Gurbani, it is not a competition between simran and kirtan, both are important, and both have been gifted to us bu Maharaj. How do the Gurus call a person who does things that the Gurus never instructed? How do you know Guru Ji never instructed this? Who are we to believe, "your" opinion, or the consensus agreed amongst experts on the subject (Gurmat Sangeet Maryada), some of whom have a kirtan seva lineage going back hundreds of years? I know you are very determined in your arguements and very confident in opinions, but sometimes it's ok to concede. "They convince some that 'Rahaa-o' is the same as a refrain in a song, i.e., the activity of repetition as in a chorus. Others say just the opposite, i.e., 'Rahaa-o' is the pause or stay while singing." I suggest that you, and anyone else who has doubts, do vichaar on some shabd, and see for yourself why Guru Ji has selected one line (in most cases), out of the whole shabd to indicate as rahao. There is no need to comeback on this point. Make your own mind up and be happy with your decision, others will be able to do the same. "I feel 'Rahaa-o' is the state reached after Simran. This wisdom is exclusively reserved for those who are progressing at the conscious level of mind with true Simran." What is your source for this comment? Why is the true wisdom reserved for a special line? I can even agree with your point, in terms of: Yes, rahao is the line simmer, hence pause (vichaar - simmer), or astai - repeat - chorus - simmer - jaap/repeat...

Sorry this is being posted so late, if you are able to try and make it (ned to be quick)! Vaisakhi Spring Festival Victoria and Albert Museum, Sunday 29 April 2007, 11am to 5pm Special session (1pm and 3pm): From sword strikes to brush strokes: demonsrating warrior techniques as shown in Mughal, Pahari and Sikh art (16th-19th centuries) In this fascinating seminar blending beauty and brawn, Niddar Singh Nihang demonstrates how a wide range of battlefield techniques employed over the centuries by Muslim, Hindu and Sikh warriors of the Indian-subcontinent have been depicted in the artistic traditions of Indian and Persian artists. **************************************** All events are free. For more information: Victoria and Albert Museum Cromwell Road London SW7 2RL 020 7942 2000 www.vam.ac.uk <http>

Veer Ji, 2 true Aikido fighters would not really be able to go in against each other, because unlike Shastar Vidya, which uses both aggressive and defensive techniques, Aikido specialises in using the opponents agression only (in it's strictest sense), this doesn't mean in a real life situation a practitioner would not get a few blows in, once attacker has been disabled, but in terms of pure methodology, it uses the agressors power, josh and stupidity as it's primary weapon.

Cool, look forward to it.

Veer Ji, Instruction is commonsensical, there is no musical hukum, as with the rest of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (which follows musical organisation and instructions). If Guru Maharaj wanted us to sing Japji Sahib, they would have said so, as they have with the rest of bani (in detail). But this is just my humble opinion, your may of course differ, and thats fine. Personally I don't buy the pause theory when reciting paath. But in kirtan maryada terms, an athai is needed when doing kirtan, the rahao indicates the line that is to used as astai (chorus). This is not instructed, but is handed down oral tradition, which all puratan raagis and nearly all Sikh musical scholars agree with, so is not a contraversial issue. Kirtan was practiced by our Guru Sahiban, who even invented raags, mishrat raags (fusion of raags)saaj, par-taal, jora (forerunner of tabla), used folk dhunis etc... They had rababis in all their darbaars who held a highly respectful status, and the tradition, although nearly decimated post Banda Bahadur Singh years, survived and exists today. As you are well aware there are numerous references to kirtan in Gurbani, which one can interepret in a deeper meaning of course, but as excemplified by Guru Sahiban themselves, kirtan forms an intricate part of Gursikhs life. ਕਲਜੁਗ ਮਹਿ ਕੀਰਤਨੁ ਪਰਧਾਨਾ ॥ Kaljug meh kīrtan pardhānā. All bani is anmol, but rahao carries the central theme of a shabd, which is why it is used as astai. Of course we do vichaar on each line, and even each word. What is your understanding of rahao?

Oops. Veer Ji you are of course right. Guru Tegh Bahadur ji Maharaj has also done at least 1 shabd in Jaitsri as well, my mistake, sincere apologies. I was just about to go to sleep when I posted (my sorry excuse)!. Thanks for pointing it out. ADMIN, could you kindly remove my Shaheed Guru's name from the subject heading, much appreciated. Trust me, I am not knowledgable in raag vidya, just starting to learn (and share). Vaheguru

A small but truely beautiful introduction....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0VcOtneCRU The famous joint specialist! Excellent moves, sheshnaag styles......?

In my opinion, Mul mantar was Guru Nanak Dev Ji's 1st divine revelation, the nucleus, epi-centre of the truth, Jap Ji sahib expands on Mul Mantar and Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji expands on Japji Sahib, I know some people may not agree with this, but this is what I feel. Jap Ji Sahib does not have a musical format (Nirdaareth raag), so tells me it is not meant to be sung, hence no rahao. It forms the foundation of Gurbani, and of our day as it's the first bani we recite at amritvela and is the first bani rectited during amrit sanchaar.

http://www.sikhawareness.com/sikhawareness...p?p=80277#80277

“Rahao†- Flow and Pause in Gurbani & Keertan Amardeep Singh, Singapore It is important to understand a few terminologies before we proceed further. Rahau: While reading through a Shabad in Guru Granth Sahib, we find that one line has a word RAHAU written at the end. Except for Raag Tukhari, we find the mention of Rahau in nearly all the other Bani. Depending on the type of Shabad (Chaupada - 4 liner, Ashtpadi - 8 liner, etc.) it has that many defined lines. Somewhere in the middle, or in the beginning of the Shabad one line has the word Rahau mentioned, with the numeral 1. The word rahau means WAIT.... PAUSE....in Punjabi "Therau". Gurus have clearly indicated that while reading the Shabad, take a PAUSE on this line. Why Pause? Because the line with RAHAU has the central theme of the Shabad. This is the line in which Guru is conveying the topic discussed in the Shabad and it contains the Gurmat Vichar, the RIGHT THOUGHT. Therefore we are required to pause on this line and contemplate the message. The other lines in the Shabad are used to explain/extrapolate the contents of the Central Theme given in the line of Rahau. These other lines (the non-Rahau lines) talk about prevalent practices, arguments, reasoning, intention, etc. and are used for strengthening/explaining the Central Theme. The point to note is that the numbering of lines is meanigful: the numbering conveys a definitive message. The message here is: Wait/Pause and contemplate on the message. In this line the Guru is telling us the theme of the Shabad. The number 1 of Rahau indicates ,read this line carefully. Now read the other (non-Rahau Line) line, and correlate it to the message in Rahau. Now proceed to other (Non-Rahau) line thereby keep proceeding with all the other lines in a sequential manner. At times, if rarely, we find more than one rahau in a Shabad. All the Rahaus in that Shabad (usually 2,3 or 4) convey the same central theme: reflect on truth. Gurus thought it appropriate to explain the same central theme in different combination of words and therefore gave more than one Rahau. Asthai: In Keertan (or any music) we find one line keeps getting repeated time and again. This common line, which is repeated each time after a different line, is known as Asthai in Indian Classical Music, or Chorus in the Western Music. Antra - In Keertan (or any music) after singing the Asthai (the repetitive line) a different line is sung, and upon its completion the Asthai is sung again and then a second different line is sung, followed by Asthai. This changing line is known as Antra in Indian Classical Music. The purpose of Keertan is to deliver the Gurus’ message sweetly to the listener. As Rahau has the central theme of the Shabad and contains the spiritual message, its usage, as an Asthai is repeated time and again after every Antra, which helps in the message getting drilled into the listener’s mind. The result is that the Guru’s message gets delivered many times while the Shabad is being sung. This increases the probability of retention of the central theme (Gurmat Vichar) by the listener’s mind. Let me take a very popular Shabad from Siri Raag, Page 44, which is sung by Raagis during a happy occasion in the family. Most of the Sikhs will remember the shabad by its popularly known line: Lakh khushiya patshahiya jey satgur nadar karey .......... It’s commonly found that Raagis make the above line as the Asthai while singing the shabad because of the word Khushiya (Happiness). This line is the second non-Rahau line in the Shabad and gets commonly used as the Asthai while singing. The English translation of the Shabad is: SRI RAAG, MEHLA V: All happiness is achieved only by Thy Grace. The precious gift of this human life becomes fruitful when one chants the True Word. One who has such destiny written on his forehead enters the Mansion of the Lord’s Presence through the Guru. || 1 || O my mind, focus your consciousness on the One. Without the One, all involvlements are worthless; emotional attachment to a mirage is verily false. || 1 || Pause || Hundreds of thousands of princely pleasures are yours to enjoy if the True Guru bestows His Glance of Grace. If He bestows the Name of the Lord, even for a moment, my mind and body are soothed. Those who have such pre-ordained destiny hold tight to the Feet of the True Guru. || 2 || Blessed is that moment, and fruitful is that time, when one is in love with the True Lord. Suffering and sorrow do not touch those who have the Support of the Name of the Lord. Grasping him by the arm, the Guru lifts them up and out, and carries them across to the other side. || 3 || Embellished and immaculate is that place where the Saints gather together. He alone finds shelter who has met the Perfect Guru. Nanak builds his house upon that site where there is no death, no birth, and no old age. || 4 || 6 || 76 || If we were to sing this Shabad in proper Keertan singing style by making Rahau (Mere man eikas sio chit laaye/eikas bin sabh dhund hai/sabh mithiya moh maye) as Asthai for repetition, then upon reaching second Antra, the message that will get repetitively get delivered to the mind will be that we need to first make an effort to get our mind to focus on One God, give up attachment to Maya and emotional entanglements. If we succeed in achieving this state of mind, then (as stated in the second Non-Rahau line) thousands of Pleasures will be attained (only if) if His Grace falls upon us. Note that the CONDITION (Rahau line to be used as Asthai) is that we make the effort to rid our mind of attachment/Maya, then the RESULT (Non-Rahau line to be used as Antra) is - if Satguru deems it worth then he provides hundreds of pleasures to the devotee. Unfortunately, this Shabad is commonly sung by Raagis by making the non-Rahau Line No.2 as the Asthai (Lakh khushiya patshahiya jey satgur nadar karey....), which gets repeated many a times during the Shabad singing. Now see the change in deliverability of the message to our mind. We are seeking from our Guru thousands of pleasures, by His Grace and, upon getting them, we will then strive towards ridding our mind of attachment/Maya! Note that by using the non-Rahau line as Asthai, the CONDITION has changed to: if Satguru deems it worth, then He provides hundreds of pleasures to us and the RESULT (Rahau line being used as Antra) is that we will make the effort to rid our mind of attachment/Maya! By using the non-Rahau line in this Shabad as Asthai, our mind is subconsciously being told to live on HOPE, rather than make the EFFORT, which is the reverse of what the Guru is telling us in this Shabad, viz.- Devotee first makes the EFFORT and then HOPE should arise for His Grace. Interesting....isn’t it? We tend to ignore the finer details of Gurus’ message, which is so clear.................Probably that’s the reason why Sikhs of today lack the spirit/spiritual discipline for which our forefathers were known. I hope people will start making an effort of getting the Sikhs in their immediate contact to understand the importance of Rahau in Keertan singing, and strive towards singing Keertan in the correct manner. Those who are active in Gurudwara Management/teaching Keertan should make it a point to teach to the youth only those Shabads in which Rahau is made the Asthai. For a teacher to correct what he has already learnt in so many years is a tough proposition, but he can definitely make an effort to select those Shabads from his Keertan bank for teaching the youth/children, in which the Rahau is made the Asthai. In this way, we may be able to slowly steer in the direction of true deliverance.

Well, thats very interesting! It seems like my veer may be doing a lalkaara!! Do you have any more photo's or video's of this? So much for the kirpan in the khanga!!! I love seeing stereotypes being quashed, even if this "may" only be a one off incident...

A few more facts: click here for scanned letter etc which don't appear below: http://www.globalsikhstudies.net/articles/...al%20Takhat.doc bCoalition of Gurdwaras of California Spokespersons: Raminder Singh Sekhon and Dr. Baljit S. Sahi News published in: 1) India Journal, Santa Fe Springs, Ca June 24th, 2005. pages28-31 2) IndiaPost, Union City,Ca. July Ist, 2005. Pages 26-29 Pashaura Singh Turns His Back to Sri Akal Takhat Sikhs Appeal to Jathedar To prove that Kachi Bani is not different from the Sachi/Pakki Bani of Adi Sri Gurū Granth Sahib, revisions in Mul Mantar and the creation of doubts on the revelatory character of Bani as enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib have become the fastest growing epidemic in the western universities. It was due to such ridiculous and wrong interpretations of Bani by using unauthentic sources; Dr. Pashaura Singh’s Ph.D. thesis caused a strong reaction from Sikh researchers and intellectuals all over the world because of the poor quality of research and misrepresentation of the Sikh history & Sikh Scripture merely on conjectural basis and unauthentic documents. Sri Akal Takhat, the highest Sikh religious and temporal authority at Amritsar also took notice of this based on the report of Sikh Academia. They called Dr. Pashaura Singh to explain the blasphemous statements in his thesis and gave him a list of academic charges in writing. He presented himself before the five high priests and apologized for the wrongdoings he had done. He admitted the wrongdoings in his Research in written& accepted the Punishment. He was Indicted & Declared Tankhaiya (guilty) by Akal Takhat at Amritsar India for his blasphemous writing against the Sikh religion--the 5th largest among the world religions. The details of the issue were published in the journal, “Abstract of Sikh Studies†Jully 1994 issue as follows: AKAL TAKHT INDICTS PASHAURA SINGH Amritsar, June 27, 1994 In a historic judgement delivered by Professor Manjit Singh, Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht, the highest spiritual and temporal authority/ seat of Sikhs, Pashaura Singh was declared guilty of five charges of blasphemy. Pashaura Singh had made a number of baseless observations in his Ph.D. thesis, "The Text and Meaning of the Adi Granth", submitted to the University of Toronto in 1991, to please his supervisor who is well known as an adversary of Sikhism and with an eye on a university job. The unanimous verdict followed a detailed hearing of Pashaura Singh's case in an 8 hour non-stop session of the Five High Priests presided over by Prof Manjit Singh at the Akal Takht Sahib on the 25th June 1994. ' The judgment says that Pashaura Singh had attacked the authenticity of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, which had deeply hurt the sentiments of the Panth: He had also levelled baseless charges against the Fourth and the Fifth Masters, saying that they had made alterations in the Mul Mantra as well as linguistic and theological changes in the bani of Guru Nanak. The tankhah (religious punishment) awarded to Pashaura Singh for the offences committed by him, includes dusting of shoes of the sangat, washing of the parkarma of Sri Harmandir Sahib, besides listening to kirtan and reciting of Japuji Sahib, over a period of five weeks. At the completion of this penance he has been directed to appear before the sangat at the local gurdwara in Michigan, where he resides, and request the granthi to pray for his forgiveness. It may still be necessary for him to finally appear before the Akal Takht for forgiveness as is the normal procedure in such matters. It may be recalled that Pashaura Singh's thesis had attracted sharp criticism from scholars, and incurred indignation and condemnation of the masses for its blasphemous formulations. SGPC, the highest elected religious body of the Sikhs, took cognizance of the offence, and after a thorough scrutiny by two Expert Committees of scholars, referred the matter to Sri Akal Takht Sahib for appropriate action. The judgement which is reproduced, also directs Pashaura Singh not to publish his thesis in the present form. During the hearing Pashaura Singh submitted a confessional statement in which he pleaded guilty to all charges, and undertook to revise his thesis as well as his previous publications in the light of the findings of the present inquiry. We are also reproducing the five charges read out to Pashaura Singh, to which he pleaded guilty. In fact, these represent only a sample of the blasphemous contents of his thesis. Ik Onkar Waheguru ji ki Fateh SRI AKAL TAKHT SAHIB No...../217/ /94 Hukmnama Sri Amritsar 27/6/94 Dr Pashaura Singh, On summons from Sri Akal Takht Sahib you presented yourself before the Takht on the 25th June, 1994 in connection with your controversial thesis "The Text and Meaning of the Adi Granth". After prolonged deliberations in the sacred congregation of Sikh scholars, you have pleaded guilty in writing to the five charges of misrepresentations levelled against you. In this connection you have also pledged to bow your head before every decision of the Takht. The views expressed in your thesis have caused intense hurt to the sentiments of Sikhs who accept Sri Guru Granth Sahib as their Living Guru. This has been demonstrated by Sikhs in India and abroad through a large number of letters, messages and books, received in the Akal Takht Sahib during the last two years. Such pious sentiments of love towards the Guru, on the part of the Sikh Sangat, have always found expression through the Akal Takht Sahib. As a Sikh scholar, you were expected to produce literature to promote the welfare of all, with commitment to Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the Guru Panth. But what happened was exactly the opposite of this. Taking cognizance of the overall situation in the Panth, Sri Akal Takht is pleased to issue the following orders for your compliance:- 1) You shall not publish this controversial thesis in the present form, nor shall you authorize anyone else to publish it. 2) The charges and the objections relating to doctrines or presentation, raised by Sikh scholars against this thesis, have been pointed out, and accepted by you. Some of these have been given to you in writing. These shall be removed by you in letter and spirit from the thesis. And in case the thesis is to be published in the future, it will be done according to Gurmat with full regard for the sentiments of the Sikh community. 3 ) In deference to the sentiments of the Guru Panth you shall also not publish any other such objectionable material as produced by you earlier. In the future you shall ever keep in mind the sentiments for the ascendancy of the Panth and salvation of all, and conduct only such research on Gurbani and Sikh history, as would lead to blessings of the Living Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the Guru Panth. Keeping in view the charges in respect of your thesis, the following tankhah is prescribed for you : 1) In order to seek divine understanding at the portals of the Lord Guru, you shall listen to kirtan at the Darbar Sahib on the 27th and 28th June, 1994 for one hour each day. 2) On these days, for one hour each day, you shall recite the Japuji five times, over and above the nitnem. 3) On the same days in order to seek blessings of the Guru Sangat, you shall join the daily chore of washing the parkarma of the Darbar Sahib for one hour each day in the afternoons. 4) In America, where you live, you shall present yourself at the local Gurdwara Sahib; you shall perform the service of dusting the shoes of the sangat for five Sundays. Also for one hour each day you shall listen to gurbani kirtan, as well as recite Japuji five times, besides the nitnem, on each of these days. At the end, you shall present yourself at the Gurdwara and request the Granthi Sahib to pray for forgiveness / indulgence for you. Sd. Kewal Singh Sd Manjit Singh Jathedar Takht Sri Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib Damdama Sahib Sd. Joginder Singh Granthi Sri Harmandir Sahib Sd. Bhagwan Singh Sd. Mohan Singh Head Granthi Head Granthi, Sri Akal Takht Sahib Sri Harmandir Sahib CONFESSIONAL STATEMENT OF PASHAURA SINGH in Punjabi in Pashaura Singh’s own handwriting at Sri Akal Takht Amritsar on June 25, 1994 ( see next page ) ENGLISH TRANSALTION of CONFESSIONAL STATEMENT OF PASHAURA SINGH in Punjabi in Pashaura Singh’s own handwriting at Sri Akal Takht Amritsar on June 25, 1994 June 25, 1994 The Five Singh Sahiban, Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Amritsar Sahib Your Holiness Waheguru ji ka Khalsa; Waheguru ji ki Fateh. Under orders from Sri Akal Takht Sahib, appearing at the Takht Sahib, this humble servant pleads guilty to the five charges in respect of my thesis (The Text and Meaning of the Adi Granth), read out as well as given to me in writing. I hereby reject in thought, word and deed all such objectionable formulations that occur in my thesis. I beg forgiveness of the Panth for whatever hurt the conclusions drawn by me in my thesis have caused to the Panth. In future I pledge to serve the Panth as a humble servant of the Panth. I also willingly accept whatever decision is announced by the Singh Sahiban. Sd.Pashaura Singh 25/06/1994 CHARGES AGAINST PASHAURA SINGH Lured by the prospect of getting a Ph.D. degree from the University of Toronto, under the influence of adversaries of the Sikh religion, and purely on the basis of hollow and wild speculation, Pashaura Singh has committed blasphemy, because of his baseless and arbitrary formulations: Formulations in the Thesis (In connection with compilation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib) "Then comes a rare manuscript preserved at Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar, which may be regarded as one of the many drafts on which Guru Arjun Dev seems to have worked to finally produce the text of the Adi Granth." (Page 24) "Further it is claimed that the manuscript contains a hymn written in Bhai Buddha's hand on the third decorated page, which may show his involvement in the creation of the scripture. It is quite possible that his descendants may have preserved the manuscript through the process of handing it over to the next generation. Furthermore, folio 1255a of the manuscript contains the death dates of the first five Gurus only, the last of which was written later on by the same scribe." (Thesis pp. 27-28) Footnote on page 27 "Gurmukh sevaih sada sacha andin sahaj piar. Sada anand gaveh gun sache ardh urdh urdhar. Andar Pritam vasia sacha dhur karam likhia Kartar. Nanak aap milaiya ape kirpa dhar." The above hymn is recorded on the decorated page 3 of the Manuscript No. 1245 of the Guru Nanak Dev University, which, it is claimed, is the writing of Baba Budha ji. The attribution of this hymn to Bhai Buddha is based on the family tradition. Seethe note by Harbhajan Singh Harcharan Singh Chawla on the manuscript. CHARGE NO. 1 The Guru Nanak Dev University MS 1245 of the Mina group which bears on page 1255 the dates of demise of the first five Gurus in the same hand and shade of ink, ipso facto, is clearly a production of the post-Guru Arjun Dev period. To call it the first draft of the sacred recension of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, tantamounts to a mischievous conspiracy to raise baseless doubts on the authenticity of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Under the same conspiracy, on the basis of purely arbitrary speculation and guesswork, this manuscript has been linked with the historic personalities very close to the Gurus' house (Bhai Gurdas and Baba Buddha). And these most devout Sikhs, have clandestinely been placed in the same row as the schismatic Minas. This mischief has apparently been done with the intention of exploitation in the future. Then an effort has been made to establish it as a historic manuscript by linking the Mul Mantra pasted on the fourth folio, with the Ninth Master, on no other basis than the wild imagination of the author. This is exactly the kind of conspiracy which, since long, an adversary of the Sikh religion, a Christian Missionary, NtcLeod, has been carrying on under the garb of research. By speaking the above mentioned language of McLeod, the writer has committed an act of treachery or betrayal to his Prophet-Guru and the Sikh world, and has deliberately supplied objectionable material to enemies of Sikhism. Formulations in the Thesis "The Guru Nanak Dev University manuscript (GNDU MS 1245) provides an earlier version of the Morning Prayer before its standardization. It begins as: Satinam karta purkh nirbhau nirvair akal murat ajuni saibhang satgur parsad Jap Mahala 1. Sochai soch na hovai je sochi lakh var. Chupai chup na hovsi je lai raha liv tar. Bhukhian bhukh na utarai je banha purian bhar. Sahas sianapan lakh hon ta ik na chalai nal. . Kion sachiara hoiai kion kurai tutai pal. Hukm rajai chalna Nanak likhia nal. "A comparative analysis of this text with the standard version of Japujireveals the following important differences, which illuminate the different stage in the process of its development. "First the Mul Mantra is given in its earlier form, which is discussed in detail in the preceding section. Second, the title of the composition is mentioned as Japu Mahala 1, ... indicating specifically the authorship of Guru Nanak. In the standard version, however, the symbol mahala 1 is omitted, perhaps consciously to assign divine authorship to the text....." (Page 100-101). "Third, the most distinctive difference is that the introductory couplet of the Japuji is missing in the earlier text. In the standard version it reads: `The Eternal One, from the beginning, through all time, prersent now, the Everlasting Reality'. (adi sach jugadi sach hai bhi sach Nanak hosi bhi sach). Evidently this shalok was added by Guru Arjun much later..." CHARGE NO. 2 By accepting Sri Japuji Sahib recorded in the unauthentic Manuscript No. 1245 of the Guru Nanak Dev University, as the original and pre-standardization form, an effort has been made to create confusion over this sacred bani, on the one hand, and on the other hand, it is alleged that Guru Arjun Dev ji tampered with and revised the original form of this bani from several aspects, such as: "1. The heading of this bani `Mahala 1' was consciously dropped to assign divine authorship to the text. "2. The inaugural shalok of this bani (adi sach jugad sach hai bhi sach Nanak hosi bhi sach) is authored by Guru Arjun, and this shalok was added to Japuji Sahib much later, when it had been given a final form after revision. "3. In the process of standardization of this bani linguistic, grammatical and metrical changes were made at several places." "The long eulogistic description of Guru Amar Das's death may indicate that the scribe was a close associate of the third Guru, possibly Bhai Gurdas, who may have further improved his handwriting by the time he wrote the final draft of the Adi Granth." (Page 28) "The introductory note written by the shopkeeper in the beginning of the manuscript that `there is abenedictory autograph written in Guru Hargobind's blessed hand on the fourth leaf ..... This is not correct. The examination of the manuscript has revealed that a different piece of paper containing the Mul Mantra written in Guru Tegh Bahadur's hand, was pasted much later on the fourth decorated page." (Page 27) Some of the salient features of the Guru Nanak Dev University manuscript No. 1245 are: (A) Mentioned in the Thesis "1. The manuscript has a total number of 1267 folios. It is in the form of a draft on which Guru Arjun still seemed to be working. 2. It has a different raga sequence, and the index of individual hymns of each raga-section is written separately at the beginning of that section. It begins with Siri raga followed by the usual majh, guari, asa, gujari and vadhans raga. Thereafter, it diverges from the standard pattern and follows its own sequence of dhanasari, jaitsari, sorathi, kalyan, nat-narayan, todi, bairari, tilang, gond bilaval, suhi, bilaval, ramkali, mali- gaura, maru, kedara, tukhari, bhairaun, basant, sarang, malhar, kanara and parbhati raga." (Page 25) 3. There area number of texts in this manuscript that were revised in the final draft. Even Guru Arjun modified his own hymns. For example in the tilang raga on folios 681b - 682c all shabads were revised in the final draft. One of these hymns, was included at the time of giving the final form. "Finally, the first stanza of the Japuji that appears here has some linguistic variations. Evidently Guru Arjun modified the language of certain words (Jei/je, Utrai/urti, Bana/banna, Sahans/sahas, hon/hohe, kio/kiv), and replaced them with more grammatically and metrically sound construction in order to standardize the text." (Page 103) "There are numerous such examples throughout the text of Japuji where Guru Arjun refined the language of certain passages and polished the metre. Note the following examples": GNDU MS 1245 FORM Vin bhane kia nai kari Mit vich ratan jawahar manak Jio jio hukm tivai tiv kar Kio sachiara hoie kio kurai tutai pal Bhandai bhao abrit tit dhal REVISED STANDARD FORM Vin bhane ke nai kari Mat vich ratan jawahar manak Jiv jiv ham tivai tiv kar Kiv sachiara hoie kiv kurai tutai pal Bhanda bhao amrit tit dhal Also, Guru Arjun Dev ji has been accused of making alterations in the revealed message of the Mul Mantra. Formulations in the Thesis "The Mul Mantar or the `root formula' with which the Adi Granth opens, is the basic theological statement of the Sikh faith. It consists of different epithets, all of which are traditionally understood as characterizations of Ultimate Reality, or Akal Purakh (`the Timeless Being'). It appears in Volume I of the Goindwal pothis as follows: Ik Onkar satgur parsad such nam kartar nirbhau nirikar akal murat ajuni sambhau. Sometimes there is an additional phrase Gur pure ke parsad `by the grace of the Perfect Guru' at the end of this text. But nowhere does this form of the Mul Mantar correspond to the standard version given in the Adi Granth. Evidently this was the form that was current during the period of Guru Amar Das." (Page 93) "The origin of the major components of the earlier form of the Mul Mantar as given in the Goindval pothis can be traced directly from the works of Guru Nanak." (Page 93) "Guru Ram Das invoked the divine attributes of the Mul Mantar in one of his compositions. The original verse resembles the text of the Mul Mantar and, similarly, it is free of any metrical or rhyme scheme. It reads as follows: Jap man nirbhau. Sat sat sada sat. Nirvair akal murat. Ajuni sambhau. Mere man an din dhiae nirankar nirahari. - Sarang Mahala 4 (1201) (Page 95) "The comparison of this text with the earlier form of the Mul Mantar given above clearly indicates the addition of the word nirvairu (`without enmity'), which Guru Ram Das employs to put emphasis on the divine attribute of benevolence. This may reflect his firm resolve to counteract the situation of hostility in real life, created by the animosity of his rivals, with the spirit of love and friendliness. Thus a new theological dimension is added to the Sikh understanding of Ultimate Reality." (Page 96) "Although Guru Nanak has also employed the word nirvairu for the Supreme Being in his Ranilcali Dakhni Onkar (AG p. 931), the frequency of its use is greater in the compositions of Guru Ram Das." (Footnote No.14, Page 96) "Guru Arjun Dev worked over the text of the Mul Mantar in successive drafts to give it its final form. The Guru Nanak Dev University manuscript, which is an early draft of the Adi Granth, gives the form of the Mul Mantar before its standardization: Ik onkar satnam kartapurakh nirbhau nirvairu akal murat ajuni saibhang satguru parsad. In his final version Guru Arjun replaced the phrase Satguru parsadi `by the grace of the True Guru' with gur prasadi, `by the grace of the Guru', presumably to provide a more coherent structure to the text of the Mul Mantar." (Page 96) Another significant point is that Guru Arjun added the word purakh to the received text of the Mul Mantar. It clearly indicates that by his time the personal aspect of the Supreme Being acquired prominence as compared with Guru Nanak's emphasis on the formless (nirankar) nature of Ultimate Reality." (Page 96- 97) "This (addition of the word purakh) may provide an adequate explanation of the subsequent development that took place in Sikh doctrine as well as within the Panth since the days of Guru Nanak. This will, however, challenge the traditional understanding of the Mul Mantar as being created in its present form by Guru Nanak himself." (Page 97) CHARGE NO. 3 There are pothis with apocryphal hymns composed by the Minas under the name `Nanak'. The author himself doubts their authenticity (indication of which has been given on page 9 of his thesis). But he takes them as basis of the Adi Bir, and accepts the so-called Mul Mantar recorded therein (which is different from the Mul Mantar in the authentic bir), as real and original, and thus levels against Guru Ram Das ji and Guru Arjun Dev ji, accusations of making alterations in it. "One of these hymns, numbering 5 in folio 682a (Jo gur disai Sikhra niv niv lagon pae) is repeated in the suhi node in folio 729b with the addition of the first line appearing at the end as well. A marginal note appears in folio 682a to this effect saying that `it is taken to the suhi mode' (Suhi vich lia hai). This hymn was further revised in the final draft with the addition of jiu at the end of each line to make it more musical." (Page 25- 26) "It does not contain the bhagat-bani....." (Page 26) "The panegyrics by the bards (Bhattan de savayye) in praise of the Gurus are still in their earlier short form. By the time this manuscript was written some of them had not yet appeared in the court of the Guru. Even the var by Satta and Balwand in the ramkali mode is not to be found in this manuscript." (Page 26) "There exist some specimens of such hymns in an early manuscript. See Bhai Gurdas Library, Rare Books Section, GNDU, MS No. 1245, ff, lOlb-1035. A fifteen verse composition Sri Ragu Maha13 Chhant is attributed to Guru Amar Das, but it is not included in the standard version of the Adi Granth. It may have originated from the circles of schismatic groups." (Page 9, Footnote 32) Special Comments: 1. In this manuscript variations from the authentic bir of Guru Granth Sahib, abound, in respect of vowels, spellings, shabads, etc., which are common in Mina literature. 2. This manuscript does not bear any date or year of scribing, nor does it have any historical significance. Before its purchase by the Guru Nanak Dev University, the manuscript has never been mentioned by any historian or scholar of birs. Formulations in the Thesis "There is some evidence that Guru Gobind Singh made an attempt to standardize the text of the Adi Granth and thus to correct the problem of the circulation of three different versions of it during his period." (Page 60/80) "It is quite possible that Maharaja Ranjit Singh appointed a council of prominent Sikh scholars to prepare an authorized version of the Adi Granth." (Page 84) "The new version was, in fact, a revival of the earlier Damdama version, compiled during the period of Guru Gobind Singh in the late seventeenth century, which went out of circulation due to the period of turmoil during the eighteenth century. However, in this version the place of jaijavanti raga and the sequence of the shaloks of the ninth Guru were fixed. In certain instances, the language of the shaloks was modified. The solitary couplet that was attributed to the tenth Guru in early manuscripts, lost its authorship and became a part of Guru Tegh Bahadur's shaloks. This may have been intentionally done to keep Guru Gobind Singh's authorship limited to the bani in the Dasam Granth. It may also reflect the contemporary debate over the issue of Sikh identity, that is, whether one follows the teachings of Guru Nanak and his successors contained in the Adi Granth, or one joins the Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh." (Page 85-86) CHARGE NO. 4 Both according to history and tradition, Guru Gobind Singh got the bir of Sri Guru Granth Sahib prepared by Bhai Mani Singh at Damdama Sahib, in which the bani of Guru Tegh Bahadur was also included. This came to be known as Damdami Shakh. Why the Tenth Lord did not include his own bani in it, the Guru alone knows. Then the author completely ignores the above fact, and without quoting any historical reference and under some conspiracy indulges in wild conjectures: "It is quite possible that Maharaja Ranjit Singh appointed a council of prominent Sikh scholars to prepare an authorised version of the Adi Granth." (Page 84) In this new version "the solitary couplet that was attributed to the Tenth Guru, in early manuscripts lost its authorship and became a part of Guru Tegh Bahadur's shaloks. This may have been intentionally done to keep Guru Gobind Singh's authority limited to the bani in the Dasam Granth. It may also reflect the contemporary debate over the issue of Sikh identity, that is, whether one follows the teachings of Guru Nanak and his successors contained in the Adi Granth, of one joins the Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh." This writing reflects a mischievous design to divide the Sikh Panth into two classes, vi'z., the followers of the first nine patshahis, and the Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh, as also to divide the Gurus into different categories. 3. As far as the note given by M/S Harbhajan Singh Harcharan Singh Chawla, is concerned, the firm was summoned at the Akal Takht Sahib for additional information. A copy of the statement given by them on 5.5.93 is enclosed. They made it clear that "they procured this copy in 1979-80 during their trip to Ganga Nagar district of Rajasthan from a waste paper dealer, which they later sold to the Guru Nanak Dev University. The note pasted on the manuscript by them is not based on any research investigations. It only records what was narrated by one Bhai Karnail Singh, a granthi of Amritsar." Evidently, the note on the manuscript was a master stroke of salesmanship to extract maximum price. It seems that since this note fitted into the designs of McLeod, he instructed his willing tool, Pashaura Singh, to adopt it as a basis of his thesis. CHARGE NO. 5 At several places in the thesis clumsy efforts have been made to create confusion over Sikh doctrines, Sikh history and authenticity of Gurbani, and thus to erode the foundations of the Sikh religion. The deliberate misrepresentations made under the garb of research, point to a deep-rooted conspiracy. Formulations in the Thesis 1. "There is enough evidence that a number of hymns of the Bhagats were included in the Kartarpur manuscript after it was bound. For instance, Ratndas's hymn `Begampura shahr ko nao' in the gauri raga in folio 278/2 and dhanasari hymn `Gopal tera arta' in the dhanasari mode in folio 519/2, were added much later on each page by keeping extended margin on the left side of the Kartarpur manuscript. Their inclusion in the scripture reflects a situation wherein the followers of these Bhagats (the Jats and the cobblers) were attracted into the Sikh fold in large numbers." (Page 26) 2. "In order to stress the theme of the unity of guruship, Guru Arjun intentionally incorporated in certain instances his own shaloks in the works of Guru Nanak." (Page 145) "The addition of Guru Arjun's shaloks at the beginning of Guru Nanak's hymn further highlights the issue of doctrinal consistency in guruship. It serves to underline Guru Arjun's claim that he carries the spiritual authority of Guru Nanak." (Page 147) 3. Regarding the variations in the concluding shaloks in the standard form those in the GNDU manuscript 1245, resort has been taken to different kinds of conjectures: "There are, however, scholars" (McLeod) "who regard Guru Angad as its real author." (Page 105) "Its addition to the Morning Prayer was perhaps intentionally done to stress the continuity and unity of guruship." (Page 106) "Guru Nanak may have initiated his successor, Bhai Lehna, into the poetic skill of verse composition in the literary form of a shalok, and this training may have been a 'part of his designation to the office of guruship. The two Gurus may have worked together on the text of the epilogue of the Japuji, and accordingly both may be regarded as its joint authors." (Page 107-8) "Here it is important to note that the last stanza is Guru Arjun's contribution of Guru Amar Das's composition, which he intentionally added to the original text at the time of its standardization, thereby reinforcing the recurring theme of the unity of guruship." (Page 111) After accepting charges at Sri Akal Takhat, he did not refrain from his blasphemous views and published a book "The Guru Granth Sahib Cannon Meaning and Authority" in 2000. On examination of this book one can find that he is still harping on the issues for which the Akal Takht summoned him in 1994. For example he associates Guru Arjan, Bhai Gurdas ji and Baba Budda with a manuscript, which is full of Kachi Bani (pp., 23, 30, 43, 46). He sticks to his old notion that the Mul-Mantar that we have presently at the beginning of Guru Granth Sahib, is not original but has been revised many times (pp., 84-90). He alleges that Guru Arjan has tinkered with the Japji of Guru Nanak to produce the final text (pp., 90-96). He reiterates the same old formula that Guru Arjan has-been revised his own hyms in the final text (pp., 106-114). Unfortunately all these formulations are based on the questionable evidence. It hits at the revealed character of Bani. He has once again challenged the authenticity and originality of the Bani that is highly uncalled for. The Coalition of Gurudwaras of California took serious notice of the above and held two meetings of Sikh Gurudwaras and institutions on May 22nd, 2005 at Riverside and June 12th, 2005 at Fresno, and resolved to send an urgent request to Jathedar Sri Akal Takhat to call for immediate action per Sikh Rehat Maryada. Raminder Singh Sekhon and Dr. Baljit Singh Sahi Spokespersons for Coalition of Gurdwaras of California The following Sikh Gurdwaras and Sikh Institutions in Southern California who participated May 22nd, 2004 meeting on the above issue from: Gurudwara Riverside, 7940 Mission Blvd. Riverside, CA. 92509 Gurudwara Alhambra, 101 south Chapel Ave. Alhambra, CA 90801 Gurudwara Vermont, 1966, Vermont Ave. Los Angles, CA. 90027 Gurudwara Lankershiem, 7640, North Lankershim Blvd. North Hollywood, CA 91607 Gurudwara Buena Park, 7122 Orangethorpe Ave, Buena Park, CA 90620 Sikh Center of Orange County, 2530 Warner Ave. Santa Ana, CA.92704 Sikh Educational & Welfare Association, 20001 E.Walnut Drive South, Walnut CA Guru Ram Das Ashram, 1800 Robertson Blvd, #929, Los Angeles, CA 90035 Sikh center of Southern California, 625 South Eremland drive, West Covina, CA 91723 Gurudwara of Ventura County Gurudwaras of Bakersfield The following members of the Sikh community represented the Aforementioned Gurudwaras and institutions: S. Rashpal Singh, S. Jagdev S. Atwal, S. Lakbir Singh, S. Sohan Singh Gill, S. Sikander Singh, S. Gurdev Singh Virk, S. Pritam Singh, S. Amarjit Singh, S. Akwinder Singh, S. Harinder Singh, S. Joginder Singh Sandhu, S. Lehmber Singh, Dr. D. S. Gill, S. Tarlok Singh Sandhu, Dr. Jasbir Singh Mann, S. Parmjit Singh, S. Jhalman Singh, S. Ujjagar Uppal, S. Gurbachan Sandhu, S. Makhan Singh Sandhu, S. Gurmeet Singh Brar, S. Bharpur Singh Dhanau, S. Atma Singh Kainth, Dr. Piara Singh, S. Harjit Singh, S. Gurpreet Singh Khakh, S. Santokh Singh Sahi, S. Jasminder Singh, S. Bahadur Singh, S. Kirtan Singh Khalsa, S. Gagan Singh, Dr. Jagdev Singh Dhaliwal, S. Bharpur Singh Takhar, S. Brinderjit Singh Dhillon, S. Sarbjit Singh Sandhu, S. Baljit Singh Bathh, S. Jasmer Singh Randhawa, S. Bahal Singh Brar, S. Sukhminder Singh, Inderpal Singh Ahluwalia, S. Ronak Singh Bhullar, S. Dalbir Singh Sanghera, S. Surinder Singh Sidhu, S. Ranjit Singh, S. Raminder Singh Sekhon, Surjit Singh Malhi, and Dr. Baljeet Singh Sahi. On June 12th, 2005 at Fresno, the following members from Northern and Central California represented the following Gurdwaras and institutions: Balwant S. Virk - Sacramento Sikh Society Gurdwara at Bradshaw Rd, CA Jaswant S. Hothi – Sikh Gurdwara Sahib, San Jose, CA Balbir Singh – Gurdwara Sahib, Fremont, CA Manjit Singh – Gurdwara Sahib, Stockton, CA Daljit Singh Khalsa – Gurdwara Sahib, Stein Rd, Bakersfield, CA Resham Singh – Guru Angad Darbar, Bakersfield, CA Pavittar Singh – Gurdwara Sahib, Terra Buena, Yuba City, CA Balraj Singh – Gurdwara Sahib, Terra Buena, Yuba City, CA Balbir S. Dhillon – Gurdwara Sahib, West Sacramento, CA Jasvinder Singh – Sikh Youth Of America, Union City, CA Harjot S. Khalsa – Amritsar Times (Newspaper), San Jose, CA Ranjit S. Tut - Radio Geet Sangeet, Watsonville, CA Bhupinder Singh – Kalgidhar Gurdwara Sahib, Selma, CA Dr. Pritpal Singh – American Gurdwara Parbhandik Committee, CA Gurpreet S. Sandhu – Quami Ekta (Newspaper), CA Mohinder S. Grewal – Sikh Council of Central California, Fresno, CA Amrik S. Virk – Sikh Center of the Pacific Coast, Selma, CA Bhajan S. Bhinder – Sikh American Republican Party, CA Others; Bickey Singh-President, Sikh Center of Orange county,Ca

Bhen Kaur-uk, apologies for my discriminatory request for help. There isn't usually any (or many) bibiyan on this forum from what I have gathered, hence my absent mindedness. Thanks.

From a panthic perspective, they have encouraged and promoted the use of tanti saaj, specifically sponsoring great artists such as Surjit Singh Ji Namdhari to learn and bring back the sarangi vidya (at high level) to Bhaini Sahib. They have also encouraged and supported many other classical singers and musicians, and are highly talented themself. I beleive they also introduced and promoted classical dancing amongst teh Namdhari men. Would be great if they also promoted and supported Shastar Vidya, as I reckon the classical dancers would make the most talented fighters!