Akhand Kirtan?

[Dharam Yudh]

Could it be a vaja is much cheaper than instruments used to do raag kirtan? i remember i wanted to learn raag but instrument prices put me off. Personally i feel the gurdwareh shud fund such things with their millions of pounds lying around.

[shaheediyan]

Baba Ji may have been considering Indian Classical performers (commonly known as Raagis) when stating the above - and would have been 100% right. Even Gurbani denounces those who put raag above shabd.

But that does not mean that hukmi raag kirtan is not the prefered or even instructed way - you cannot argue with Guru - Guru Ji's maryada is writen in black and white.

But as Baba Ji says if the choice is a performer (who doesn't allow sangat to join in) and sidhian reetan, then the latter is prefered.

But that was then and this is now. With Guru's apaar kirpa, youth in every country today are learning Gurmat sangeet with saaz, the poverty (money and knowledge) days are vanishing.

A good vaaja costs £100. One can get a Dilruba or Sarangi from India from Raj Musicals in Delhi for the same price (or a few £ more).

In the west, no Sikh can claim to be in poverty, any Gurdwara sangat would happily sponser a Gursikh child to learn correct kirtan.

[Dharam Yudh]

yeh maybe in india they prices may be similar but not here, is there anywhere in birmingham/ wolverhampton area where you can learn raag?

[shaheediyan]

Wolverhampton (Wednesfield Gurdwara - Chatanga on this forum can give more details re times etc) - Ranbhir Singh Namdhari is a world renowned Taud and Dilruba player.

Harjinder Singh Laali teaches Dilruba at Nanaksar Taath in Wolverhampton on Friday eves.

There are a few Hindu classical artists you could also learn from if you were interested.