Letter to Editor: Going ballistic with Waheguru chant

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Representative photo only – Asia Samachar

By Asia Samachar | Letter to Editor |

I noticed these wonderful young men, with a lady tucked at the back, doing kirtan at a Malaysian camp. A speaker is seated with them. I caught them online, thanks to the recording uploaded by the group’s Facebook page. They’re doing lovely sevaa.

One observation, if you permit. Very quickly after the opening, the group goes into high gear with the ‘Waheguru, Waheguru….’ chant.

This chanting style is a page from the Akhand Kirtani Jatha @ AKJ. It is jatha that was started by Bhai Randhir Singh, a famous and well-respected Sikh in the recent Sikh history. Their style of doing kirtan used to be a niche style of kirtan. Today, thanks to the social media, it has been made popular. It captivates the fancy of many young groups. I see it in Canada, too.

These groups may be comfortable with the such vigorous chanting. Some members of the Sanggat, too. But I suspect the wider Sanggat members may not be on the same page. Many of them don’t blend with this style of chanting, especially when they beak into high tempo. The earlier bits are fine. The high tempo bit…well its not your quick grab at the Timmies.

Hence, these groups should review their method. They should decide when it is appropriate to go ‘ballistic’ with the ‘Waheguru, Waheguru….’ chant. At the end of the day, when groups do kirtan at Guru Ghar [Gurdwaras] or major semagams, they must remember that they are doing it for the Sanggat.

Otherwise, delighted to see young men and women doing lovely sevaa.

Twn Kaur, Canada

RELATED STORY:

Personal reflections on the power of Gurbani Kirtan (Asia Samachar, 27 Feb 2023)

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