Tanti Saaz all the way!!

Dear All,Gur Fateh!

As you all know I got the best Christmas gift of all times. I got to listen to all the 6 saaz designed by our guru’s play at one time.

I have listen to kirtan done on tanti saaz numerous times but I have never been in a darbar were kirtan has been done on tanti saaz. Its a beautiful experience. The tanti saaz has the capability to bring out the emotions a particular raag is supposed to invoke. When the right feeling is evoked, the meaning of the shabad penetrates deep in your soul and you can feel the shabad. Personally I do not feel the Vaja has this capability.

Listen to this shabad and you will know what I am talking about..

If you want to listen to more kirtan done by Raj Academy you can download it for the Gurmat Sangeet Project WebSite.

Its been almost a week now and all this week I have been listening to kirtan being done on tanti saaz..now each time I listen to kirtan done on the tanti saaz I try to feel the emotion in the raag and believe me its a totally different experience all together. Do try to read the emotions involved with each particular raag and then listen to the kirtan and try too keep that in mind and sing the shabad..To read about the feelings/emotions associated with each Raag click here.

Prof. Darshan Singh Ji is in town so will be attending his Vyakha Sessions. Also tomorrow for New Years we are having the Mahan Kirtan Darbar from 1830 hours to 0200 hours.

I cant help but notice that we, the youth put in so much effort to decorate the Gurudawara Sahib for New Years, organize Rehin Sabhai but we do nothing on Gurpurabs. Please dont get me wrong I am not saying stop celebrating new years. Please celebrate. However, I hope in the coming years we can do more on OUR festivals.

Happy New Year in advance to all my readers. If all goes well this will be my last post for the year. Watch this space for pictures of the Mahan Kirtan Darbar.

Guru Ang Sang!
Angad Singh

Raj Academy In Singapore

The members of the Raj Academy were here in Singapore for 3 days unfortunately I was able to attend only 1 diwan and 1 Talk. I must say it was pure BLISS..just BLISS. I really regret not being able to go for the other sessions.

I witnessed an event that had not occured in more than a 100 years. All 6 Saaz designed and used in the courts of our Guru’s played together. The Rabab, Pakawaj, Dilruba, Sarangi, Saranda and the Taoos..

When the tanti saaz is played, the feelings evoked are just amazing, one has to listen to the tanti saaz play to understand what I am talking about. A waja..is seriously no match to any tanti saaz.

To read more about the tanti saaz please read the article Gurmat Sangeet and Stringed Insturments( Tanti Saaz) written by Sarabpreet Singh who maintaints the GurmatSangeet Website.

In the diwan I attended the Jatha sang

Parbhatee Mehla 3
Har Jio Sada Teri Sar Nai
teen taal

Bilawa, Kabir Ji ki Bani
Kohahu har smane nai rajaj
teen taal

tum ho sabh rajan key raja
jhap taal, teen taal

Raag Gauri Deepki Melha 1
tum ghavoh mere nirbha

The Talk was on the Topic Fusion is confusion. Prof Surinder Singh made it very clear how incorrect exprementation had led to horrible distortion of our kirtan and from Guru’s Mat it has become Man Mat.

Gurjot attended all but 1 of the diwans and visit his blog to see what he has to share. Gurjot and I took some pictures check out Raj Academy’s Visit to Singapore

Guru Ang Sang!
Angad Singh

Malaysian Samelan 2005- Mind Blowing

Gur Fateh Ji!

I got back from the samelan on saturday night. However, I am writing about it only now as I was extremely tired.

Like the previous Samelans, this one was mind blowing as well. The events the activities were just too good.

The Time Table was as follows:

Wake up : 0415
Nitnem(optional) :0500
Japi for everyone :0620
Breakfast :0700
Nishan Sahib Salami :0800
Jatha Meeting : 0830
Gurudawara : 0945
Learning Module : 1120
Lunch : 1300
Sadhna(Yoga with CKJ) : 1415
Optional Talks : 1630
Shastar Vidya
Amrit Sanchar Talks
Musical Frame Work
Dhol Clinic
Malaysian Sikh Band Clinic
Break :1730
Rehraas : 1900
Dinner :1945
Gurudawara : 2030
Milo : 2230
Lights out :2300

Each Jatha was assigned various different sewas ranging from leading the paath to cleaning toilets and doing langar sewa. Thus depending on the sewa allocated that particular jatha would be allowed to leave earlier to go and do the sewa.

Amardeep Ji spoke on Understanding the Musical Frame Work Of the SGGS on 2 days. Both the days the turn out was good. All those who attended the talk were totally shocked and surprised.

Gurudawara Programs

Amongs the Gurudawara Programs I really liked the one done by the Bangkok Jatha. They Sang the Shabad Oha Prem Piri. After singing the Shabad Davinder Singh Spoke about the Love between his Guru and A Sikh. What really got me interested was the fact that he spoke in a jovial manner and constantly showed us via use of anecedotes how we don’t tolerate any thing bad/negative said about our girlfriends and all but when some one says anything to our guru we just sit quietly…At time we too ourselves do the same to our guru…He spoke on what the love should be like.

The SAJ Jatha did amazing Kirtan as well. They spoke about the relation of the Sikhs with the Gurus and the Saheedi of our 4 Sahibzadas.

Finally the kirtan session that really moved almost all of us to tears was the one done by Surjit from Sabha. They did Salok Melha 9. Along with that they explained Salok Melha 9 and slapped us hard by telling us what we have been doing and what we should have been. The lights had been dimmed, everyone had their eyes closed and they explained in simple words not literal translations. Everytime I think of it I am moved to tears.

The Chardi Kala Jatha did some amazing kirtan. In the 1st Diwan they sang a lot of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s bani in Raag MaalKauns and most of the compositions were in Teen Taal and Ek Taal. In the 2nd Diwan they Sang Japji Sahib. That was so nice.

Learning Modules

The Learning modules were based on same theme as the kirtan. They were basically a follow up of the kirtan. We were split up into group of 30ish students according to age group and this helped a lot. Some lectueres spoke at length while others had more of a question answer session. The presence of some Miri Piri Academy Students made the discussion very interesting as they spoke up freely while some of the local participants were less vocal.

I had a great time at the samelan as I had loads of fun and I learnt a lot( More about that in another post). The fact that my friends from Singapore were there we would meet up and discuss what happened in the learning modules and this enhanced our learning.

My jatha was a very motivated Jatha. They never gave up. Always pushed themselves to do the best. The day we had Japji Sewa my Jatha members woke up in time to lead the optional Nitnem and then even did the 20 mins simran before leading the entire samelan for Japji Sahib.

Gurpal has written in detail about the various activities at the samelan. Also he has uploaded some of the pictures. Do check his blog.

Enjoy!

Guru Ang Sang!

Angad

PS. there is more to come so watch this space

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Gyani Laki Sleeping 

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Chardi Kala Jatha 

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Prajee Scott in action during the learning module 

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A Nihang doing Chor Sewa 

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Sukhwinderpal Singh ji 

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Cannibal Singh, Gurpal, Jasdeep and Jasbir in the 1st row during the learning module 

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On Bana Day, L to R Me, Gurpal, Lakhi, Gurpreet, Kara who got cut 

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O-I-L….from one pakora.. 

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Learning module 

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Amrit Sanchar Talks, Prajee Scott is the one looking to his right. and Prajee Sukhdev Singh MAS is the one in the pointed turban 

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Veer Davinder Singh Of the BangKok Jatha 

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Amrit Sanchar talks 

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Gurpal waiting to get breakfast 

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Surjit riding, Baba Gurpreet Singh JI NTU wale holding the trolley to transfer the used cups back to the langar hall 

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Queing up for breakfast 

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The Abhlakis during the aardas the one with the orange Kamar Band is Gurpal 

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The New AmritDhari’s Being led by the Bagpipers granthi Sahib and 5 Payaras