Roundtable
Who Can Do Kirtan In A Gurdwara?
The Roundtable Open forum # 51
EDITOR
The following is this week's topic for discussion.
WHO CAN DO KIRTAN IN A GURDWARA?
A current article by Sardar Khushwant Singh of Delhi - posted on sikhchic.com under the title ‘O Khotey-aa'- describes a recent incident near Delhi, India, where a granthi objected to a person who was clean-shaven and unturbaned (he was a Hindu) being allowed to do kirtan in the gurdwara.
[Let's please not get distracted and go off on a tangent over Khushwant's use of the term "khota". Literally, it means a donkey and can be used as an insult. Here, the tone is one of a term of endearment which also includes an admonishment. It's often used by parents for their younger sons. So, we suggest we not get stuck in discussing the pros and cons of using such a term, but address the main issue, please.]
Not only does the Guru Granth Sahib - our living Guru - contain the banis of several non-Sikhs, including Hindus and Muslims - but their compositions are given the same importance and reverence as the rest of the bani - there is no differentiation.
The first kirtaniya in Sikhdom was Bhai Mardana, Guru Nanak's friend who accompanied him on most of his extensive travels. His descendants - to this day still Muslims - have performed kirtan in the Darbar Sahib and each of the Takhts through the centuries.
POINTS TO PONDER
What are your thoughts on this entire issue?
A point of clarification: we are not suggesting that non-Sikhs should become Hazuri Raagis, or granthis, etc. The question relates to whether a non-Sikh should be able to do kirtan in a gurdwara.
Some take the position that all 'services' in the gurdwara should be conducted by amritdhari Khalsa. Is that in accordance with Sikhi?
And what about those Sikhs who do not - or no longer - follow the full discipline of Sikhi as outlined in the maryada? Are they to be excluded?
What is the gauge? Who applies it?
We ask each one of you, regardless of whichever position you take, to also answer the following question: Would you allow Bhai Mardana to do kirtan in your gurdwara today?
Finally, if we begin to pass such judgements on everything related to Sikhi, and exclude all of those we think do not fall within the boundaries we have demarcated for ourselves, who is left in the gurdwara? Any one?
To read Khushwant Singh's article, 'O Khotey-aa', please CLICK here.
November 25, 2010
Conversation about this article
1: R. Singh (Canada), November 25, 2010, 11:04 AM.
Kirtan is praise, a musical rendition of the words of gurbani, a demonstration of love and respect for it, therefore there seems to be no reason to prevent anyone from doing so, Sikh or not. One can hardly find fault with someone who has actually taken the trouble to learn gurbani kirtan, and spent time doing so and wished to share ... what more can one ask for? Does that not seem like the path of a learner, i.e., a Sikh in the real sense? Is it that we have defined a Sikh too narrowly ... instead of becoming inclusive we have begun to exclude?
2: Ravinder Singh Taneja (Westerville, Ohio, U.S.A.), November 25, 2010, 11:19 AM.
This trend - of objecting to non-Sikhs doing kirtan in gurdwaras - is disturbing, to say the least. Not long ago, the rababis at Harmandar Sahib were all Muslims. Would I allow Bhai Mardana to do Kirtan today? You bet! The real question is: would we let Guru Nanak into a gurdwara today? I am not so sure.
3: Gurjender Singh (Maryland, U.S.A.), November 25, 2010, 11:28 AM.
I believe that any one can do and should be allowed to do kirtan in all the gurdwaras around the world. The kirtan of gurbani from Guru Granth Sahib should be allowed to be sing by all, because while compiling the Adi Granth Sahib, Guru Arjan took all the banis of not only the Gurus but also a number of Hindu and Muslim saints. Why can't the same bani not be sung in a gurdwara by anyone who wishes to do so? This is a shame.
4: Baljeet Kaur (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), November 25, 2010, 11:41 AM.
The Sikh Rehat Maryada clearly states in Chapter V, (a) - Only a Sikh may perform kirtan in a congregation. While everyone is free to read gurbani or sing kirtan on a personal level, leading a Sikh congregation has a different significance. Will our children not ask why they can't cut their hair if the person leading the congregation does so? With regards to Bhai Mardana, I would suggest to you that he wasn't a Muslim at all. To suggest that after spending his entire life with Guru Nanak, he remained a follower of Islam and accepted Muhammad as his prophet doesn't make sense. Bhai Mardana was a Sikh and there is evidence for this in the Janamsakhi tradition. The fact that his descendants did not become Khalsas is a different matter. The Muslim Rababi tradition was ended by a collective decision of the Panth (as enshrined in the Rehat Maryada) when issues arose of Muslim Rababis showing irreverance towards gurbani and considering it only a way of earning money. According to Gyani Dyal Singh who is an elderly and well known kirtan ustad and who was familiar with the rababis, According to him, Bhai Lal, the cream of the crop of the rababis of his day, after singing gurbani, would quietly rinse his mouth, to cleanse it, having sung the unclean verses of the infidels. Khuswant Singh, an avowed atheist, is not one to take direction from when it comes to Sikh Maryada.
5: T. Sher Singh (Mount Forest, Ontario, Canada), November 25, 2010, 11:57 AM.
Baljeet ji: I was born and brought up in Patna and therefore had the good fortune of meeting many of the people who gravitated to the city a number of times each year because it is a Takht. I met Bhai Lal ji several times; he and his jatha often stayed with us, and certainly came over for a meal each time they were in town. I attribute my love of gurbani in no small part to his kirtan. The tale you relate is not only hearsay, but makes absolutely no sense. As well, during my first visit to Lahore a few years ago, I was directed to a weekly get-together held every Friday evening, complete with langar, etc. On my first visit there - unexpected and unannounced - imagine my delight in finding myself amongst a room-full of local Muslims - all - singing, interpreting and discussing Bhai Gurdas' Vaaran. The singing was being led by the son of Bhai Lal ji! That group continues to meet every Friday, singing and discussing Sikh bani and other Punjabi compositions. Generally, no Sikhs are present. My visits to that group have been amongst the most magical ones I have spent vis-a-vis kirtan and the study of gurbani. All of this may not address the silly story you've been told, but hopefully should clarify the overall issue a little bit better.
6: Baljeet Kaur (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), November 25, 2010, 12:23 PM.
Dear Sher ji: Thanks for the personal story. My reference to the Bhai Lal story I quoted is based on an interview with Gyani Dyal Singh which I came across on a blog.
7: Baljit Singh Pelia (Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.), November 25, 2010, 12:34 PM.
Obviously the granthi at that gurdwara is oblivious to the school of thought of Guru Nanak, that is of inclusion and tolerance for all, regardless of their religion. The gentleman doing kirtan also qualifies as a Sikh because anyone that accepts the Guru Granth as Guru is a Sikh (Guru maanyo Granth). The question we should be asking is how and who is imparting the education to qualify individuals for this very important position that is at the core of our religious representation all over the world, and more importantly, how do we fix the problems before it is too late ... that is, before the only so-called Sikhs left in the gurdwaras are the crooked politicians and ritualistic bhais.
8: N. Singh (Canada), November 25, 2010, 1:20 PM.
Baljeet ji: I totally agree with you. I was deliberating as to whether to join the discussion but was concerned that I would be the 'lone' voice. I was born a Sikh but neither of my parents were religious so my knowledge of Sikhi was rudimentary. Now I am re-discovering my religion so I would describe myself as a 'newcomer' and 'outsider'. Consequently I have noticed certain practices that disturb me. Although I value and understand the sense of brotherhood that allowing non-Sikhs to do kirtan in a gurdwara implies, I believe each community needs to adapt to changing circumstances also. At a time when the community is in crisis and there is confusion over religious and historical issues, I think it is important that clarity is provided on who can lead kirtan, who can give parshad, who can provide leadership for the Sikh nation. For example I have heard of RSS folks leading the Sikh congregation in kirtan! If Sikhs don't know about their religion, what can non-Sikhs know and teach us? If these non-Sikhs can do kirtan and understand it, then why have they not converted? Can non-Muslims, non-Christians and non-Jews lead their respective congregations in mosques, churches and synagogues? Here are other points of concern: a) At Sikh gurdwaras with attached bookstores, books on Rajneesh and other fake gurus are sold alongside Sikh religious books. Can you go into a Christian bookstore and buy a book on Sikhi or Islam? The distribution of parshad by clean shaven people also bothers me. I was very upset when I went to a gurdwara and was given parshad by one. This should only be done by an amritdhari. Next time I will openly refuse to accept regardless of public disapproval ...
9: Nimrata Kaur (Frankfurt, Germany), November 25, 2010, 1:33 PM.
N. Singh ji's comments raise two interesting questions for me. First, did our Gurus teach us anything different, or are we simply to take the lead from other faith systems, and follow what they do? Secondly, if only amritdharis can do even the very basic duties in the gurdwaras, aren't we instantly turning them into brahmins and pandas (and I don't mean those lovable bears)? Please don't give me just an emotional or knee-jerk response ... please think these out very, very carefully!
10: Kanwarjeet Singh Chadha (Franklin Park, New Jersey, U.S.A.), November 25, 2010, 1:35 PM.
Anyone with a pure heart, and wishing to connect with the good Lord - Waheguru - can do kirtan. Funny how we do not object to 'hindifilmisongisation of shabads' but object to non-Sikhs doing kirtan. Let us stop being fanatic and allow people to share their love and let there be chardi kala.
11: Vijay Pal Singh (Kenya), November 25, 2010, 1:54 PM.
An amritdhari singing Namdev's bani - or Ravidas' - or Kabir's? My God! Won't he go bhrist ... or worse: burst into flames! (By the way, I am amritdhari and humbly proud of it!) What are you guys putting in your tea? Yes, we are in crisis mode and need to get back on track ... but not by throwing away every beautiful gift that our Gurus gave us! Reading some of your comments, I can see why Khushwant Singh referred to the errant granthi as a khota and felt the urge to slap him! It's extreme, true, but he's a blunt man with sharp words at his disposal. I share his outrage.
12: I.J. Singh (New York, U.S.A.), November 25, 2010, 3:01 PM.
This matter is not new nor is it unexpected, and there is more to it than meets the eye. One point of view is that gurdwaras are open to all, not only to perfect or excellent Sikhs. Perfect people need no gurdwaras perhaps. In that sense there should be no bar to anyone - Hindu, Muslim or Sikh, or even an atheist - to attend a gurdwara and perform service. And non-Sikhs do come to gurdwaras sometimes. They are allowed to perform some services - even distributing parshad. Why then a bar to the reciting of kirtan by those who are poor models of Sikhi or even non-Sikhs? On the other hand, people would say that in a private function, such as a private home, there should be no limitation placed and no bar placed on the activity and service by a non-Sikh, but in a Sikh institutional place of worship like a community gurdwara, only those who are role models of Sikhi should be allowed near the stage. Their presence is not merely indicative of performing a needed service - like reading from the Guru Granth, distributing parshad, singing kirtan or doing katha - but as role models their visibilty invites emulation. Hence those that are visibly not meeting the Sikh ideal should not be visibly promoted as role models. Now this is an argument that I have heard many times from many very visible, highly committed and articulate as well as informed Sikhs. I am decidedly not offering a judgment in this matter at this time. I am adding it to the pot for discussion. So the matter is not quite so simple. Of course, there are additional dumb things we do - like limiting the role and activity of women in gurdwaras. Additional soul searching and stirring the pot a tad more vigorously are necessary before we rush to answer. As I said, I am not pushing any opinion at this time.
13: Gurpal (United Kingdom), November 25, 2010, 4:40 PM.
I know of Hindus who do kirtan in gurdwaras and recently there was a news item of a Muslim lady doing kirtan in Kashmir. Would we try to prevent Lata Mangeshkar from doing kirtan on Gurpurab? Can she not show devotion? Throughout the 1960s and 70s, up to 1984, 'clean shaven' people did kirtan in U.K. gurdwaras and still do in a few small gurdwaras. I am 'clean shaven', at the age of 19-20 I did reading of Akhand paatths (clean shaven) at a major city gurdwara in the U.K. in the mid 1990's when at University, on several occasions, whether in the prime-time evening or in the middle of the night. The sangat regarded me as a particularly melodius reader. I also did Rehras patath in the evening on gurpurabs, that too with a handkerchief on my head and when requested to do so by the hajuri rasgi, son of a famous raagi of Darbar Sahib, who performed at Darbar Sahib himself and had a beautiful enchanting voice that switched me onto kirtan immediately. Some years on, I am 37, a General Secretary of a prominent gurdwara, Registrar of Marriages, amongst many other roles in the community. I do speeches, and the occasional paatth and kirtan from the stage. I am a representative of the wider Sikh community (the majority). If we are not accepted as Sikh, then why not remove us from gurdwaras too? A compromise can be found by allowing a Hindu or Muslim to do kirtan (e.g., on a special occasion) and then explain to the sangat that it was for a special occasion only. Guru's sangat never objects and is welcoming. The idea of not wishing to take parshad from a 'sehajdhari' Sikh is shocking as this is a regular event in many U.K. gurdwaras and is part of an 'evolving' maryada, as opposed to an old fixed maryada made up by a committee of old men (they were all men, no women or young Sikhs) nearly a century ago. Next, we wont be able to serve langar! Waheguru save us from these brahmins! N.B. The giani referred to by Baljeet Kaur ji in comment # 4 above, was talking about Muslim qawwals at a gurdwara, not about Bhai Lal ji. The latter was devout and pious and strongly loyal to Sikhi and kirtan, I know this personally.
14: Gur Singh (Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.), November 25, 2010, 9:46 PM.
N.Singh ji: One, I am very sure that you have no idea of what is written inside the Guru Granth Sahib. Otherwise, one cannot even think of saying like this, that I will not accept prasad from a mona or non-turbaned Sikh. Please spend some time contemplating on The Guru Granth, rather than venting out your frustrations on the sikhchic.com forum. This website is temporal, whereas SGGS is immortal. True Sikh, would even accept Poison if given as prasad. Some history lessons: Please understand that the purpose of the Khalsa is to protect the underprivileged, and not scare the helpless. There is no place for fear and krodh in the heart of Guru Gobind Singh's Khalsa. It seems that you have fallen prey to fear in your process of spiritual development. May I request that the next topic of discussion should be regarding our understanding of the differences between Khalsa, political Khalsa, Sikhism and political Sikhism.
15: Mohan Singh (Toronto, Ontario, Canada.), November 25, 2010, 11:19 PM.
Generally in India non-Sikhs are allowed to recite a shabad but are not allowed to preach. Things and thoughts have changed since 1984.
16: N. Singh (Canada), November 26, 2010, 12:45 AM.
I understand that if one does not qualify to be a lawyer or a doctor, then one does not get a license to practice law or medicine. Likewise, I strongly feel that positions of prominence in the Sikh community should only be given to amritdharis. If you want to reap the benefits then and you need to 'pay the price' and do the hard work, not select the easy option. No one is excluding clean-shaven Sikhs or non-Sikhs from attending gurdwaras; however, there should be limits on what they can or cannot do. Also, being clean shaven does not equate to being female. These are two separate issues.
17: Gurwinder Singh (Hyderabad, India ), November 26, 2010, 7:49 AM.
I think as a community we need to do deeper introspection before passing on any judgments on who should or shouldn't be allowed to do kirtan in a gurdwara. The question we need to ask ourselves is: when and how we as a community are slipping into the mores of other religions which are dictated by "-ism" and trying to suffocate the innocent and childlike approach of Sikhs towards their Gurus. Sikhi is a path of 'Sehaj Preet', where everyone gets the time and space to grow one's devotional love towards WaheGuru and its creation. We also need to ask ourselves why, instead of doing jointly congregational kirtan singing (sangatee kirtan) ourselves, we have started outsourcing kirtan to others (paid individuals). Please note: I have no hard feelings against paid individuals. What I mean is let's cut out the attitude of creating a priesthood (middle person) environment and instead develop a direct relationship with the Guru.
18: Balbir Singh (Germany), November 26, 2010, 7:59 AM.
Gurdwara jobs are reserved for those who control and belong to Sikhi. They consist of raagis, katha-kaars, granthis, gyanis, etc. Their syllabus is big. They provide jobs to many in the whole world. Would you replace a doctor with any neem hakeem?
19: R. Singh (Canada), November 26, 2010, 11:50 AM.
Balbir Singh ji, no one is replacing anyone. If someone so wants to create jobs, they can easily open up their own gurdwaras. However this highlights our own attitudes in following the original brahmin practice of turning people's faith and efforts to congregate into exploitative business set-ups and practices, and of course creating jobs and domains for themselves, forever. I feel if anyone is competent in rendering true service to Sikhi, he will not feel threatened by the participation of anyone, for he will have no competition. As for Baljeet ji's comments about our children asking questions, they are not blind to the fact that gurdwaras thrive on the charahwas by ALL attendees. Have we heard so far anyone banning someone from giving, in order to prove their point to the children? Perhaps children realize taking 'khande di pahul' is not coercive, nor is an inititiate automatically rendered capable. It is a defined way of life, not an exclusive way of life. Something they can appreciate very well, I'm sure.
20: R. Singh (Canada), November 26, 2010, 11:59 AM.
Baljeet ji, should you now not take on the promoters of the propaganda you encountered on a blog? When self-made maryadas or codes overtake the philosophy of the faith, we get what are the equivalent of taliban-type zealots. Do we really want to see ourselves in that light and then recite gurbani with a straight face: 'na koi bairee nahi begaana'?
21: Aman (California, U.S.A.), November 26, 2010, 1:40 PM.
I will have to agree with the minority view on this subject. In my mind, it is not about passing judgement on anyone but Sikhi needs to set a proper example and follow some code of discipline. We take our children to the gurdwara so that they may learn our faith and all of the accompanying practices that occur during congregation. They need to see that a Bhai Sahib or Bibi ji that is speaking or singing is one who has accepted the outward appearance of a "Guru ka Sikh" also. Else, they will question us. "The raagis singing don't wear turbans. Why should I?" Sometimes, we adults don't see what our children do. When it comes to a person of another faith addressing the congregation, I believe that this should not be allowed also. I am a turban-wearing Sikh but I will not be allowed to address the congregation at a church or mosque. We need to preserve the central things in our religion. As we oppose "brahmin thought", we must also be careful not to water everything down in our practices. This will ultimately lead to anyone doing anything at anytime. That is not formalized religion. Soon we will be debating that we don't even need to cover our heads in the sangat because God is everywhere. That is stated in the gurbani also.
22: Gurpal (United Kingdom), November 26, 2010, 3:07 PM.
The debate has moved somewhat from its origin; not necessarily a problem. It started with a lone Hindu singing a sShabad on a gurdwara stage in India (Khushwant Singh's article). Aman then comments that raagis should wear turbans. Neither Khushwant nor I ever suggested raagis should not wear turbans, certainly they should. Our point was merely that a Hindu (or Muslim) lover of gurbani, who had some training in singing or classical music, should be able to, for instance, sing a shabad or two on stage (and possibly in a personal capacity even move closer still to Sikhi, in the process). No-one is advocating 'others' take over the role of raagis, although there is some wider concern with the nature of these 'positions'. As regards Aman's point of us not being able to address a church, etc., I don't think that's true. If we can have a Hindu or Muslim sing the Guru's praises, then we can also move out of our comfort zone and sing Jesus' praises - see how quickly the churches will open their arms to us!
23: Balbir Singh (Germany), November 26, 2010, 5:53 PM.
R. Singh ji (#19): opening the dwaar for Gur to enter is better than owning a gurdwara building. Those who want everybody to sing on a gurdwara stage should also open universities where they can become professionals.
24: Gurinder Singh (Stockton, California, U.S.A.), November 26, 2010, 6:46 PM.
I have attended kirtan done by Bhai Lal ji during one of his visits to Amritsar. I understood from someone at whose house they stayed that they were smokers. How do you take that? In my view, drafters of the Sikh Rehat Maryada have taken a right step in not allowing non-amritdharis to do kirtan at Harmandar Sahib.
25: Aman (California, U.S.A.), November 26, 2010, 7:17 PM.
Gurpal ji: Please re-read my posting. The point was not that raagis should wear turbans. The point is that we cannot allow the watering down of our practices. I am all for people of all faiths wanting to sing gurbani at anytime. During the congregation however, the raagis and those performing the seva should be in the Guru's roop. The stage in the gurdwara is not merely a stage but an honor that the sangat has given the persons on the stage, and vice versa. This honor from the sangat should be reserved for those that are of the Sikh faith and true practicing Sikhs.
26: Sukhbinder (Surrey, Brtish Columbia, Canada), November 27, 2010, 2:02 AM.
Personally, I have never even seen a woman do kirtan or serve parshad at any of the gurdwaras i have been to on the rare occasion I go.
27: Saim (Milton Keynes, England), November 27, 2010, 7:00 AM.
This is a great discussion. Both the for and against point-of-views are very thought-provoking. There is one thing missing though - How do we know which arguments are most widely accepted by sikhchic.com readers? I urge the Editor to implement a system whereby if we agree with a point of view, then we can issue a "LIKE" by clicking a button. Similar to the one on DISQUS used by many websites. I am not sure if it is feasible but on the BBC website, you can sort the responses in order, so that most liked opinions appear at the top. [Editor: It's an interesting suggestion, and we have considered it in the past as well. The problem lies in the danger that once you start giving weight to numbers, then some people try to skew the stats in their direction. Also, media in general today has gone down the slippery slope of treating more votes for one side of an argument as indicating validity for the argument. If numbers were the prime criteria, then a herd of sheep would have to have a greater say than their shepherd!]
28: Gurinder singh (Stcokton, California, U.S.A.), November 27, 2010, 9:47 AM.
Sikhism is an organized religion after the formation of the Khalsa. It is the Khalsa who should be in charge of the protocol in our gurdwaras. Other communities are welcome and should be accorded full respect when they visit gurdwaras. But they have the obligation to respect our rules and traditions.
29: Axeman (Ayton, Ontario, Canada), December 02, 2010, 4:41 PM.
To me, one of the most attractive qualities or tenets of Sikhism is its disavowal of rituals ... flexibility. Shouldn't the proper consideration be, is the love and peace God brings, being spread? Strength of faith exists at each step in the journey.
30: Mlle. S. (Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.), December 03, 2010, 1:01 PM.
Recently in my synagogue, I was shocked to learn that only Jews could have the honor of holding the Torah (our holy book) on the Bimah. I was saddened by this as I was there with a Sikh friend who values the religious sentiments of all people. On this holiday, everyone in the congregation was invited to carry the Torah and walk it around the synagogue - everyone except non-Jews. The rabbi, who is a kind and decent man, actually repeated this several times, perhaps because my friend was there and he knew she wasn't Jewish and didn't want her to mistakenly come up and join in the celebration. I was so disappointed that I did not go up myself to carry the holy scroll. My first thought was to contrast this event with how warmly I have been welcomed in gurdwaras in the U.S.A. and India, and how I have had the honor of sitting behind Guru Granth Sahib and showing my reverence with the Chaur Sahib. I have also been to Christian services throughout my lifetime. Yet somehow their warm welcome is often a prelude to a conversation about conversion. In contrast, the welcome I receive in a gurdwara is always a genuine exchange of ideas and appreciation for the love of God. I was disappointed by what happened in my synagogue and did some research to try to understand the reason behind the restriction. In theory, only those who believe in the words of the Torah are given the honor of holding it. Yet many secular, practically atheist Jews, whose only qualification is having been born to a Jewish mother, can receive this honor. My friend, a non-Jew who respects the divine inspiration behind the Torah, if not all the tenets therein, cannot. This seems a gross miscarriage of common sense. How can we restrict people from showing their genuine love and reverence for God in our places of worship? I do not wish for Catholics to come preach about Jesus in my synagogue, but I would welcome a Catholic to lead a Hebrew prayer in the manner that we pray as a sign of respect - even chanting a Hebrew prayer for the congregation if it was in his or her heart to do so. I hope that those who oppose non-Sikhs doing kirtan in gurdwaras realize that the inclusion of people of other faiths does not mean allowing those people to preach or proselytize. It means allowing them to celebrate the One God out of love for a path not their own, but which leads to the same place. Shouldn't we all walk with one another every once in a while - especially when there is no contradiction? I wear a Kara and bow to God (Waheguru, Adonai, Allah ...) before Guru Granth Sahib because I respect the divinity behind these gestures. Yet I was born and remain Jewish - I believe in one creator God who called on my forefather Abraham to teach the world that there is only one God and that we are equal before him - very similar to the message of Guru Nanak. If that makes me ineligible to learn kirtan and celebrate God with my Sikh friends, then what is the point of this beautiful, amazing, universal path called Sikhi?
31: Davey Bakhshi (Wellesley, MA, U.S.A.), December 17, 2010, 2:50 PM.
The answer is very simple - the Word of God belongs to all of us. All the rest is man-made gibberish that we pointlessly fight and argue about. It is as simple as that. Q.E.D.
32: Manpreet Singh (Australia), May 09, 2012, 11:21 PM.
My Dad is a granthi sahib at a gurdwara. So, I was practically born in a gurdwara. When I was 5 year old, he started to teach me about Sikhi. And kirtan too. I got a diploma in tabla when I was 10 years old. I am now learning to read from the Guru Granth Sahib. I am 26 now and have virtually spent all of my life in a gurdwara setting. I do tabla and kirtan sewa.