UK Namdhari Sangat - BASANT PANCHMI MELA in Southall - 5 Feburary 2006
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05:30-07:30am asa di var |
On Sunday.
5 Feburary 2006,
Namdhari Sikh Sangat from all corners of the UK
converged to Southall to celebrate basant panchmi.
However the real
significance of
basant panchmi for namdharis is the avtar diwas of Sri Satguru Ram Singh Ji. The
sadh sangat, in the hundreds, gathered in the SPCC community hall from early
hours of Sunday and the
mela samagham went into late afternoon.
Representatives of Singh Sabaha gurdwara, Ramgardia gurdwara and SPCC were among
the guests in the congregation.
The celebrations of
the birth anniversary of Sri
Satguru Ram Singh Ji started off at 2
am by the customary naam-simran ardaas,
led by Suba Jagtar Singh. A havan was performed by the
sangat. Meanwhile Ustad Harbhajan Singh along with jathas from Birmingham,
London and Southall recited the hymns of Asa Di var in a melodious presentation.
The morning session concluded with numerous Paatha
de Bhog and the session finished on a high note. The sangat enjoyed a short
break as langar was served in the downstairs kitchen hall. Meanwhile the
preparations for the mela were in full swing in the upper main hall.
First on stage was Bibi Narinder Kaur and Jatha with the
composition Saun yaar hamar saajan.This jatha is trained by ragis Surjit
Singh and Ranbir
Singh. UK secretary Bibi Daljit Kaur, after reading a kavita,
welcomed the congregation to Southall and asked blessings of Sri Satguru Jagjit
Singh Ji to guide the sangat during the mela. Next on stage was Sant Ajit Singh Engineer. His
spoke on the historical aspects
of basant panchmi and its relevance to the Sikh Religion.
Southall's
young childrens group, from ages 3-12 yrs, led by Satwant Chana, narrated the
sanagt the happenings in Sri Bhaini Sahib during the birth of Satguru Ram Singh
Ji. During this performance other young children showered flower petals on
Satguru Ji's assan.
Students of Ragi
Surjit Singh (sarangiwale), who learn at the Namdhari Sikh Center in Southall
followed with their performances. Nineteen pupils with a array of instruments (sitars, sarahgis, tarshahnais. tanpuras, taus and tabla) performed a spell bounding
classical composition which captured the attention of the entire congregation. Student Avter Singh followed this with a vocal recital of the shabad subh
dekhye dekhye ji. 9 year old Shaam
Kaur was the next child on stage. She started with the kavita Jassa singh da
dulara in punjabi, followed in english by a very inspired speech on
Satguru Ram Singh Ji's passion and hukams for equality of women in the community. The trend
of young girls on stage carried on with three students of Ustad Gurdev Singh,
performing the next three short items.
Bibi
Anoop & Balbir Kaur and jatha (Birmingham) spoke about the times and life of Sri Satguru
Ram Singh Ji, concluding with a shabad. The high caliber of gurmat sangeet
carried on with dekh phool phool phooley sung by Bibi Pawan Kaur
(daughter of Ustad Harbhajan Singh Ji) & Bibi Mann Kaur's presentation of Vari
vari jayaun gurgopala. Both were accompanied on tabla by Southall's Kulwant
Singh Klutch. Sant Dyal Singh's half
hour diwan & katha enthralled the sangat before the final performance of the
mela by Gurdev Singh's students Byant Singh and Harman Kaur.
Closing
Speechs: UK Treasurer Narinder Singh
Ryatt in his maiden speech to the sangat informed that the tsanumi releif appeal
collected £13,900-00. This effort by the sangat was put to a very good cause -
with the help of Thakaer Uday Singh Ji, 200 homes were build in the Tamil Nadu
coastal region for poverty stricken and homeless people. Pradhan
Sulkhan Singh thanked the sadh sangat for attending the mela and all the
sevadars for running the mela. Special tribute was paid to two members of the
sangat for their seva to the sangat - Ustad Harbhajan Singh & Kirpal Singh
Chana. Both were presented with plaques from the sangat for their outstanding
acheivements.
Ustad Harbhajan Singh was
honoured for his unaccountable contribution to promote Gurmat Sangeet in India
and especially the UK. Virtually every namdhari music artist has passed under
his wings including Baljit Singh, Mohan Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Kula, Balwant
Singh from Sri Bhaini Sahib. The present crop of all ragis and music artists
in the UK have had training from Ustad Ji.
Ustad Ji started his musical journey at the age of 8ys. He took his early music training in the Dilruba & Vocal from Ustad
Tara Singh, the eminent Sikh musician. He furthered his knowledge in Gurbani
Dhrupad Dhamar vocals and Dhrupad, Dhamar and Thumri under the guidance of Shri
Chandarhans, Maharaj Bir Singh and maestro of Jaipur, Pandit Mahadev Prashad (Kathak)
respectively.
With the blessing of Sri Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji, Harbhajan Singh became the
disciple of the world renowned Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, to learn the
art of Sitar playing.
Today he is one of the most prominent musicians to have combined the classical
music of North India and the devotional gurbani singing unique to Sikhism.
Ustad Ji is putting on paper all ragas in notation form so that Gurmat Sangeet
is preserved for generations to come.
Although settled in Delhi, Ustad Ji has been teaching and training Namdhari
musicians all over the world, including Sri Bhaini Sahib's music school, from
which have emerged many 'fruits' as mentioned by Satguru Ji and at the Leeds
School of Music in the UK.
Kirpal Singh Chana: alias the 'CD' man, has spend his entire free time in collecting, recording and digitizing vocal and visual information on Namdhari gurmat sangeet. His passion and dedication is the strength of his devotion (and the weakness of his critics) to this immense program of preserving Satguru Jis Pavan Pravitar updesh, and a unparallel discography of Sangeet, kirtan, kathas and kavitas. His recent passion is to create DVDs whereby the sangat can almost virtually be present in Sri Bhaini Sahib, Malerkolta etc right from the living rooms. His vast collection can be seen on his web site www.namdhari-music.co.uk
The role of stage secretary was performed by Sant Gurtejpal Singh Chana and Daljit Kaur Ryatt. All performances can be heard on the www.kukasikhs.com/kukasikhs/basant06.htm
LISTEN
to a selection of the kirtan & diwan on the day
Streaming
Audio from kukasikhs.com
paath de bhog and morning ardas | |
Bibi Narinder Kaur and Jatha (Students of Surjit Singh) | Saun yaar hamar saajan |
UK Secretary Bibi Daljit Kaur | kavita and introduction |
Ajit Singh Engineer | katha and vikhyan |
Southall's young childrens group | katha |
Students of Ragi Surjit Singh (sarangiwale) | Nineteen pupils with a array of instruments (sitars, sarahgis, tarshahnais. tanpuras, taus and tabla) perform a classical composition |
Student Avter Singh | vocal recital of the shabad - subh dekhye dekhye ji. |
Shaam Kaur | kavita and speech |
students of Ustad Gurdev Singh | listen |
Bibi Anoop Kaur and jatha (Birmingham) | atha and vikhyan |
Bibi Pawan Kaur | shabad - dekh phool phool phooley |
Bibi Maan Kaur | shabad - Vari vari jayaun gurgopala |
Sant Dyal Singh | diwan & katha |
Gurdev Singh's students Byant Singh and Harman Kaur | classical composition |
Pradhan Sulkhan Singh | closing speech and tributes to Ustad Harbhajan Singh and Kirpal Singh Chana |