• Shri Madhup Mudgal, Dr Jasbir Kaur and Ragi Balwant Singh Namdhari open the Festival of kirtan darbar presented by Department of Art, Culture & Languages & Punjabi Academy   

• Jaspinder Narula, Neele Khan and Shri Dalip Singh Fakkar to perform over the upcoming days

NewZNew (New Delhi) : The three-day annual Festival of Gurbani Sangeet opened this evening at the Talkatora Gardens with three singers from Delhi and Punjab reciting the spiritual message from the Guru Granth Saheb.

Shri Madhup Mudgal from Delhi, Dr. Jasbir Kaur from Patiala, and Ragi Balwant Singh Namdhari from Bhaini Sahib performed on the opening day of the Gurbani Sangeet Samagam, a special program of Kirtan and Gurbani, presented by Department of Art, Culture & Languages and Punjabi Academy, Delhi Government.

A unique musical tradition established by the venerated Sikh Gurus, Shabad Kirtan is a musical form used to communicate the divine message. The five-century old practice has become an inseparable part of the Sikh way of life and is cherished by a cross-section of people looking for spiritual enrichment.

Over the past 11 years, the annual Festival of Gurbani Sangeet has become a much-awaited fixture in Delhi’s cultural life and people look forward to the three-days of love and spirituality rendered in the traditional manner in Raag, as originally composed, ordained and enshrined in the Guru Granth Saheb by the Gurus.

“Over centuries many preachers, saints, gurus, bhakts and sufis have walked across the land of India preaching the message of love, brotherhood and enlightenment. This criss-cross has left a rich spiritual legacy in the country, something we are all proud of. The Gurbani Sangeet Samagam is a beautiful celebration of the practice of reciting the words of the revered Sikh Gurus. This is an integral part of Delhi’s composite culture,” says Ms. Geetanjali Gupta, Secretery, Art, Culture & Languages, Government of Delhi.

“By virtue of its reverential mention in the Guru Granth Saheb, kirtan has been assigned a very prominent status. Today, singing the compositions of the Guru Granth Saheb has become a common spiritual practice among Sikhs across the world. Gurbani is hence a unique blend of sacred verse and music and is unparalled in beauty. Through this three-day event, we intend to give people of Delhi a spiritual experience that will be worth remembering. We also intend to keep the tradition alive and respected through this annual Festival,” says Mr. Jawahar Dhawan, Secretary, Punjabi Academy.

The second day (April 4) will see Bhai Manohar Singh from Delhi; Shri Neele Khan from Mohali; and Ustad Harbhajan Singh Namdhari from Bhaini Sahib. The Festival will end with the spiritual renditions of Shri Dalip Singh Fakkar from Patiala; Bibi Jaspinder Narula from Mumbai; and Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa from Amritsar on April 5.

The Guru Granth Saheb contains the ‘Bani’ of the Gurus as well as the Bani of 15 other Sants and 11 Bhagats. The Bani is sung according to the prescribed Raagas. The entire Bani of Guru Granth Saheb has been codified in 31 Raagas.

The programme is open for all.