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The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2018 - Page 37
Sikh Heritage Research Project nearing target figure M ore than £13,000 has been raised for a new project to collect and immortalise the rich musical history of the Sikh faith. Accomplished Gurbani kirtan – Sikh worship through sacred music – practitioners; Kirit Singh and Jasdeep are fundraising for a trip to India and Pakistan where they will undertake vital work in preserving this aspect of Sikh heritage. They will be recording their various trips to produce a documentary on their work. To make the trip happen they need to raise just over £20,000. Music is at the heart of the Sikh faith. The sacred Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, is unique in that it is organised by music with each shabad (verse) being a sonic entity which not only contains a message, but via its musical notation, a route to experiencing the Divine. Kirit Singh said: “With the passing of time, the oral histories of memories of Sikh musical history die with the elder generation. This is one of the richest and most vibrant musical histories of South Asia – it is too precious to lose. Time is running out for us to preserve it.” Sikhism is unique among the world’s major religion for at its heart lies music. The sacred scriptures of the Sikhs contains
devotional songs, or shabads, of the gurus, their poets and musicians, and some of the most influential Sufi and Hindu saints of medieval India. Representing the living source of guidance, or guru, for the Sikhs, the scriptures transcend religious boundaries and operate through the powerful medium of music. Each shabad is a sonic entity which encapsulates a divine message inspiring the qualities of devotion, consciousness, remembrance, and love for humanity. Kirit Singh is currently undertaking his PhD, titled ‘Kīrtan and Kalā: Patrons and Musicians of Gurbāṇī Kīrtan and Hindustani Music in Punjab, 1801 to 1947’, at SOAS University, London, under the supervision of Prof. Richard Widdess. This study is the first of its kind to explore in detail the tradition of gurbani kirtan in relation to Hindustani music in the Punjab region, during the unique period in which both traditions came to enjoy significant patronage from the Sikh princes and aristocracy. The study aims to document the outcome of the interactions and exchanges in such environments by drawing on written sources and oral histories. It will also focus on the major religious centres, such as Amritsar, which fostered a flourishing musical
environment. Jasdeep Singh, one of the few musicians of his generation carrying forward the unique but dying art of the Jori of Punjab, was initiated into the Tabla and Jori by a leading maestro of the Benares and Punjab traditions, Ustad Sukhvinder Singh ‘Pinky.
Festival of Lights ready to shine this month The Hindu festival of Diwali – also known as Deepavali, Dipavali, Dewali, Deepawali, or the Festival of Lights – will begin two days before and carries on two days after that, making it a five-day event in total. Marked as the second largest non-Christian religious group in the United Kingdom, millions of Hindus will be celebrating Diwali with gift exchanges, fireworks and festive meals. People will pray, eat a special breakfast and a statue of
Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess, will be carried throughout the streets in procession as children receive candy or toys from booths set up for the occasion. Observed on November 7, this year, Diwali will be celebrated to honour Rama-chandra, the seventh avatar (incarnation of the god Vishnu) - It is believed that on this day Rama returned to his people after 14 years of exile during which he fought and won a battle against the demons and the demon king, Ravana. People lit their houses to celebrate his
victory over evil (light over darkness). The biggest Diwali celebrations in the UK is said to be in Leicester, with Councillor Piara Singh-Clair, Deputy City Mayor with responsibility for Culture, Leisure, Sport and Regulatory Services saying: “Diwali is always a fantastic time for everybody. For anyone who's never experienced Diwali before I hope that you will join us to take part in our celebrations and enjoy the festival of light.”
‘Don’t pick and choose bits of the Bible’ TV presenter Richard Madeley says that Christians should hold to the whole of the Bible instead of picking and choosing parts they like, He was writing in response to debates on how to refer to God, with one Bishop keen to emphasise feminine qualities. But Madeley said if the Bible was wrong to refer, in the main, to God as “He,” then “what else might it be wrong about? You either believe in something or you don’t,” he said. “Christians,” he said, “should hold to the whole of the Bible instead of picking and choosing parts they like.”