Remove Harmoniums From Golden Temple Kirtans As They Were Introduced By Britishers: Akal Takht Chief
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh has ordered the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to replace the harmonium with more traditional string instruments.
After Taj Mahal and Red Fort, it looks like the history of Amritsar's Golden Temple is being dug up, and significant changes could be underway. India¡¯s past and ¡®purity¡¯ has become a flavor of the season with ongoing debates and 'questions' raised by politicians and religious groups.
When you thought it couldn't get more twisted, here we are, wondering if we will get to experience the blissful sound of harmoniums inside Golden temple when we visit it next.
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What could be changing at Golden Temple now?
Every day, a group of 15 ragi jathas (hymn singers) sings about 31 rags for 20 hours, a part of the Gurudwara for decades. However, the harmoniums can now be replaced with 'more traditional instruments.'
Giani Harpreet Singh, the Jathedar of the Akal Takht, one of the five clergy or seats of power (popularly known as the Golden Temple) in the Sikh religion, has urged the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to remove the harmonium from Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) as it doesn¡¯t resonate with the authentic Sikh traditions
According to a report in Indian Express, the Akal Takht Jathedar has given SGPC three years to execute the changes.
Akal Takht Jathedar says the Harmonium is an instrument that has colonial roots, which makes it an inappropriate medium to accompany Gurbani.
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According to Akal Takht, harmoniums were introduced in India by the Britishers, which is why they need to be replaced in a place as pure as Golden Temple.
Akal Takht's Jathedar's claims are backed by a group of scholars in Gurmat Sangeet, who resonate with the thought that the British introduced the harmonium.
PTI
Backing their claims, they added that the first-ever Kirtan singer in Sikhism was Guru Nanak Dev Ji, and during that time, the harmonium wasn't even a part of Indian or traditional Sikh music. Harmoniums were introduced only after the Britishers came to India, they assert.
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