Harmonium to be phased out of kirtans

Amritsar: On the directions of the jathedar of Akal Takht, the SGPC will phase out the use of harmonium during the recital of kirtan at the sanctum sanctorum of Golden Temple and revive the traditional practice of using string instruments. SGPC assistant secretary (media) Kulwinder Singh informed on Wednesday that the five Sikh high priests, during a meeting held by Akal Takht jathedar Harpreet Singh on May 3, had passed a resolution in which he had directed to revive Gurbani Kirtan singing at the sanctum sanctorum of Golden Temple with string instruments and had given a deadline of three years. According to reports, harmonium was being discontinued since it had colonial roots and had no place in Sikhism.
Asked whether SGPC will discontinue the use of harmonium while hymn singing, Kulwinder, without mentioning harmonium, replied that the jathedar had directed to restore the traditional use of string instruments. Even now, one ragi who sits separately uses a string instrument during the recital of kirtan along with the other three ragis.
Kulwinder said SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami had appealed to ragis jathas to start practising with string instruments and also asked to arrange teachers of string instruments in Gurmat Missionary Colleges and Gurmat Sangeet Vidyalayas while preparing new ragi jathas. “SGPC already has some ragi jathas who do Gurbani Kirtan with string instruments and their number will be expanded in future,” he said.
Dhami also asked vidyalayas and missionary colleges run under the Dharam Prachar Committee of SGPC to make the practice with string instruments compulsory for students taking kirtan training.