A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, an institution within a federal university, an institution offering vocational education, or a secondary school.

In the United States and Ireland, "college" and "university" are loosely interchangeable, whereas in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and other Commonwealth countries, "college" may refer to a high school, a college of further education, a training institution that awards trade qualifications, or a constituent school within a university.

Etymology

In ancient Rome a ''collegium'' was a club or society, a group of persons living together, under a common set of rules (''con-'' = "together" + ''leg-'' = "law" or ''lego'' = "I choose").

Other uses

Secondary education

In some English-speaking countries there are secondary schools that have "college" as part of their name.

Collegiate bodies

As well as an educational institution, the term can also refer, following its etymology, to any formal group of colleagues set up under statute or regulation; often under a Royal Charter. Examples are an electoral college, the College of Arms, a college of canons, and the College of Cardinals. Other collegiate bodies include professional associations such as the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Physicians.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, usage of the word "college" remains the loosest, encompassing a range of institutions:

Further education

A further education college (FE college) is an institution between secondary school and university. It usually offers a wide range of vocational courses and adult education. Most students are aged 16-18, but there many mature students taking part in adult education, as well as some 14-16 year olds sent from their schools on a part-time basis for vocational study that the schools are not equipped to deliver. Most FE colleges offer A Levels, often in a sixth-form centre. Some colleges have higher education provision, normally accredited by a university in the region.

Sixth form colleges teach students aged 16 to 18, mainly offering A Levels.

Higher education

In higher education a college is usually part of a university; such colleges do not award degrees. Universities with constituent colleges are collegiate universities. A college may also be a grouping of faculties or departments, notably in the University of Edinburgh, the University of Birmingham and the University of Leicester.

In the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and University of the Arts London (and formerly in the University of Wales), colleges provide accommodation, tuition and other facilities to students of the university: the university conducts examinations and grants degrees. However the colleges of the University of London are now ''de facto'' universities in their own right.

In the other collegiate universities, including the University of Lancaster, University of York, University of Kent, University of St Andrews and University of Durham, the colleges only provide accommodation and pastoral care.

A university college is an independent institution which prepares students to sit as external candidates at other universities or has the authority to run courses that lead to the degrees of those universities. It may also be an independent higher education institution with the power to award degrees, but does not have university status, although it is usually working towards it.

Historically, some universities originated as university colleges. For example, the University of Newcastle was originally a university college of the University of Durham.

United States

In the United States liberal arts colleges provide education primarily at the undergraduate level. The term can also refer to schools which offer a vocational, business, engineering, or technical curriculum. The term can either refer to a self-contained institution that has no graduate studies or to the undergraduate school of a full university (i.e., that also has a separate graduate faculty).

In popular usage, the word "college" is the generic term for any post-secondary undergraduate education. Americans go to "college" after high school, regardless of whether the specific institution is formally a college or a university, and the word and its derivatives are the standard terms used to describe the institutions and experiences associated with American post-secondary undergraduate education.

Colleges vary in terms of size, degree, and length of stay. Two-year colleges, also known as junior or community colleges, usually offer an associate's degree, and four-year colleges usually offer a bachelor's degree. Often, these are entirely undergraduate institutions, although some have graduate school programs.

Four-year institutions in the U.S. that emphasize a liberal arts curriculum are known as liberal arts colleges; an example of a traditional liberal arts college is pictured to the right, Saint Anselm College. These schools have traditionally emphasized instruction at the undergraduate level, although advanced research may still occur at these institutions.

While there is no national standard in the United States, the term "university" primarily designates institutions that provide undergraduate and graduate education. A university typically has as its core and its largest internal division an undergraduate college teaching a liberal arts curriculum, also culminating in a bachelor's degree. What often distinguishes a university is having, in addition, one or more Graduate schools engaged in both teaching graduate classes and engaged in research. Often these would be called a School of Law or School of Medicine, (but may also be called a college of law, or a faculty of law, and so on.).

On the other hand, public and private universities are typically more research-oriented institutions which service both an undergraduate and graduate student body. Graduate programs may grant a Master of Arts or a variety of Master's degrees, including MBAs and MFAs. The doctorate is the highest academic degree in the United States, and the PhD is given in many fields. Medical schools award MDs or DOs while law schools award the JD. The extent to which graduate programs are integrated with undergraduate studies varies by university and by program. These institutions usually have a large student body. Introductory seminars on the undergraduate level can have a class size in the hundreds in some of the larger schools. Compared to liberal arts colleges, the interaction between students and full-time faculty can be limited and a higher number of undergraduate classes may be taught by graduate student TAs.

Some institutions, such as Dartmouth College, and The College of William & Mary, have retained the term "college" in their names for historical reasons or because of an undergraduate focus, although they offer higher degrees. And many colleges may offer a Master of Arts degree in some field without a full curriculum leading to a PhD. Some schools that were branded as a "College" have changed their names to "University" (Robert Morris University and Whitworth University being relatively recent examples), but often have to receive state approval before doing so, even if they are private schools. In one unique case, Boston College and Boston University, both located in Boston, Massachusetts, are completely separate institutions altogether.

Usage of the terms varies among the states, each of which operates its own institutions and licenses private ones. In 1996 for example, Georgia changed all of its four-year institutions previously designated as colleges to universities, and all of its vocational technology schools to technical colleges. (Previously, only the four-year research institutions, apart from the well-established historic exception of the Georgia Institute of Technology, were called "universities".) Other states have changed the names of individual colleges, many having started as a teachers' college or vocational school (such as an A&M; — an agricultural and mechanical school) that ended up as a full-fledged state university.

"University" and "college" do not exhaust all possible titles for an American institution of higher education. Other options include "institute" (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), "academy" (United States Military Academy), "union" (Cooper Union), "conservatory" (New England Conservatory), and "school" (Juilliard School), although these titles are only for their official names. In colloquial use, they are still referred to as "college" when referring to their undergraduate studies.

The term ''college'' is also, as in the United Kingdom, used for a constituent semi-autonomous part of a larger university but generally organized on academic rather than residential lines. For example, at many institutions, the undergraduate portion of the university can be briefly referred to as the college (such as The College of the University of Chicago, Harvard College at Harvard, or Columbia College at Columbia) while at others, such as the University of California at Berkeley, each of the faculties may be called a "college" (the "college of engineering", the "college of nursing", and so forth). There exist other variants for historical reasons; for example, Duke University, which was called Trinity College until the 1920s, still calls its main undergraduate subdivision Trinity College of Arts and Sciences. Some American universities, such as Princeton, Rice, and Yale do have residential colleges along the lines of Oxford or Cambridge, but the name was clearly adopted in homage to the British system. Unlike the Oxbridge colleges, these residential colleges are not autonomous legal entities nor are they typically much involved in education itself, being primarily concerned with room, board, and social life. At the University of Michigan, University of California, San Diego and the University of California, Santa Cruz, however, each of the residential colleges do teach its own core writing courses and has its own distinctive set of graduation requirements.

The origin of the U.S. usage

The founders of the first institutions of higher education in the United States were graduates of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. The small institutions they founded would not have seemed to them like universities — they were tiny and did not offer the higher degrees in medicine and theology. Furthermore, they were not composed of several small colleges. Instead, the new institutions felt like the Oxford and Cambridge colleges they were used to — small communities, housing and feeding their students, with instruction from residential tutors (as in the United Kingdom, described above). When the first students came to be graduated, these "colleges" assumed the right to confer degrees upon them, usually with authority—for example, The College of William & Mary has a Royal Charter from the British monarchy allowing it to confer degrees while Dartmouth College has a charter permitting it to award degrees "as are usually granted in either of the universities, or any other college in our realm of Great Britain."

The leaders of Harvard College (which granted America's first degrees in 1642) might have thought of their college as the first of many residential colleges which would grow up into a New Cambridge university. However, over time, few new colleges were founded there, and Harvard grew and added higher faculties. Eventually, it changed its title to university, but the term "college" had stuck and "colleges" have arisen across the United States.

In U.S. usage, the word "college" embodies not only a particular type of school, but has historically been used to refer to the general concept of higher education when it is not necessary to specify a school, as in "going to college" or "college savings accounts" offered by banks.

The Morrill Land-Grant Act

In addition to private colleges and universities, the U.S. also has a system of government funded, public universities. Many were founded under the Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act of 1862. When the Morrill Act was established, the original colleges on the east coast, primarily those of the Ivy League and several religious based colleges, were the only form of higher education available, and were often confined only to the children of the elite. A movement had arisen to bring a form of more practical higher education to the masses, as "…many politicians and educators wanted to make it possible for all young Americans to receive some sort of advanced education." The Morrill Act "…made it possible for the new western states to establish colleges for the citizens." Its goal was to make higher education more easily accessible to the citizenry of the country, specifically to improve agricultural systems by providing training and scholarship in the production and sales of agricultural products, and to provide formal education in "…agriculture, home economics, mechanical arts, and other professions that seemed practical at the time."

The act was eventually extended to allow all states that had remained with the union during the American Civil War, and eventually all states, to establish such institutions. Most of the colleges established under the Morrill Act have since become full universities, and some are among the elite of the world.

Professional bodies

Numerous professional bodies in the U.S. also use the appellation "College". Examples in medicine include the American College of Physicians, the American College of Emergency Physicians, and the American College of Surgeons, in osteopathic medicine the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians and the American College of Osteopathic Internists, and in dentistry the American College of Dentists and the American College of Prosthodontists.

Other English speaking nations

Influenced by their origins in the British Empire, by contact with and sometimes imitation of U.S. academia, and even by modern American pop culture, the rest of the English-speaking world seems to have adopted a mix of the U.S. and British practices.

Australia

In Australia, the term "college" has several different, and unrelated, meanings.

It can refer to an institution of tertiary education that is smaller than a university, run independently or as part of a university. Following a reform in the 1980s many of the formerly independent colleges now belong to a larger university.

A notable exception is Campion College which operates in Western Sydney, following the American Liberal Arts College Tradition.

The term can also be used to refer to parts of a university. In that context there are ''residential colleges'' which provide residence for students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, called university colleges, as in the United Kingdom. These colleges often provide additional tutorial assistance, and some host theological study. Many colleges have strong traditions and rituals, so are a combination of dormitory style accommodation and fraternity or sorority culture.

Less commonly college can refer to a superfaculty organizational unit, as in the ANU Colleges.

Most TAFEs, which offer certificate and diploma vocational courses, are styled "TAFE colleges" or "Colleges of TAFE". Some private institutions offering TAFE certificates, university bridging courses, or theological courses of study (i.e. Bible colleges) style themselves "Institutes" or "Colleges".

Many private as well as state high schools that provide secondary education are called "colleges" in Australia. As secondary education is managed by state authorities rather than nationally, the term's use varies on a regional basis.

Some professional and registration bodies, especially in the medical arena, which are not educational bodies style themselves a "College" or "Institute": for example, the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. In some cases, they have legal status and members of a profession must obtain and maintain College membership to be allowed to practice.

In Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory, "college" refers to the final two years of high school (years 11 and 12), and the institutions which provide this. In this context, "college" is a system independent of the other years of high school. Here, the expression is a shorter version of ''matriculation college''.

In the state of Victoria, most public schools providing secondary education are known as "high school", though some are referred to as ''secondary colleges''.

In Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory, "College" is used in the name of all state high schools built since the late 1990s, and in some older ones which have been renamed since that time. The term for the sector, however, is still "high schools", or in official Government usage, "schools with secondary students". Many private or independent schools, including many who accept K-7 students, are styled "Colleges".

In New South Wales, some high schools, especially multi-campus schools resulting from mergers, are known as "secondary colleges".

In Queensland, the term college is used by some private secondary institutions, although some newer schools which accept primary and high school students are being styled "State College", whilst schools which offer only secondary education are styled "State High School".

Canada

In Canada, the term "college" usually refers to a community college or a technical, applied arts, or applied science school. These are post-secondary institutions granting certificates, diplomas, associate's degree, and bachelor's degrees. In Quebec, the term is seldom used, the equivalent being CEGEP (''College d'enseignement général et professionnel'', "college of general and professional education"), a form of post-secondary education specific to the Quebec education system that is required to continue onto university (unless one applies as a 'mature' student, meaning 21 years of age or over, and out of the educational system for at least 2 years), or to learn a trade. In Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, there are also institutions which are designated university colleges, as they only grant undergraduate degrees. This is to differentiate between universities, which have both undergraduate and graduate programs and those that do not. In contrast to usage in the United States, there is a strong distinction between "college" and "university" in Canada. In conversation, one specifically would say either "They are going to university" (i.e., studying for a three- or four-year degree at a university) or "They are going to college" (suggesting a technical or career college).

The Royal Military College of Canada, a full-fledged degree-granting university, does not follow the naming convention used by the rest of the country, nor does its sister school Royal Military College Saint-Jean or the now closed Royal Roads Military College.

The term "college" also applies to distinct entities within a university (usually referred to as "federated colleges" or "affiliated colleges"),to the residential colleges in the United Kingdom. These colleges act independently, but in affiliation or federation with the university that actually grants the degrees. For example, Trinity College was once an independent institution, but later became federated with the University of Toronto, and is now one of its residential colleges. In the case of Memorial University of Newfoundland, located in St. John's, the Corner Brook campus is called Sir Wilfred Grenfell College. Occasionally, "college" refers to a subject specific faculty within a university that, while distinct, are neither ''federated'' nor ''affiliated''—College of Education, College of Medicine, College of Dentistry, College of Biological Science among others.

There are also universities referred to as art colleges, empowered to grant academic degrees of BFA, Bdes, MFA, Mdes and sometimes collaborative PhD degrees. Some of them have "university" in their name (NSCAD University, OCAD University and Emily Carr University of Art and Design)and others do not.

In a number of Canadian cities, many government-run secondary schools are called "collegiates" or "collegiate institutes" (C.I.), a complicated form of the word "college" which avoids the usual "post-secondary" connotation. This is because these secondary schools have traditionally focused on academic, rather than vocational, subjects and ability levels (for example, collegiates offered Latin while vocational schools offered technical courses). Some private secondary schools in Toronto (such as Upper Canada College) choose to use the word "college" in their names nevertheless. Some secondary schools elsewhere in the country, particularly ones within the separate school system, may also use the word "college" or "collegiate" in their names.

A small number of the oldest professional associations use "college" in the name in the British sense, such as the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

A new online and distance education ( e-learning ) use "college" in the name in the British sense, for example : Canada Capstone College.

One use of the term "college" in the American sense is by the Canadian Football League, which calls its annual entry draft the Canadian College Draft. The draft is restricted to players either born or trained in Canada, but the category includes former players at U.S. college football programs ("universities" in the Canadian sense) as well as CIS football programs at Canadian universities.

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, the term "college" has a range of meanings, as in the British case. In the first case it can refer to a secondary school. It is also used by tertiary institutions as either part of their names or to refer to a constituent part of the university, such as the colleges in the collegiate Chinese University of Hong Kong; or to a residence hall of a university, such as St. John's College, University of Hong Kong. The term college is also used in the names of professional bodies.

India

In India, the term "college" is commonly reserved for institutions that offer degrees at year 12 ("''Junior College''", similar to American ''high schools''), and those that offer the bachelor's degree. Generally, colleges are located in different parts of a state and all of them are affiliated to a regional university. The colleges offer programmes under that university. Examinations are conducted by the university at the same time for all colleges under its affiliation. There are several hundred universities and each university has affiliated colleges.

The first liberal arts and sciences college in India was C. M. S. College Kottayam, Kerala (estd. 1817), and the Presidency College, Kolkata (estd. 1817), initially known as Hindu College. The first commerce and economics college in India was Sydenham College, Mumbai, which was established in 1913. The first Missionary institution to impart Western style education in India was the Scottish Church College, Calcutta (estd. 1830). The first modern university in India was the University of Calcutta (estd. January 1857). The first research institution for the study of the social sciences and ushering the spirit of Oriental research was the Asiatic Society, (estd. 1784). The first college for the study of Christian theology and ecumenical enquiry was Serampore College (estd. 1818).

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Statistical Institute, Indian Institute of Management, Indian Institute of Science and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research are examples of autonomous institutions in India that award their own degrees.

Republic of Ireland

In Ireland the term "college" is usually limited to an institution of tertiary education, but the term is quite generic within this field. University students often say they attend "college" rather than "university", with the term college being more popular in wider society. This is possibly because, until 1989, no university provided teaching or research directly. Instead, these were offered by a constituent college of the university, in the case of the National University of Ireland and University of Dublin — or at least in strict legal terms. There are many secondary education institutions that use the word college. Many secondary schools, formerly known as technical colleges, were renamed as community colleges. These are secondary institutions in contrast to the American community college.

The state's only ancient university, the University of Dublin, is really English in its origins and, until recently, its outlook. Created during the reign of Elizabeth I, it is modelled on the universities of Cambridge and Oxford. However, only one ''constituent college'' was ever founded, hence the curious position of Trinity College, Dublin today. For a time, degrees in Dublin Institute of Technology were also conferred by the university. However, that institution now has its own degree awarding powers and is considering applying for full university status.

Among more modern foundations, the National University of Ireland, founded in 1908, consisted of constituent colleges and recognised colleges until 1997. The former are now referred to as constituent universities — institutions that are essentially universities in their own right. The National University can trace its existence back to 1850 and the creation of the Queen's University of Ireland and the creation of the Catholic University of Ireland in 1854. From 1880, the degree awarding roles of these two universities was taken over by the Royal University of Ireland, which remained until the creation of the National University in 1908 and the Queen's University Belfast.

The state's two new universities Dublin City University and University of Limerick were initially National Institute for Higher Education institutions. These institutions offered university level academic degrees and research from the start of their existence and were awarded university status in 1989 in recognition of this. These two universities now follow the general trend of universities having associated colleges offering their degrees.

Third level technical education in the state has been carried out in the Institutes of Technology, which were established from the 1970s as Regional Technical Colleges. These institutions have ''delegated authority'' which entitles them to give degrees and diplomas from the Higher Education and Training Awards Council in their own name.

A number of Private Colleges exist such as DBS, providing undergraduate and postgraduate courses validated by HETAC and in some cases by other Universities.

Other types of college include Colleges of Education, such as National College of Ireland. These are specialist institutions, often linked to a university, which provide both undergraduate and postgraduate academic degrees for people who want to train as teachers.

New Zealand

In New Zealand the word "college" normally refers to a secondary school for ages 13 to 17. In contrast, most older schools of the same type are "high schools". Also, single-sex schools are more likely to be "Someplace Boys/Girls High School", but there are also many coeducational "high schools". The difference between "high schools" and "colleges" is usually only one of terminology. However, many private or integrated schools are known as "such and such college". There does seem to be a geographical difference in terminology: "colleges" most frequently appear in the North Island, whereas "high schools" are more common in the South Island.

The constituent colleges of the former University of New Zealand (such as Canterbury University College) have become independent universities. Some halls of residence associated with New Zealand universities retain the name of "college", particularly at the University of Otago (which although brought under the umbrella of the University of New Zealand, already possessed university status and degree awarding powers). The institutions formerly known as "Teacher-training colleges" now style themselves "College of education".

Some universities, such as the University of Canterbury, have divided their University into constituent administrative "Colleges" - the College of Arts containing departments that teach Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Science containing Science departments, and so on. This is largely modelled on the Cambridge model, discussed above.

Like the United Kingdom some professional bodies in New Zealand style themselves as "colleges", for example, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, the R.A.C. of Physicians

Philippines

In the Philippines, colleges usually refer to institutions of learning that grant degrees but whose scholastic fields are not as diverse as that of a university (University of Santo Tomas, University of the Philippines, Ateneo De Manila University, De La Salle University, Far Eastern University), such as the San Beda College which specializes in law and the Mapua Institute of Technology which specializes in engineering, or to component units within universities that do not grant degrees but rather facilitate the instruction of a particular field, such as a College of Science and College of Engineering, among many other colleges of the University of the Philippines.

A state college may not have the word "college" on its name, but may have several component colleges, or departments. Thus, the Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology is a state college by classification.

Usually, the term "college" is also thought of as a hierarchical demarcation between the term "university", and quite a number of colleges seek to be recognized as universities as a sign of improvement in academic standards (Colegio de San Juan de Letran, San Beda College), and increase in the diversity of the offered degree programs (called "courses"). For private colleges, this may be done through a survey and evaluation by the Commission on Higher Education and accrediting organizations, as was the case of Urios College which is now the Fr. Saturnino Urios University. For state colleges, it is usually done by a legislation by the Congress or Senate. In common usage, "going to college" simply means attending school for an undergraduate degree, whether it's from an institution recognized as a college or a university.

Singapore

The term "college" in Singapore is generally only used for pre-university educational institutions called "Junior Colleges", which provide the final two years of secondary education (equivalent to sixth form in British terms or grades 11-12 in the American system). Since 1 January 2005, the term also refers to the three campuses of the Institute of Technical Education with the introduction of the "collegiate system", in which the three institutions are called ITE College East, ITE College Central, and ITE College West respectively.

The term "university" is used to describe higher-education institutions offering locally conferred degrees. Institutions offering diplomas are called "polytechnics", while other institutions are often referred to as "institutes" and so forth.

Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka the word "college" (known as ''Vidyalaya'' in ''Sinhala'') normally refers to a secondary school, which usually signifies above the 5th standard. During the British colonial period a limited number of exclusive secondary schools were established based on English public school model (Royal College Colombo, S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, Trinity College, Kandy) these along with several Catholic schools (St. Joseph's College, Colombo, St Anthony's College, Kandy) traditionally carry their name as colleges. Following the start of free education in 1931 large group of central colleges were established to educate the rural masses. Since Sri Lanka gained Independence in 1948, many schools that have been established have been named as "college".

There are several professional and vocational institutions that offer post-secondary education without granting degrees that are referred to as "colleges". This includes the Sri Lanka Law College, the many Technical Colleges and Teaching Colleges.

South Africa

In South Africa, some secondary schools, especially private schools on the English public school model, have "college" in their title. Thus no less than six of South Africa's Elite Seven high schools call themselves "college" and fit this description. A typical example of this category would be St John's College.

Private schools that specialize in improving children's marks through intensive focus on examination needs are informally called "cram-colleges"

Although the term "college" is hardly used in any context at any university in South Africa, some non-university tertiary institutions call themselves colleges. These include teacher training colleges, business colleges and wildlife management colleges.

See also

College bullying

Higher education

University

References

Category:Educational stages Category:School types Category:Youth

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Coordinates	40°42′15.0″N73°55′4.0″N
Name	Guru Nanak Dev
Birth date	15 April 1469
Birth place	Nankana Sahib
Death place	Kartarpur
Death date	22 September 1539
Ethnicity	Punjabi, Indian
Parents	Father: Kalu MehtaMother: Mata Tripta }}

Guru Nanak (, , ''Gurū Nānak'') (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539) was the founder of the religion of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. The Sikhs believe that all subsequent Gurus possessed Guru Nanak’s divinity and religious authority, and were named "Nanak" in the line of succession.

Early life

Guru Nanak Dev was born on 15 April 1469, now celebrated as Prakash Divas of Guru Nanak Dev, into a Bedi Kshatriya family in the village of Rāi Bhōi dī Talwandī, now called Nankana Sahib, near Lahore, Pakistan. Today, his birthplace is marked by Gurdwara Janam Asthan. He was born into a Muslim Village and later had an inner conviction to create the Sikh Religion. (Some are of the opinion that 20 October is his enlightenment day rather than his birthday.) His father, Mehta Kalyan Das Bedi, popularly shortened to Kalu Mehta, was the ''patwari'' (accountant) of crop revenue for the village of Talwandi in the employment of a Muslim landlord of that area, Rai Bular Bhatti. Guru Nanak’s mother was Tripta Devi and he had one elder sister, Bebe Nanaki who became a spiritual figure in her own right.

Nanaki married Jai Ram and went to his town of Sultanpur, where he was the steward (modi) to Daulat Khan Lodi, the eventual governor of Lahore. Guru Nanak was attached to his older sister, and, in traditional Indian fashion, he followed her to Sultanpur to live with her and her husband. Guru Nanak also found work with Daulat Khan, when he was around 16 years old. This was a formative time for Guru Nanak, as the Puratan Janam Sakhi suggests, and in his numerous allusions to governmental structure in his hymns, most likely gained at this time.

Commentaries on his life give details of his blossoming awareness from a young age. At the age of five, Guru Nanak is said to have voiced interest in divine subjects. At age seven, his father, Kalu Mehta, enrolled him at the village school as was the custom. Notable lore recounts that as a child Guru Nanak astonished his teacher by describing the implicit symbolism of the first letter of the alphabet, which is an almost straight stroke in Persian or Arabic, resembling the mathematical version of one, as denoting the unity or oneness of God. Other childhood accounts refer to strange and miraculous events about Guru Nanak witnessed by Rai Bular such as a poisonous cobra being seen to shield the sleeping child’s head from the harsh sunlight.

Biographies

The earliest biographical sources on the life of Guru Nanak recognised today are the ''Janamsākhīs'' (life accounts) and the ''vārs'' (expounding verses) of the scribe Bhai Gurdas. The most popular Janamsākhī were allegedly written by a close companion of the Guru, Bhai Bala. However, the writing style and language employed have left scholars such as Max Arthur Macauliffe certain that they were composed after his death.

Bhai Gurdas, a purported scribe of the Gurū Granth, also wrote about Guru Nanak’s life in his ''vārs''. Although these too were compiled some time after Guru Nanak’s time, they are less detailed than the Janamsākhīs. The Janamsākhīs recount in minute detail the circumstances of the birth of the guru. The Janamsakhis state that at his birth an astrologer, who came to write his horoscope, insisted on seeing the child. On seeing the infant, he is said to have worshipped him with clasped hands and remarked that "I regret that I shall never live to see young Guru Nanak as an adult.”

Sikhism and travels

Rai Bular Bhatti, the local landlord and Guru Nanak’s sister Bibi Nanaki were the first people who recognised divine qualities in the boy. They encouraged and supported him to study and travel. Sikh tradition states that at around 1499, at the age of 30, he had a vision. After he failed to return from his ablutions, his clothes were found on the bank of a local stream called the Kali Bein. The townspeople assumed he had drowned in the river; Daulat Khan had the river dragged, but no body was found. Three days after disappearing, Guru Nanak reappeared, staying silent. The next day, he spoke to pronounce, "There is neither Hindu nor Mussulman (Muslim) so whose path shall I follow? I shall follow God's path. God is neither Hindu nor Mussulman and the path which I follow is God's." Guru Nanak said that he had been taken to God's court. There, he was offered a cup filled with amrit (nectar) and given the command "This is the cup of the adoration of God's name. Drink it. I am with you. I bless you and raise you up. Whoever remembers you will enjoy my favour. Go, rejoice of my name and teach others to do so. I have bestowed the gift of my name upon you. Let this be your calling." From this point onwards, Nanak is described in accounts as a Guru, and Sikhism was born.

Although the exact account of his itinerary is disputed, he is widely acknowledged to have made four major journeys, spanning thousands of kilometres, the first tour being east towards Bengal and Assam, the second south towards Tamil Nadu, the third north towards Kashmir, Ladakh, and Tibet, and the final tour west towards Baghdad, Mecca and Medina on the Arabian Peninsula. At Mecca, Guru Nanak was found sleeping with his feet towards the Kaaba mosque Kazi Rukan-ud-din, who observed this, angrily objected. Guru Nanak replied to turn his feet in a direction that did not have God or a house of God. The Kazi understood that the meaning of what the Guru was saying was "God is everywhere". The Kazi was struck with wonder.

Last years

As the end approached Guru Nanak would frequently test the devotion of his sons and nearest followers and in doing so demonstrate their state of mind to one another. There were numerous such occasions and one particular devotee, Bhai Lehna, rose to eminence because he never faltered in his faith in Guru Nanak.

Personal life

Guru Nanak was married to Mata Sulakhni at about 19 years of age. His marriage to her took place in the town of Batala. The marriage party had come from the town of Sultanpur Lodhi. The couple had two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Chand.

Death

Guru Nanak appointed Bhai Lehna as the successor Guru, renaming him as Guru Angad, meaning "one’s very own" or "part of you". Shortly after proclaiming Bhai Lehna as the next Guru, Nanak died on 22 September 1539 in Kartarpur, at the age of 69.

Teachings

Guru Nanak’s teachings can be found in the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib, as a vast collection of revelatory verses recorded in Gurmukhi.

From these some common principles seem discernible. Firstly a supreme Godhead who although incomprehensible, manifests in all major religions, the Singular "Doer" and formless. It is described as the indestructible (undying) form.

Guru Nanak describes the dangers of the Egotism (haumai- "I am") and calls upon devotees to engage in worship through the word of God (''Naam'', implies God, the Reality, mystical word or formula to recite or meditate upon (shabad in Gurbani), divine order (hukam) and at places divine teacher (guru) and guru’s instructions) and singing of God’s qualities, discarding doubt in the process. However, such worship must be selfless (sewa). The word of God, cleanses the individual to make such worship possible. This is related to the revelation that God is the Doer and without God there is no other. Guru Nanak warned against hypocrisy and falsehood saying that these are pervasive in humanity and that religious actions can also be in vain. It may also be said that ascetic practices are disfavoured by Guru Nanak who suggests remaining inwardly detached whilst living as a householder.

Through popular tradition, Guru Nanak’s teaching is understood to be practised in three ways:

''Naam Japna'': Chanting the Holy Name and thus remembering God at all times (ceaseless devotion to God)

''Kirat Karō'': Earning/making a living honestly, without exploitation or fraud

''Va Chakkō'': Sharing with others, helping those with less who are in need

Guru Nanak put the greatest emphasis on the worship of the Word of God (Naam Japna). One should follow the direction of awakened individuals (Gurmukh or God willed) rather than the mind (state of Manmukh- being led by Self will)- the latter being perilous and leading only to frustration.

Reforms that occurred in the institution and both Godhead and Devotion, are seen as transcending any religious consideration or divide, as God is not separate from any individual.

Gallery

See also

Life of Guru Nanak through Pictures

References

External links

Guru Nanak Dev Ji

Guru Nanak by Jyotsna Kamat

http://www.youtube.com/user/GAGANJAKHU#p/u/14/MdPutY2H3ko

http://www.sikhnugget.com/2010/09/new-documentary-on-guru-nanak.html

Category:1469 births Category:1539 deaths Category:Revolutionaries Category:Sikh gurus Category:Founders of religions Category:Punjabi people Category:People from Nankana Sahib District

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Coordinates	40°42′15.0″N73°55′4.0″N
name	Jagjit Singh
background	solo_singer
born	February 08, 1941Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India
genre	Ghazal, Classical, Devotional, Folk
occupation	Composer, Singer, Music Director, Activist, Entrepreneur
instrument	Vocals, Harmonium, Tanpura, Piano
years active	1966–present
label	EMI, HMV, Saregama, Universal Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Polydor, TIPS, Venus, T-Series
spouse	Chitra Singh
website	www.jagjitsingh.co.uk }}

Jagjit Singh (, , ) (born February 8, 1941) is a prominent Indian Ghazal singer, composer, music director, activist and entrepreneur. Popularly known as "The Ghazal King" he gained acclaim together with his wife, another renowned Indian Ghazal singer Chitra Singh, in the 1970s and 1980s, as the first ever successful duo act (husband-wife) in the history of recorded Indian music. Together, they are considered to be the pioneers of modern Ghazal singing and regarded as most successful recording artistes outside the realm of Indian film music. He has sung in Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati, Sindhi and Nepali languages. He was awarded India's third highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan, in 2003.

Widely credited for the revival and popularity of Ghazal, an Indian classical art form, through his music in landmark films such as ''Prem Geet'' (1981), Arth and ''Saath Saath'' (1982), and TV serials Mirza Ghalib (1988) and Kahkashan (1991), Jagjit Singh is considered to be the most successful ghazal singer and composer of all time, in terms of both critical acclaim and commercial success. With a career spanning over five decades and a repertoire comprising 80 albums the range and breadth of his work has been regarded as genre-defining. He is the only composer and singer to have composed and recorded songs written by Prime Minister - Atal Behari Vajpayee, also a critically acclaimed poet - in two albums, ''Nayi Disha'' (1999) and ''Samvedna'' (2002). India's current Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur are known to be his avid admirers.

On May 10, 2007, in a milestone joint session held in the historic Central Hall of India's Parliament (Sansad Bhawan), Jagjit Singh rendered the last Moghul Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar's famous ghazal ''"Lagta nahin hai dil mera"'' to commemorate the 150th anniversary of India's First War of Independence (1857). President A P J Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and dignitaries including former Prime Ministers, Members of Parliament, Foreign Ambassadors and High Commissioners were in attendance.

Jagjit Singh is the first Indian composer, and together with his wife Chitra Singh the first recording artist in the history of Indian music to use digital multi-track recording for their (India's first digitally recorded) album, ''Beyond Time'' (1987). He is regarded as one of India's most influential artistes. Together with sitar legend Ravi Shankar and other leading figures of Indian classical music and literature, Singh has voiced his concerns over politicisation of arts and culture in India and lack of support experienced by the practitioners of India's traditional art forms, particularly folk artists and musicians. He has lent active support to several philanthropic endeavors such as the library at St. Mary's School, Mumbai, Bombay Hospital, CRY, Save the Children and ALMA.

Early years and background

Jagjit Singh was born in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan to Amar Singh Dhiman, a government employee, a native of Dalla village in Punjab (India) and his mother, Bachan Kaur from Ottallan village, Samrala. He had four sisters and two brothers and he is known as Jeet by his family. He was raised as a Sikh by religion.

He went to Khalsa High School in Sri Ganganagar and then studied science after matriculation at Government College, Sri Ganganagar and went onto graduate in Arts at DAV College, Jalandhar. He is a post-graduate in history from Kurukshetra University in Haryana.

His association with music goes back to his childhood. He learnt music under Pandit Chaganlal Sharma for two years in Ganganagar, and later devoted six years to learning Khayal, Thumri and Dhrupad forms of Indian Classical Music from Ustad Jamaal Khan of the Sainia Gharana school.

Career

Early career

The Vice-Chancellor of Punjab University and Kurukshetra University, Late Professor Suraj Bhan encouraged his interest in music. He arrived in Mumbai in 1965 in search of better opportunities for being a musician and singer. His early struggle in the music industry, though not too harsh by his own account, still had its share of trials and tribulations. He lived as a paying guest and his earlier assignments were singing advertisement jingles or performing at weddings and parties.

First Entry Into Movies

Jagjit Singh was first offered to sing in a Gujarati Film. "Dharati Na Chhoru" produced by Mr. Suresh Amin, famously known by Jagjit Singh as "Jholi Vaaley Baba" : known so, because he carried a Red Shoulder Bag wherever he went. Mr Suresh Amin was from Baroda-Gujarat and was associated with Scad Consultants Pvt Ltd. When, Mr Suresh Amin died in 1998 and Scad Consultants, Baroda, Organized a Live Concert by Jagjit singh in December 1998 - Jagjit Singh [Famously Called by friends as Maharaj] paid a special Tribute to Mr Suresh Amin and dedicated the Scad Consultants Concert to Mr Suresh Amin by Singing the song " Chitthi Na Koi Sandesh ", the perfect song to match his unawareness of Suresh Amin's Death.

Rise to fame

During 1970s, the art of ghazal singing was dominated by well-established names like Noor Jehan, Malika Pukhraj, Begum Akhtar, Talat Mahmood and Mehdi Hassan. However, he was able to make his mark and carve out a niche for himself. In 1976, his album ''The Unforgetables'' (On HMV LP Records) hit music stores. Essentially a ghazal album, its emphasis on melody and Jagjit's fresh voice was a departure from the prevalent style of ghazal rendition, which was heavily based on classical and semi-classical Indian music. Skeptics had their own reservations, purists scorned it but it was widely successful among listeners and the album set new sales records.

In 1967, Jagjit met Chitra, also a singer. After a two year courtship they got married (1969). They epitomize the first successful husband-wife singing team. Jagjit and Chitra Singh have made immense contributions to 'Ghazal' music and the Indian music industry in general.

Successful releases of the duo include ''Ecstasies'', ''A Sound Affair'' and ''Passions''. While these albums were breezy, ''Beyond Time'' released in the opening years of 1990s was an experimentation with sounds and conveyed a feeling that was beyond space and time.

Around this time the duo was struck by grief, when their only son, Vivek (21), met an untimely death in a road accident on 28 July 1990. Their subsequent album 'Someone Somewhere' was the last album with ghazals sung by both. The album is a tour of the soul, ethereal, conscientious and introspective. These ghazals have a moving quality to them since they embody a feeling of deep personal loss. After that Chitra Singh quit singing.

Jagjit Singh's later albums, including ''Hope'', ''In Search'', ''Insight'', ''Mirage'', ''Visions'', ''Kahkashan'' (meaning "Galaxy"), ''Love Is Blind'', ''Chirag'' (meaning "Lamp"/"Flame") also achieved success. ''Sajda'' (an Urdu word meaning "prostration"), which has ghazals sung by Jagjit and Lata Mangeshkar was another brilliant release and made its mark as a classic Ghazal album. The combined successes of his many albums made him the number one ghazal singer in India. The audience wanted more and Jagjit Singh obliged with his Punjabi albums. Ebullient, effervescent and bubbly, his Punjabi songs are pleasant as well as joyous. His enchanting ghazals use the choicest poetry by renowned poets including Mirza Ghalib, Firaq Gorakhpuri, Qateel Shifai, Shahid Kabir, Ameer Meenai, Kafeel Aazer, Sudarshan Faakir and Nida Fazli, and contemporary writers like Zaka Siddiqi, Nazir Bakri, Faiz Ratlami and Rajesh Reddy.

Jagjit also sang (as playback singer) for various songs in Bollywood films including ''Arth'', ''Saath Saath'', and ''Premgeet'' (all from 1980s). These scores remain popular even today. In fact, all the songs of film ''Premgeet'' were composed by Jagjit. His compositions for the TV serial ''Mirza Ghalib'' (based on the life of the poet Mirza Ghalib), remain extremely popular among ghazal aficionados. The exclusive element of Ghalib's poetry was sensitively and wonderfully brought out in the soulful compositions of Ghalib's ghazals by Jagjit Singh. The album could veritably be called a magnum opus.

Compared to his earlier ghazals (sung during 70s and 80s) his later ghazals have acquired a more soulful and poignant demeanour, as in albums such as ''Marasim'', ''Face To Face'', ''Aaeena'', ''Cry For Cry''. But all through this, romance never took a backseat! The journey to the soul is punctuated by romantic pauses like ''Dil Kahin Hosh Kahin''. A testimony to his popularity is his ghazals in recent Bollywood flicks like ''Dushman'', ''Sarfarosh'', ''Tum Bin'' and ''Tarkeeb''.

Most of the earlier albums of Jagjit Singh had English titles. Later, these had Urdu names like ''Sahar'' (meaning "Dawn"/"Morning"), ''Muntazir'' (meaning "In waiting"), ''Marasim'' (meaning "Relation"/"Relationship"/"Affinity" ), and "Soz" (meaning Pathos). The switchover may not be deliberate but marks a milestone in his singing. These new albums show a far better selection of lyrics and his singing has scaled new peaks.

Besides ghazals, Jagjit Singh has also sung Bhajans and Gurbani (Hindu and Sikh devotional hymns respectively). Albums such as ''Maa'', ''Hare Krishna'', ''Hey Ram...Hey Ram'', ''Ichhabal'' and also ''Man Jeetai Jagjeet'' in Punjabi, put him in the league of Bhajan singers such as Mukesh, Hari Om Sharan, Yesudas, Anup Jalota and Purushottam Das Jalota. The soothing effect that Jagjit's voice has on frayed nerves has prompted psychiatrists in metros (as large cities in India are called) to prescribe them as stress relievers.

Influence

Jagjit Singh is accredited with bringing the ghazal genre, which was previously restricted to the elite classes, to the masses. His music direction can be seen to be pioneering in changing the sound layout by adding more Western instruments while mostly retaining the traditional orchestra (which includes a tablaa, dholak, bongos, sitar, sarod, santoor, flute, and harmonium, and a couple of string instruments]. Jagjit Singh is also nicknamed Ghazaljeet Singh.

Jagjit Singh is accredited with finding a famous singer of modern times Kumar sanu. Sanu himself confessed that Jagjit singh offered him the first chance to sing.

Jagjit Singh voiced his opinion against artists from Pakistan being allowed to sing in India, when Pakistan refuses to reciprocate the gesture.

In addition to cultivating his own successful career, Jagjit Singh has been involved in guiding many new, talented singers such as Abhijeet, Talat Aziz, Ghanshyam Vaswani, Ashok Khosla, Siza Roy, Vikram Singh, and Vinod Sehgal. He also lends active support to several philanthropic endeavors such as the Library at St. Mary's (Mumbai), Bombay Hospital, CRY, and ALMA (an organization that adopts under-privileged students for further education and development). He assisted Peta India in asking the Minister of Railways to enforce speed restrictions to prevent further elephant deaths from collisions with speeding trains.

Personal life

Jagjit Singh married the popular singer Chitra Singh in 1969. They live in Vivek Singh Lane (a road dedicated to their son) on Breach Candy in Mumbai. Their only son, Vivek, died in a road accident in the early 1990s.

In January 1998, Jagjit Singh had his heart attack, which led him to quit smoking. In October 2007, he was hospitalized following blood circulation problems.

Music career

Ghazals

There are many successful ghazals composed by Jagjit Singh. Some of them are listed below:-

Yaarian Rab Kar Ke (Sang for Shiv K. Batalvi)

Umr Jalwon mein basar ho

Der lagi aane mein tumko

Apni aankho ke samundar mein utar jaane de

Koi paas aayaa sawere-sawere

Apne hothon par sajaana chaahta hoon

Meri zindagi kisi aur ki, mere naam ka koi aur hai

Apne haathon kee lakeeron mein

Sadma to hai mujhe bhi ke tujhse juda hoon main

Aadmi aadmi ko kya degaa

Haath chhooten bhi to

Garaj baras pyaasi dharthi par phir paani de maula

Apni marzi se kahan apne safar ke hum hain

Ik barahman ne kaha hai

Main na hindu na musalmaan mujhe jeene do

Kaise kaise haadse sehte rahe

Wo jo hum mein tumme qaraar tha

Patta-patta boota-boota haal hamaara jaane hai

Chak jigar ke see lete hain

Main bhool jaaoon tumhe, ab yahi munaasib hai

Jaate jaate wo mujhe achchhi nishaani de gaya

Shaam se aankh mein namin si hai

Tere baare mein jab socha nahin thaa

Tere aane ki jab khabar mehke

Tamanna fir machal jaaye agar tum milne aa jaao

Ab main ration ki kataron mein nazar aata hoon

Tujhse milne ki saza denge tere shehar ke log

Patthar ke khuda, patthar ke sanam

Huzoor aapka bhi ahtraam karta chaloon

Din aa gaye sabaab ke aanchal sambhaaliye

Gulshan ki faqat phoolon se nahin kaaton se bhi zeenat hoti hai

Baat saaqi ki na taali jaayegi

Roshan jamal-e-yaar se hai anjuman tamaam

Tera chehra kitna suhaana lagta hai

Tum nahin, gham nahin sharaab nahin

Sarakti jaaye hain rukh se naqaab aahistaa-aahista

Ae khuda ret ke sehra ko samandar kar de

Yeh daulat bhi le lo, yeh shohrat bhi le lo

Hoshwalo ko khabar

Honthon se chhoo lo tum

Koi yeh kaise bataye

Tere khat

Bahut khoobsurat hai

Kiska Chehera

Kal chodvi ki raat thi

Baat niklegi to

Der laagi ane mein tumko

Main nashe mein hoon

Pyar mujhse jo kiya tumne

Tera chehera hai aaeene jaisa

Chitthi na koi sandesh

Tum itna jo muskura rahe ho

Jab se kareeb ho kay chale zindagi se hum

Koi fariyaad

Kahin duur jab din

Kehta hai baabul

Jhuki jhuki si nazar

Tumko dekha to yeh khayal

Sehma sehma

Yaad kiya dil ne kaha ho tum

Aap ko dekh kar

Jab saamne tum

Hazaron khwaishe aisi

Ya to mit jaaeeye ya mita deejiye

Tere aane ki jab khabar mehke

woh khat ke purje jala raha tha

tum ye kaise khafa ho gaye

hum to hai perdes mein desh mein

Jeevan Maran Chhe Ek (in Gujarati)

Woh kaaghaz ki kashti

Badi Najuk he ye manzil mohabbat ka safar he

Awards

In 2003, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honours, by the Government of India

In 2006, he was presented the Teacher's Achievement Awards

Discography

Song for films

Film Name !! Year !! Details
Dear Friend Hitler	2011	"''Har or tabahi ka manzar''"
Pyar Kare Dis : Feel The Power of Love	2007
Umar	2006
Kasak	2005
Dhoop''	2003
Joggers' Park	2003
Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai	2003
Leela	2002
Vadh	2002
Deham	2001
Tum Bin	2001
Tarkieb	2000
Shaheed Udham Singh	2000
Bhopal Express	1999
Sarfarosh	1999
Dushman	1998
Khudai	1994
Mammo	1994
Khal Nayak	1993
Nargis	1992
Billoo Badshah	1989
Aakhri Kahani	1989
Doosra Kanoon	1989
Kaanoon Ki Awaaz	1989
Mirza Ghalib	1988
Rahi	1987
Aashiana	1986
Long Da Lishkara	1986
Phir Aayee Barsat	1985
Ravan	1984
Bahuroopi	1966
Bhavna	1984
Kalka	1983
Tum Laut Aao	1983
Zulf Ke Saye Saye	1983
Arth (film)	Arth	1982
Saath Saath	1982
Sitam	1982
Prem Geet	1981
Ek Baar Kaho	1980
Griha Pravesh	1979
Avishkaar	1973
Heena	1999
Neem Ka Ped	1994
Hello Zindagi	19**

Ghazal albums

The Unforgettables (1976)

Birha Da Sultan(Shiv Kumar Batalvi) Jagjit & Chitra (1978

Live in Pakistan (1979)

A Milestone (1980)

Main aur Meri Tanhaayee (1981)

The Latest (1982)

Ae mere Dil (1983)

Live at Royal Albert Hall ª(1983)

Ecstasies (1984)

A Sound Affair (1985)

Echoes (1985–86)

Beyond Time (1987)

Mirza Ghalib (Two Volumes) (1988), TV Serial Directed by Gulzar

Passion / Black Magic (1988)

Ghazals from Films (1989)

Emotions

Man Jite Jagjit (1990)

Memorable Ghazals of Jagjit and Chitra (1990)

Someone Somewhere (1990)

H O P E (1991)

Sajda (Two Volumes with Lata Ji) (1991)

Kahkashan (Two Volumes) (1991–92), TV Serial Directed by Jalal Agaa

Visions (Two Volumes) (1992)

In Search (1992)

Rare Gems (1992)

Face to face (1993)

Your Choice (1993)

Chiraag (1993)

Desires (1994)

Insight (1994)

Cry for Cry (1995)

Mirage

Unique (1996)

Come Alive in a Concert (1998 (CD))

Live at the Wembley

Love is Blind (1998)

Silsilay (1998) (Lyrics by Javed Akhtar)

Marasim (1999) (Lyrics by Gulzar)

jaam utha(1999)

Saher (2000)

Samvedna 2002 (Atal Behari Vajpayee's poetry))

Soz (2002) (Lyrics by Javed Akhtar)

Forget Me Not (2002)

Muntazir (2004)

Jeevan Kya Hai (2005)

Tum To Nahin Ho (Lyrics by Bashir Badr) (2005)

Life Story (2006)

Best of Jagjit & Chitra Singh (includes Mere Darwaaze Se Ab Chand Ko Ruksat Kar do by Ali Sardar Jaffrey)

Koi Baat Chale (Lyrics by Gulzar)

Jazbaat(2008)

Inteha (2009)(Promoted on Banoo Main Teri Dulhann)

Aeena (2009)

Vakratunda Mahakaya (2009)

His Nepali Ghazal 'Kun Maya Sadar Bho, Mero maya badar bho...' [which love has been granted, my love has been disproved]is a big hit... some other songs in the same album is romantic song which is 'not his type'sung with Sadhana Sargam. though his nepali pronunciation in romantic songs are not perfect still worth listening.

Vakratunda Mahakaya

The album Vakratunda Mahakaya was released on December 4, 2009 and was published by Times Music, a subsidiary of The Times Group. The album contained 3 tracks, each about 30min in length.

Tracks

Vakratunda Mahakaya

Om Gam Ganapatayenamah

Jai Ganesh Deva - Aarti

All three tracks are composed of multiple layers of Jagjit's voice with a subtle Tabla rhythm in the background to produce a powerful, transcendental tone to the music.

Trivia

The album 'Beyond Time' is the first digitally recorded album of India.It was recorded in the studio 'Western outdoor' by sound recordists duo 'Daman Sood and Avinash Oak.

References

External links

Jagjit Singh's Official website

IMDB entry

Twitter

Article on the Genius of Jagjit Singh in Asian Lite Magazine by Sreeram Chaulia

Review of Jagjit Singh's Biography, ''Beyond Time'', in Asia Times by Sreeram Chaulia

Jagjit Singh Lyrics and Translations

Bazm-E-Jagjit

Jagjit Singh Albums and Lyrics

Ghazal singer Jagjit Singh in Dulhann

Dollar Mehta does a PhD on Jagjit-Singh

Category:1941 births Category:Living people Category:Indian composers Category:Indian ghazal singers Category:Indian Sikhs Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan Category:People from Sri Ganganagar district

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