Kirtan or Kirtana (Punjabi: ਕੀਰਤਨ, Sanskrit: "praise, eulogy";^[1] also Sankirtan^[2]) is call-and-response chanting or "responsory" performed in India's devotional traditions.^[3] A person performing kirtan is known as a kirtankar. Kirtan practice involves chanting hymns or mantras to the accompaniment of instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, the two-headed mrdanga or pakawaj drum, and karatal hand cymbals. It is a major practice in Vaisnava devotionalism, Sikhism, the Sant traditions, and some forms of Buddhism, as well as other religious groups.

Kirtan and the Bhakti movement[link]

In the Bhagavad-gita (9.13-9.14) Krishna states that great souls worship and glorify him single-mindedly. In Maharashtra state of India Kirtan is a unique devotional solo performance and theatrical folk art which accompanies spiritual story telling along with call-and-response chanting or "responsory" that most of the times includes combinations of multiple element of Performing arts. Narada is considered originator of this tradition.^[4] The practice of kirtan was popularized as a means to this end in the Hindu devotional revival of the Moghul era.

The Varkari saint Namdev (c. 1270–1350), a Shudra tailor, used the kirtan form of singing to praise the glory of god Vithoba.^[5]

In the early 16th century CE Chaitanya Mahaprabhu traveled throughout India, popularizing Krishna sankirtan.

The Sikh tradition of Kirtan or Gurmat Sangeet was started by Guru Nanak at Kartarpur in the early 16th century^{[citation needed]} and was strengthened by his successors, particularly Guru Arjan, at Amritsar.^{[citation needed]} In spite of several interruptions, kirtan continues to be performed at the Golden Temple and other historical gurdwaras.

Sikhs refer to a hymn or section of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) as a shabad. The first shabad in the SGGS is the Mool Mantar. The hymns are arranged in chapters named after musical ragas, all the shabads in any chapter to be sung to that particular raga with due attention to tala and dhuni (melody) (See also Sikh music).

As a given name[link]

The female given name Kirtana/Keerthana is used in South India, particularly Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It means "Hymn sung in the praise of God".

In the West[link]

The Hare Krishna Tree in Tompkins Square Park, New York City under which Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada led his first public chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra in the U.S.^[6]

Paramhansa Yogananda was an early proponent of kirtan in the west, chanting Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Hey Hari Sundara ("Oh God Beautiful") with 3,000 people at Carnegie Hall in 1923.^[7] Kirtan became more common with the spread of Gaudiya Vaishnavism by ISKCON's founder A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in the 1960s.^[8] Kirtan is currently growing in popularity in the West, with singers of Western kirtan including Krishna Das, Bhagavan Das and Jai Uttal as well as Snatam Kaur, Lokah Music, Deva Premal, Aindra Prabhu and Gaura Vani & As Kindred Spirits. Yoga centers report an increase in attendance at kirtan. According to Pure Music’s Frank Goodman, kirtan, like the unpredictable rise and rejuvenation of the many forms of yoga in recent years, is everywhere now and there is a growing number of people flocking to the kirtan scene.^[9]

In ISKCON, the term sankirtan is also used to refer to preaching activities, such as distribution of religious literature to the public.^[10]

See also[link]

• Gurbani
• Nama sankeerthanam

References[link]

Jagjit Singh
Jagjit Singh performing at Jaidev Hall, Bhubaneswar, on 7 September 2011
Background information
Birth name	Jagmohan Singh
Born	(1941-02-08)8 February 1941 Sri Ganganagar, Bikaner State, India
Died	10 October 2011(2011-10-10) (aged 70) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Genres	Ghazal, Classical, Devotional, Folk
Occupations	Composer, Singer, Music Director, Activist, Entrepreneur
Instruments	Vocals, Harmonium, Tanpura, Piano
Years active	1965–2011
Labels	EMI, HMV, Saregama, Universal Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Polydor, TIPS, Venus, T-Series, Magna Sound, Big Music, Times Music

Jagjit Singh, born Jagmohan Singh); (8 February 1941 – 10 October 2011) was a prominent Indian Ghazal singer, songwriter and musician. Known as "the Ghazal King", he gained acclaim together with his wife, another renowned Indian Ghazal singer Chitra Singh in the 1970s and 1980s. Their combination album comprising music from the films, Arth and Saath Saath is the HMV's largest selling combination album of all time.^{[citation needed]} Sajda (An Offering, 1991), Jagjit Singh's magnum opus double album with Lata Mangeshkar holds the same record in non-film category.^{[citation needed]} He had sung in numerous languages. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the government of India in 2003.

Singh is credited for the revival and popularity of ghazal, an Indian classical art form, by choosing poetry that was relevant to the masses and composing them in a way that laid more emphasis on the meaning of words and melody evoked by them. In terms of Indian Classical music, his style of composing and Gayaki (singing) is considered as Bol-pradhan, one that lays emphasis on words. He highlighted this in his music for 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 over 80 albums,^[1] 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).

Singh's 1987 album, Beyond Time, was the first digitally recorded release in India.^{[citation needed]} He was 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 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 also 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 life and career[link]

Jagjit Singh was born on 8 February 1941 in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India. His birth name was Jagmohan but this was changed to Jagjit after his parents sought the advice of a member of the Sikh Namdhari sect.^[2] His parents were themselves Sikhs, called Amar Singh and Bachan Kaur, and had several other children, with sources variously reporting the number between six and eleven.^[3][4]

Educated initially at Khalsa High School and Sri Ganganagar Government College, Singh obtained an arts degree from DAV College at Jalandhar and then a post-graduate degree in history from Kurukshetra University in Haryana. Throughout this time, and as a consequence of a natural talent that was spotted by his father, Singh learned music both in Sikh temples and from musicians such as Pandit Chaganlal Sharma and Ustad Jamaal Khan, both of whom were trained in classical Indian music. He performed on radio and on stage, as well as composing some material, although he subsequently claimed that his father, who was a government employee, had hoped that he would become an engineer.^[5] On another occasion his memory was that his father aspired for him to become a bureaucrat, and that his siblings also were encouraged musically.^[3]

In March 1965, and without the knowledge of his family,^[5] Singh moved to Mumbai, where there were many opportunities for music artists because of the Bollywood film industry. He obtained work initially as a singer of advertising jingles and later progressed to playback singing.^[2] In the same year he persuaded the record company HMV to produce an EP, and he also altered his Sikh image by abandoning his turban, shaving and cutting his hair.^[5] His first film role was in Dharati Na Chhoru, a Gujarati production by Suresh Amin.^{[citation needed]}

Fame[link]

Singh was still struggling to make a living in 1967 when he met the Bengali-born Chitra Dutta.^[5] She was also a jingle singer, and was unhappily married with a daughter. She subsequently divorced and then married Singh in December 1969.^[3] Following the birth of their son, Vivek, the couple performed as a singing duo but it was not until the 1976^{[clarification needed]} release of an album entitled The Unforgettables that they found significant, and surprising, success. In the interval, the primary difficulty for them had been that the ghazal music genre was dominated by Muslim artists,^[5] and especially those from Pakistan.^[6]

The Unforgettables, which was the couple's first LP,^[3] was an unconventional recording and it turned them into stars. The song Baat Niklegi from the album achieved great popularity for Singh and his wife.^[4] The Independent described it in 2011 as "ground-breaking ... it became a transformative, before-and-after milestone in the history of Indian popular and ghazal music. It remains that." Using modern arrangements, it consists of ten tracks that include two on which they sang as a duo and the remainder equally split between Jagjit and Chitra singing the lead. The Independent further noted that "This format of solo and duet performances from the first commercially successful husband-and-wife team in Indian popular music proved astonishingly successful."^[2] Jagjit explained that "I was determined to polish up the genre and make it more acceptable to modern tastes, so chose simple poems and set them to simple tunes. I also introduced western instrumentation to make them livelier." Thereafter, the couple worked both on solo and joint musical projects and performed concerts worldwide. There was also success from involvement with the film industry and they amassed a considerable wealth,^[5] while Jagjit became known as "the Ghazal king".^[6]

Jagjit Singh's work in film^[7] encompassed playback singing for productions such as Arth, Saath Saath and Premgeet. He also composed all of the songs for the latter, as well as for the TV serial Mirza Ghalib that was based on the life of the eponymous poet, Mirza Ghalib.^{[citation needed]}

Among their subsequent duo recordings of the 1970s were Shiv Kumar Batalvi – Birha da Sultan (1978), Live in Concert at Wembley (1979) and Come Alive (1979). Of those released in the 1980s, Ecstasies (1984) has been described as "one of their finest".^[2] The joint projects ceased in 1990 when their eighteen year-old son, Vivek, was killed in a road accident. Chitra felt unable to sing following these events. Monica, Chitra's daughter from her first marriage, committed suicide in 2009.^[2][5]

Although Jagjit continued to work and to have success after Chitra withdrew from public life he, too, was affected by the death of Vivek. The Guardian notes that he "suffered from deep depression and his anguish was often evident in his live performances." Aside from occupying himself with solo projects, which he performed in several languages,^[6] he also collaborated with Lata Mangeshkar on an album entitled Sajda, an Urdu word meaning "prostration".^[2][5]

On 10 May 2007, in the presence of numerous political and diplomatic luminaries at an event held in the Central Hall of the Parliament of India, Jagjit Singh rendered Bahadur Shah Zafar's famous ghazal Lagta nahin hai dil mera to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Indian Rebellion of 1857.^[4][8]

Death[link]

Singh toured the UK in 2011 and was due to perform with Ghulam Ali in Mumbai^[5] but suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on 23 September 2011. He was in a coma for over two weeks and died on 10 October 2011 at Lilavati Hospital, in Mumbai. He was cremated the following day at Chandanwadi Crematorium in Mumbai.^[9][10]

A number of tributes have been paid to Singh after his death,^{[11][12][13][14][15]} and some tried to encash his popularity which was criticised by his wife.^[16]

Awards[link]

• In 2003, Singh was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, by the Government of India^[5]
• In 1998, Jagjit Singh was awarded Sahitya Academy Award, a literary honor in India. He was awarded this literary honor for popularizing the work of Mirza Ghalib.
• Sangeet Natak Academy Award
• Sahitya Kala Academy Award by Rajasthan Government in 1998
• Ghalib Academy by Delhi Government in 2005
• Dayavati Modi Award
• Lata Mangeshkar Samman in 1998 by Madhya Pradesh Government
• D. Litt. by Kurukshetra University, Haryana in 2003
• Teacher's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006

Film scores[link]

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jagjit Singh on BBC
• 'Ghazal King' Jagjit Singh dies, BBC
• Jagjit Singh at Internet Movie Database

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jagjit Singh

Sant Shri Asharamji Bapu (Hindi: संत श्री आशारामजी बापू, Gujarati: સંત શ્રી આશારામજી બાપુ, born as Asumal Sirumalani on April 17, 1941), also endearingly called "Bapu Ji", is a self-realized Hindu Spiritual Guru from India. He is also regarded as the Greatest ever saint of India, having uncountable number of devotees which also includes very reputed personalities. Bapu preaches the existence of One Supreme Conscious in every human being and represents a confluence of Bhakti_yoga, Gnana_yoga and Karma_yoga. Under his guidance, an Ashram was started in 1971 at Ahmedabad on the historically significant place where sage Sandipani (Guru of Lord Krishna) used to do Yagya. As of now, the number of Ashrams have surpassed 350. A documentary video "Voice of Consciousness" showed life-sketch of Sant Sri Asharamji Bapu. His teachings have changed the lives of millions and millions of people.

Biography[link]

Youth[link]

Asumal Sirumalani [Asaram Bapu], born to father Thaumal Sirumalani and mother Menhgiba. Place of birth being Berani village of the Nawabshah District in Sindh (Un-Partitioned Indibaa) on April 17, 1941 (Gregorian calendar).^[1] His father was a wealthy businessman.^[2]

Bapu went to school in Maninagar. His mother helped develop his interest in dhyaan-bhajan (meditation and prayers) from his early childhood.

At a very young age Asumal lost his father, but grew more and more interested in pursuing meditation and spirituality. He finally left his family (who wanted him to get married) and traveled the country, until he went to Vrindavan, the land of Lord Krishna. Here he was inspired to go to the ashram of the Guru, Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj. He had to wait for 40 days in the Ashram to get a glimpse of the Guru. There he stayed and served his Guru with devotion. Lilashah Ji for testing the determination of Asumal, made him go through several hardships and tests for another 30 days before Asumal was blessed. Then Swami Sri Lilashah Ji Maharaj asked him to go back to home and continue his spiritual practices at home.

While coming back to his home, he left the train and went to Moti Koral (A place in Gujarat). He started Spiritual practice at the bank or river Narmada. A local saint Shri Lalji Maharaj was impressed by Asumal's interest to attain Self Realization. Lalji Maharaj made arrangements for Asumal to stay in Datt Kutir of Ram Niwas (Lalji Maharaj's Ashram).

When Asumal's wife and mother came to know that he was staying at Moti Koral they visited him. They asked him to come back. Asumal refused to return until he completed the Anushthan. He successfully completed the Anushthan. The whole village including Lalji Maharaj came to the railway station to see them off to Ahmadabad. As soon as the train started moving from Miyagaun junction, Asumal jumped out and boarded a train towards Mumbai where He met Guru Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj.

Self Realization[link]

Asumal reached Bombay (Mumbai) and met Guru Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj. Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj was very happy to see his disciple's keen interest to attain the truth. Hence, on 2nd Day of Ashvin month in Samvat 2021 at2.30 in the afternoon Asumal was transformed into Sant Sri Asaramji Bapu by the blessings of Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj (Asumal se ho gaye sai Asaram). After this Asaramji Bapu went into samadhi for next two and a half days.

Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj instructed Asharamji to serve the humanity by staying as a householder. After Self-Realization Asaram Bapu stayed in solitude for seven years.^[1] Asharamji Bapu used to give religious discourse to all those who came to meet & see Bapu. Bapu spent His solitude in various places like Disa, Naareshwar Dhaam, the Himalayas, Mount Abu.

Life as a Householder[link]

Asharam Bapu met Swami Sri Lilashahji Maharaj in Nanital in Vikram Samvat 1928, & by the commands of Guru, in order to provide a good example to common householders, Bapu entered the life of a householder. It was the day of Guru Punam in Vikram Samvat 2028 when Asharam Bapu reached Ahmedabad after staying in solitude for seven years.[2]

Asharam Bapu chose a peaceful place in the Motera village on the banks of Sabarmati river. Later on some of the devotees constructed a small room for him which is known as "Moksha Kutir". Slowly, the number of devotees coming to Motera kept on increasing and in a very short time the place became a great spiritual center. Today Motera is the main spiritual centre for the devotees coming to Sant Sri Asharamji Ashram.

Parliament of the World's Religions, 1993[link]

In 1893 Swami Vivekananda represented India and top religious people from all over the world listened to him with great reverence, in 1993 yet again after 100 years, India represented by Saint Sri Asaram ji Bapu representing WRP and people listened to him with same reverence.

Foundations[link]

There are 366 ashrams working under the guidance of Asharam Ji Bapu.^[3] These ashrams organise spiritual and social welfare activities on a regular basis. Some of these activities include weekly video satsangs, distribution of Rishi Prasad www.rishiprasad.org Rishi Darshan www.rishidarshan.org, Lok Kalyan Setu, other spiritual publications like Divya Prerna Prakash, free distribution of Netra Bindu (eye drops) and a device to remove Vaastu related issues. LIVE webcast of Spiritual Discourse is facilitated for more than 5 crore followers (sadhaks) living worldwide through the Ashram website.^[4]

Sri Yog Vedant Seva Samiti[link]

More than 1300 Sri Yog Vedant Seva Samitis are formed under the guidance of Pujya Bapuji. These Samitis do various social welfare programs like development of tribals, and people belonging to backward classes, Service activities in orphanages,distribution of food-grains through ration cards, distribution of buttermilk and water outlet service, de-addiction Campaigns, centres for Spiritual Literature, Video Satsang Centres, Free-Food and Financial Support for extremely poor people and upliftment programmes for prisoners in Jails etc. are few among them but not limited to this list.

Bal-Sanskar Kendras[link]

Bal Sanskar Kendra or BSK ^[5] for short are sessions and camps conducted for all-round and comprehensive development of children/students. BSKs are inspired by spiritual teachings of Asharam Bapu and coordinated by Bal Sanskar Kendra Dept., Shri Akhil Bhartiya Yoga Vedanta Seva Samiti, Sant Shri Asarmaji Ashram, Ahmadabad, Gujarat, India.

Yuva Seva Sangh[link]

Aims at strengthening the Youths of India (YSS )Yuva Seva Sangh - Inspire by Param Pujya Asharam Ji Bapu .Yuva Seva Project - Vyasan Mukti Abhiyan, Parents Worship day, Prisoners upliftment program, Seeding moral values in Youths, Environmental care Jeevan Vikas Abhiyan, Tejasvi Yuva Abhiyan.

Controversies since 2009[link]

Other News in Media and Sting Operation[link]

In December 2009, the Gujarat Police filed an attempt to murder case against Bapu Ji and two others.^[6]

After initial police investigation, it turned out that the person who made the allegations had already been caught on a video tape by a TV Channel A2Z News in a Sting Operation, in which his gang of people got busted and accepted in front of camera about their conspiracy of targeting Sant Shri Asharam Ji Bapu and their Ashrams, with false allegations by support of some media houses. Asharam Bapuji or any of his disciples had nothing to gain by attempting to harm this individual when he had already been caught on tape conspiring to malign the Sant. .^[7] On 3 April 2010, the channel broadcast details of investigations and reports by government instituted special investigation commission, under leadership of Justice D K Trivedi.^[8]

Other controversies involving Asharam Bapu include tax evasion^[9] and land encroachment.^[10]

Asharam Bapu rebutted all such allegations,^[11] as Ashram is having all legal and documentation proofs of legally purchasing land and all required tax paid on time, with legal representations..

CID gives Ashram Clean Chit (April, 2010)[link]

Two children were found drowned in the river Sabaramti in 2008. But On April 8, 2010 after months of investigation and searching through records and witnesses, CID gave Clean Chit to Asaram Ashram and asserted that there were no black magic or any other activities that may have anything to do with the death of the children. Most popular press amusingly stayed tongue tied about why it made earlier allegations of such practices at the Ashram. ^[12]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Rishi Prasad, Monthly Publication
• Balsanskar, Website for kids
• HariOmGroup, Followers Website
• Ashram News
• Satsang Radio Portal
• Vedic Vivaah
• Official Twitter Account
• About Asaram Bapu
• Yuva Seva Sangh