Kirtan

kirtana (Bengali: কীর্তন; Kannada: ಕೀರ್ತನೆ; Marathi: कीर्तन; Punjabi: ਕੀਰਤਨ; Hindi: कीर्तन; Telugu: కీర్తన; Tamil: கீர்த்தனை; Sanskrit (IAST): kīrtana; Sanskrit for "praise; eulogy"; also sankirtana) is call-and-response chanting performed in India's bhakti devotional traditions. A person performing kirtana is known as a kirtankara or, colloquially, a "kirtaneera". Kirtana practice involves chanting hymns or mantras to the accompaniment of instruments such as the harmonium, tablas, the two-headed mrdanga or pakhawaj drum and hand cymbals (karatalas). It is a major practice in Vaisnava devotionalism, Sikhism, the Sant traditions and some forms of Buddhism, as well as other religious groups. Kirtana is sometimes accompanied by story-telling and acting. Texts typically cover religious, mythological or social subjects.

The bhakti movement

In the Bhagavad-gita (9.13-9.14) Lord Krishna states that great souls worship and glorify him single-mindedly, but the practice of kirtana was popularized as a means to this end in the bhakti movement of the Moghul era. It is often suggested as the form of religious activity best suited to the present age. Kirtana is often practiced as a kind of theatrical folk song with call-and-response chanting or antiphon. Narada, the ancient sage said to have composed the Narada Bhakti Sutra, is often spoken of as the originator of this tradition. The famous story of Prahlada in the Avatara Katha mentions kirtana as one of nine forms of worship, called the nava vidha bhakti along with shravanam (listening), smaranam (remembrance), pada sevanam (service), archanam (offering), vandanam, (obeisance), dasyam (servitude), sakhyam (friendship) and atmanivedanam (surrender). The so-called Naradiya Kirtana divides kirtana into five parts;naman (prayers),purvaranga (spiritual lesson based on old epics), chanting, katha or akhyan (exegesis) and a final prayer for universal welfare. All in all this may last from half an hour to three hours.

Darbar Sahib

Darbar Sahib refers to the main hall within a Sikh gurdwara. This hall is where the holy text, current and perpetual Guru of the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib is placed on a takhat or throne in a prominent central position. Darbar is Sufi Shrine or holy place in South Asia.

Darbar Sahib - Diwan Hall

Darbar Sahib Worship takes place in the Diwan Hall or prayer hall. In the diwan hall, there are people playing worship hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib. The Guru Granth Sahib is the highest spiritual authority in Sikhi and is to be treated as though it is a living Guru. People visiting the Gurdwara sit on the floor often cross-legged, as pointing your feet towards an object or person, in this case the Guru Granth Sahib, may be mistaken as disrespectful according to cultural norms. It is also the traditional and optimal posture for deep meditation. Furthermore, sitting on the floor is seen as a symbol of equality among all people. Rather than some people standing, some people sitting on chairs and some people sitting on the floor, everybody sits on the floor so that nobody is 'higher' than anybody else.

Bhai

Bhai is an Urdu-Hindi word for Brother and may refer to:

Srinagar

Srinagar /ˈsriˌnʌɡʌr/ ( listen ) is the largest city and the summer capital of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. It lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus, and Dal and Anchar lakes. The city is famous for its gardens, waterfronts and houseboats. It is also known for traditional Kashmiri handicrafts and dried fruits.

Origin of names

Folk etymology draws the city name from two Sanskrit words: śrī ("glory, prosperity", a name for the goddess Lakshmi) and nagar("city"), which would make "City of Lakshmi" (or, "City of Prosperity").

However, the earliest records mention the name as siri-nagar which in turn is a local transformation of the original Sanskrit name sūrya-nagar, meaning "City of Sun" (or, of sun god).

History

Ancient period

The Burzahom archaeological site located 10 km from Srinagar has revealed the presence of neolithic and megalithic cultures.

According to Kalhana's 12th century text Rajatarangini, a king named Pravarasena II established a new capital named Pravarapura (also known as Pravarasena-pura). Based on topographical details, Pravarapura appears to be same as the modern city of Srinagar. Aurel Stein dates the king to sixth century CE.

Harjinder Singh

Harjinder Singh (born 16 March 1970, in Punjab) is a former Indian footballer and coach who played and coached all his career for JCT FC in the I-League.

Career

JCT

In 1989 Singh joined JCT FC who then only played at state level. In 1997 he led JCT to the first ever NFL title ever.

References