Gurmat Sangeet: Celebrating the Tricentenary of the Khalsa

Shabad Kirtan is the Sikh devotional tradition of singing scriptural hymns (shabad) from the Guru Granth Sahib to prescribed North Indian raags and taals. It is a congregational, call‑and‑response practice that emphasizes meditation on the Divine Name (Naam) and contemplation of the hymn’s central refrain (rahāo). Historically rooted in the Punjab, Shabad Kirtan blends the aesthetics and pedagogy of Hindustani classical music with a distinct Sikh spiritual and textual framework. Performances range from austere, dhrupad‑inflected renditions with traditional instruments (rabab, taus, dilruba, saranda, jori) to contemporary harmonium‑and‑tabla settings designed for sangats (congregations) worldwide.