Innovative youngsters who used these unprecedented times to spread the glories of Sikh faith
At a time when approximately 90% of the world’s children are in lockdown, we would like to introduce you to some innovative youngsters who used this unprecedented time to spread the glorious Sikh faith.
Meet Nihal Kirtani Jatha – made up of Bachittar Singh (10 years), Jeevan Hardeep Kaur (9) and Sunder Singh (12) who captivate devotees through kirtan and bilingual katha in Punjabi and English. This trio is perhaps amongst the world’s youngest to go on a full tour, just like professional kirtanis, to perform kirtan at Gurdwaras in UK and India.
All three children were born and brought up in UK, until recently when they all relocated to Punjab, India to inspire the upcoming, yet lost generations of Punjab by leading kirtan, talks and sports at Sikhi Camps held by Nihal Camps (Mata Sahib Kaur Sewewala Welfare Society).
Despite coming from the West, the children have proudly worn the Guru’s bana(appearance) since they were little tots and were taught about Sikhi from a young age. As many Sikh parents can assimilate, these children also used to get together to re-create a Gurdwara in their homes with their own throne for Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji and diwans.
However, the children took their own love for Sikhi one step further, when they started sitting together singing kirtan in bliss. Being a group of two males and a female, the Jatha was formed to encourage children around the world to immerse themselves in God’s praises, regardless of their gender. We all believe children are rabh-roop (the image of God) and this becomes apparent when you hear them sing - whether they are performing in a packed historical Gurdwara like Sri Bangla Sahib (Delhi), or a lightly-attended one - the children sing their heart out without any motive of material reward.
Kirtan has not only improved the childrens’ confidence, but they have also developed the quality of being dedicated to learning, singing and practicing Gurbani every day. One can witness young Bachittar Singh listening to katha, reading Gurbani from both Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and Sri Dasam Granth Sahib, doingraulsandsewaaround the Gurughar which would be expected of an adult. Jeevan Kaur breaks all barriers holding females back, by fearlessly living her life through enjoying Gurmat, whilst Sunder Singh takes great delight in his rhythmic beats playing tabla which complements his love for sport (especially soccer!).
The fun-loving trio were recently blessed with a Kirtan Tour of Sri Anandpur Sahib and Gurdwaras in the locality, producing entertaining yet inspiring vlog snippets which can be viewed on their YouTube channel.
The Jatha aspire to become more proficient in Raag kirtan and perform in every historical Gurdwara, even in hard-to-reach asthans like Sri Hemkunt Sahib. Please give Nihal Kirtani Jatha your Blessings to continue this sewa by giving them a thumbs up and following them on their social media channels:
YouTube: youtube.com/c/NihalKirtaniJatha Facebook: #nihalkirtanijatha Instagram: @nihalkirtanijatha Enquiries email: nihalkirtanijatha@gmail.com