He dreams about village where everyone plays rabab

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 10

Ranjodh Singh, a saranda and rabab player, dreams to change his village, Hayatnagar, as ‘rababian da pind’.

A large group of youngsters from the village play rabab, saranda, sarangi, harmonium and other musical instruments in Ranjodh’s company.

“It was my childhood dream. I used to listen to shankh naad from the gurdwara in my village. I often imagine that what a beautiful sound would be produced if every house in the village responds to it with the shankh naad. The kirtan should be sung in every home along with the gurdwara. Then, I was clueless that how this dream will get a shape. But now, 120 boys and girls from my village are playing musical instruments and singing kirtan every morning and evening”.

After passing Class XII, Ranjodh learned sarangi from Anoop Singh, hazoori ragi of Darbar Sahib in Qadian.

“I have heard about saranda which the fifth Sikh Guru Arjan Dev used to play. But now, nobody opt for the instrument.  I have started learning saranda but there was no teacher for the same in the area. Moreover, one can see the traditional shape of saranda only in museums,” said Ranjodh.

“I have taken admission in master of arts in music at Guru Nanak Dev University but the department doesn’t have the instrument as well as teacher. I found a teacher, Ravi Kant, in Amritsar and learned saranda. Afterwards, I have visited several places to search for the traditional saranda. I thoroughly studied shape and other aspects of saranda of Baba Sham Singh kept in the Central  Sikh Museum,” he said.

After measuring traditional sarandas, Ranjodh started making the instrument at home to get the traditional sound. He has made over 12 sarandas so far.

“The love for the rabab has the same story. There are no good rabab-makers here. One of my Facebook friends Sarmad Aziz from Rawalpindi bought a rabab from Peshawar and gifted it to me. It is a great gift, no other instrument match that one,” said Ranjodh.

Navjot Singh, younger brother of Ranjodh, completed his master’s degree in rabab and now performs kirtan with him. Even after achieving fame in the region, Ranjodh did not charge for the kirtan and the training.

“By profession I am a farmer. We grow vegetables and sell it every morning in the local market. Hence, kirtan is our passion and we enjoy it by performing free of cost,” said Ranjodh.

The number of trainees is increasing and I hope that one day people will call our village ‘Rababian da Pind’.