Jatha plays rabab, enthrals sangat

Tribune News Service

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Sultanpur Lodhi, November 1

Reciting ‘mool mantar’ while playing rabab, a jatha of 550 participants charged up the spiritual atmosphere at Darbar Hall of Gurdwara Ber Sahib here this afternoon.

The jatha had come in the form of nagar kirtan from Gurdwara Sri Rababsar Sahib, Bharoana village in Sultanpur Lodhi from where Bhai Mardana, a long time companion of Guru Nanak, got his rabab.

The 90-minute rendition in complete sync by men, women and children dressed in white kurtas and yellow headgears reverberated in the environs of the gurdwara. The sangat that assembled in large numbers to listen to them chanted religious verses like Je sau chanda ugwe suraj charhe hazaar, ete chanan hondeyan gur bin ghor andhaar as the soft music on rabab played along.

Navjot Singh and Sukhwant Singh, who are running 10 centres of Gurshabad Academy, had led the jatha. The participants who also included students from Akal Academy, Baru Sahib, played rabab, saranda, dhadd and other instruments associated with gurus. A few of them were visually impaired too. Navjot explained the importance of these instruments to the sangat.

History of gurdwara

A famous musician and rabab manufacturer named Bhai Phiranda used to reside at Bharoana village, where Gurdwara Rababsar is situated. When Guru Nanak was about to leave Sultanpur Lodhi for his udasis, he sent Bhai Mardana to Bharoana village to buy a rabab. Bhai Phiranda gave Bhai Mardana a special rabab for Guru Nanak and even refused to take money.