Previous

Next

Ask a Question

Summary of Question:	Weird Kirtan?
Category:	Meditation
Date Posted:	Monday, 9/13/2004 8:03 AM MDT

Sat Sri Akal Jee,

I recently went to a sikhi outing where we went paintballing which was really fun and excellent!
However, my question relates to something that was happening on the coach whilst we were travelling to our destination and when we were returning.

A couple of people brought a vaja and tabla with them so they could do kirtan on the coach. However, when they started to doing 'simran', they started to do wierd things... it was almost as if they were doing bhangra! I was shocked! I was slightly disturbed by this. They were making noises such as 'RRrroooooo' and they kept on doing this. Every so often they would say Waheguru but then they kept speeding up and up until you could not make out what they were saying and it sounded like a zoo!! (no offence) They also were shouting really loud like they were angry with someone.
Another thing they kept on doing was they kept on hitting the tabla really hard! They wasnt really playing it but they were hitting it hard like a kid would do when he/she is really hyper!
They also kept on shaking their heads all around the place! Which was really wierd! Like I said before, they could have mistaken for doing Bhangra!

Do you have any idea on what is going on and how I/we can advise them that this is not simran and may also even offend some people as they seem to be taking the mick out of sikhi! I was under the inpression that we are meant to love God and not shout at God?
Are we allowed to mix bhangra and dance to bhangra ans sing shabads at the same time?

Thanks for your time,

Sat Sri Akal Jee

**********
reply
*********
Sat Siri Akaal. I don't know what they were doing by your description. Could be the 'spirit just moved them' in that way. However, it is still a good idea to speak to them privately and suggest that some folks may have been offended by this form of 'kirtan' and to refrain from it unless they know for certain others in the room/bus/place are OK with it. Guru ang sang,
-DKK