Knowra Kirtan Kirtan Kirtan is devotional singing, especially the musical recitation of passages from the Guru Granth Sahib in Sikh worship. It joins sacred text, melody, and congregational devotion.
Shabad : A sacred hymn or utterance, especially a hymn from Sikh scripture. Kirtan sets the shabad to music, making sacred words its central material.
Guru Nanak : The founder of Sikhism and the first of the Sikh Gurus. Sikh tradition associates Guru Nanak with devotional hymns sung alongside Bhai Mardana’s music.
Gurdwara : A Sikh place of worship where the community gathers for prayer, scripture, and service. Kirtan is a central practice in gurdwara services.
Qawwali : A form of Sufi devotional music associated especially with South Asia. Both use sung devotion, but qawwali draws on Sufi poetry and its own performance traditions.
Raga : A melodic framework in South Asian music defined by characteristic notes, patterns, and expressive associations. Ragas organize the melodies used to sing hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib.
Bhai Mardana : A Muslim musician and companion of Guru Nanak, traditionally associated with playing the rabab. His musical accompaniment is an early model for Sikh hymn singing.
Akhand Path : A continuous, uninterrupted reading of the Guru Granth Sahib, traditionally completed in about 48 hours. Kirtan often accompanies the communal gatherings surrounding this sustained scripture reading.
Bhajan : A Hindu devotional song expressing reverence for a deity or spiritual ideal. Bhajans share congregational devotion with kirtan but are not specifically Sikh scriptural singing.
Rabab : A plucked string instrument used in South Asian and Central Asian musical traditions. The rabab is associated with Bhai Mardana’s accompaniment of Guru Nanak’s hymns.
Guru Arjan : The fifth Sikh Guru, who compiled the Adi Granth, the predecessor of the Guru Granth Sahib. His compilation placed Sikh devotional hymns within an authoritative scriptural collection.
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