Today we remembered the Shaheedi of Guru Arjan Dev Ji at the Gurdwara Sahib. Guru Arjan Dev Ji, our fifth Guru, is known for starting the construction of Harmandir Sahib, starting the compilation of scriptures into one book (now Guru Granth Sahib Ji), and being the first Sikh martyr (1). In memory of Guru Ji’s shaheedi (June 16, 1606), I have written about his martyrdom (2).
Prince Khusrau had been captured fighting Emperor Jahangir to the throne, however he managed to escape and received aid from Guru Ji (3). This enraged emperor Jahangir who won the throne and was intimidated by the political threat from the growing numbers of Sikhs (3). There were many individuals who were against the Guru and added to Jahangir’s hatred, fueling him to order Guru Ji to accept Islam or face execution by torture (3). Guru Ji was arrested and tortured for 6 days (2). He was made to sit in a cauldron of boiling water with hot sand pouring on his head, and then later, made to sit on a hot plate with hot sand being poured over him (2). Despite the blistering of his skin and physical torture, Guru Ji remained calm and recited gurbani (2). Guru Ji spoke the words “Whatever you ordain appears sweet. I supplicate for the gift of name” (3). Mian Mir, the muslim sufi saint that laid the foundational stone of Harimandir Sahib, tried to intervene, however Guru Ji told him that this is the will of God (2). Sikhiwiki.org describes this exchange
“Guru Sahib said, ‘All is happening in accordance with the will of Waheguru. Men who stand for Truth have to suffer often. Their sufferings give strength to the cause of Truth. Go, brother. Pray for me. Pray for the success of my cause. Pray for victory to truth.’
Mian Mir asked, ‘Why are you enduring suffering at the hands of these vile sinners when I possess superpowers?’
The Guru replied, ‘I bear all this torture to set an example to the Teachers of the True Name, that they may not lose patience or rail against God in affliction. The true test of faith is in the hour of misery. Without examples to guide them, ordinary people's minds would tremble in the midst of suffering’” (2)
Guru Ji was taken to the cold River Ravi as it was thought this would bring further torture, however he never emerged from the river (2). Although Jahangir believed that this would put an end to the political threat that the Sikhs posed, he could not have been more wrong because it solidified the resolve of the Sikhs to be saint soldiers under the guidance of Guru Hargobind Sahib, son of Guru Arjan Dev Ji (2,3)
Lots of posts today! In this clip from the Harpreet Show, they do some interviews with officers of the Canadian Army. I don't see a lot of youth these days going into careers like RCMP, Army, Paramedics, etc. but I think they are very rewarding careers. As they pointed out the army also accepts those from other professions like doctors, nurses, teachers etc. One of the great things is also the diversity within these careers. I think educating children really young about different careers helps them get excited and have a motivation to do well in school, even if they change their mind many times. It keeps them interested as well and gets them in a mindset towards achieving something.
Here are the brief life stories of three Sikh women which I had not previously heard of. All three were warriors.
Bibi Nirbhai Kaur
She was also a warrior during the times of Ahmad Shah Abdali (Durrani) in the 1700s. Under his direction, Jahan Khan destroyed Kartarpur including the burning of Gurdwara Tham Sahib. In the rampage against Sikhs, Bibi Jis mother was burned in her house. Bibi Ji was amongst four women who were taken captive by the soldiers to be given as a gift to their commander. She had killed two soldiers on the way, which further intrigued the commander. When asking her name, she replied “Death.” He told her to speak nicely in order to save her life, however she defiantly replied that “Death does not wish to live.” The commander wanted to spend the night with the women but left temporarily to go see the destruction of Kartarpur. In the meantime, the Kaurs escaped killing the soldier on guard. She returned with her fiancé to rescue other women we were being raped by the commander, and killed the commander herself. These women felt bad that they would not be accepted by their families after they were abducted, but the Khalsa took them in and they were baptized and married Singhs. This really speaks to the differing attitudes towards sexual assault amongst the Khalsa vs Indian society and culture. Nowadays rape victims face a lot of blame, stigma, and having other people judging them. These women were not blamed but accepted after what they had been through and supported by the Khalsa. I think we have a lot to learn from that since we seem to be moving away from what our Sikhi shows us is right and towards treating victims with shame. Bibi Ji’s story really teaches us about the leadership and bravery of the Kaurs. It also shows us that people are able to heal from their trauma and do not have to be defined by what happened to them. We will see this as well in the next two cases as both Bibi Shamsher Kaur and Bibi Baghel Kaur were kidnapped before they joined the Khalsa.
Bibi Shamsher Kaur
Her life takes place in the 1700s. She was born as Shamo and belonged to a Brahmin (priest) family with her sister Ramo. The sisters were kidnapped by Ali Beg, chief of Hissar, so their father went to Sardar Jassa Singh Ramgarhia (commander of Ramgarhia Misl) for help. The girls were freed by the Sikhs, but their father was afraid to take them back, worried about what people would think after his daughters had been with the Muslims. Sardar Ji reassured him, but later he returned again saying the villagers wanted the girls to return to captivity because they were scared that Ali Beg would return to the village. The girls refused to return to the village of cowards and were raised as Sardar Ji’s daughters. They learned horse-riding, swordsmanship, and Gurmukhi, then took Amrit and became Shamsher Kaur and Ram Kaur. After marriage, Shamsher Kaur fought in a battle at Balata for Sardar Ji which they won. She was bestowed 5 villages to protect and preach Sikhi. Thus she fully fulfilled the role of saint-soldier. As she dressed as a male soldier, many did not know she was a woman. Meanwhile, the chief of a nearby village named Mohammed Ali wanted to forcibly marry a girl named Razia. She tried to escape but was recaptured and her father was put in jail. She convinced the soldiers to bring her out to the fields to get a watermelon, and there Shamsher Kaur approached, leading a group of Sikhs. They found out what was happening and freed the girl (who was surprised to be saved by a woman soldier), then returning to free her father as well. Mohammed Ali begged for forgiveness and was released but later plotted against the Sikhs. A battle ensued and he was killed by Shamsher Kaur herself. This speaks to her high skill level in the battlefield. Her husband was also martyred. The Marathas (a group of castes in India) then came with an army of thousands to take over. Bibi Ji refused to surrender and was bravely martyred with her force of 1000 Sikhs. In her life story, we can learn that despite having been kidnapped as a young woman, she grew into a brave warrior. The fact that the villagers wanted to return the girls to the kidnappers, even after being part of a Brahmin family, speaks a lot about the status of women in the culture. Yet they were fully accepted by the Khalsa. As the leader of those villages, her life was a complete contrast to the life of Indian women at the time who were not allowed any role in spiritual life, political life, or roles outside of the household. As Khalsa Bibi Ji exemplified all of the values that we should carry, including fighting for justice as she went to save the Muslim girl.
Bibi Baghel Kaur
She was a Hindu bride who was kidnapped on her wedding day by a group of Mughal Soldiers. Her Hindu husband subsequently took Amrit and returned with a group of Sikhs to free her. She also took Amrit and became Baghel Kaur, a soldier. She participated in a battle against Mir Mannu. When his army retreated, she and four other Kaurs were separated from the Sikhs and set up their own camp. When a group of soldiers came to capture and marry them, Baghel Kaur fought them off, cutting off a soldier’s arm and escaping on horseback with the other Kaurs. During the time of Mir Mannu, Sikh women were tortured, having their children speared and cut up, put as garlands around their mother’s necks in order to have them convert to Islam. None of them gave up their faith. After Mir Mannu’s death, they were still being held and Baghel Kaur came with a group of Sikhs to free these women. Unfortunately, then Ahmad Shah Durrani started his own torture and Baghel Kaur sent her husband and son into the forest, while she fought to protect Kaurs from being captured. Eventually she herself was caught by the soldiers and whipped along with other Kaurs. The soldiers tried to torture and bribe the women into converting but they refused. Baghel Kaur was ordered to be tied to a pillar and whipped but she grabbed a soldier’s sword and fought. In this process she and other Kaurs were martyred. The next day a large group of Sikhs successfully freed the remaining women. Her story of being a kidnapping victim and then a warrior of the Khalsa serving to free women from Mir Mannu and Ahmad Shah Durrani’s torture is an amazing story of courage, fighting for the rights of others, justice, and advocacy. Despite the torturous circumstances these Kaurs faced, none of them gave into Islam and rather fought for their rights
Having read these stories, I am very inspired by the Sikh women in our history. For me they raised questions in my mind too about the status of women today, and whether even from our mindsets we are either taught or influenced to limit ourselves from achieving what these women did. I think that everyone can draw from their inspiration and example as they were truly saint-soldiers and exemplified everything that Sikhi is about. We should also pass on these stories to our friends and our children as they build courage and resilience. In the next post I will explore these topics further.
Internet safety has to start at a young age when children start to use the internet. They soon start to make friends on various online locations that we may not even realize, like through video games. Rather than being a one time discussion, internet safety is an ongoing conversation as children age to teens, about online presence and texting. For adults, internet safety extends to protecting our personal information, our photos, and staying safe from scams/viruses. Sometimes we think that we are fully aware and that we can never get scams, but we are all at risk. Scams are becoming increasingly complex so that emails appear almost exactly like from a certain company with a few minor details changed, phone calls seem like the caller ID is from a legitimate caller when it has been hacked, etc. It is therefore important for all age groups.
I am always surprised at the number of Sikh youth that talk about going to meet someone that they have only known online. It seems like the risk of meeting a stranger is minimized because they feel that this “friend” is now familiar to them. Also, there isn’t a realization that people may not be who they say they are, or even the picture that they posted of who they are. I had a friend who ended up with a stalker because of a similar situation where she went to go meet someone she met online. It brings to light the importance of internet safety, and teaching youth about the dangers of adding friends to social media that they haven’t met in real life. I personally had one time when I broke my rule of not talking to someone online who I had not known in real life. It started as a religious conversation from someone who saw me make a comment on a Simran post. We discussed Gurbani, then all of a sudden the conversation turned in a very uncomfortable direction so I told him that I didn’t like where things were going, ending the conversation. I wondered if I was wrong about feeling unsafe because this person had discussed Gurbani, so I shared this message with my “brother” (who happens to be a Raagi Singh). I wondered if from a guy’s perspective his opinion would be different. Instead he actually thought it was more serious than even I had thought, confirming that he felt this person was falsely using the pretence of speaking about Gurbani in order to use me. He was actually quite disturbed by what was written and told me to block him. I was kind of embarrassed because I had broken my own rule of not talking to strangers online. I started sharing the story with other people to help us realize that it can be any of us that are fooled, especially when people are pretending to be religious or relate to us in some way that they know is important to us.
On top of the dangers of meeting a predator online, cyberbullying has become a big problem. It can lead to consequences like anxiety, depression, problems in school and suicide. There have been a number of cases of suicide in the media which brought this issue into light and triggered mass education campaigns against bullying in schools. It can be hard for parents to know what to do for cyberbullying but here are some suggestions. We can support youth, teach them not to respond, block the person, to report the bullying to the website itself, organize for counselling, and get the school involved. As a parent it may help to keep a record (screenshot for evidence). There are laws protecting youth against some forms of cyberbullying. Our criminal code also has a law that you can’t share intimate images without the consent of the person whose picture it is regardless of age (adults too), with a consequence of up to 5 yrs in prison. In these cases, it is important to seek the help of police. Parents are also important in terms of emphasizing to the young person that there are a lot of ways that we can find solutions, so the bullied youth do not feel trapped into thinking there is no way to end this.
I think in our community there is the added complication that some parents and grandparents don’t know much about the complexities of children’s online activities even if they are able to go online themselves. We’re also in busier times. Many parents are living in big cities where it is very expensive and both parents are working so there isn’t as much time for supervision and having these conversations. I provided links to a Punjabi information sheet on internet safety below. It is important for parents to learn a little bit about parental controls, having young children’s passwords and awareness of what can go wrong online. Since pictures are one of the things that can be used as a form of bullying and extortion, I think it is important to teach youth not to share photos until they are at an age that they can really understand the consequences. I think even a lot of people in their 20s still don’t understand that comments and pictures may never be able to be “deleted” off the internet and what seems like a silly picture or comment now may have future consequences in terms of getting a job or volunteer work.
I think that a lot of times youth don’t share when something is going on like bullying or especially sexual extortion and exploitation. They might find it hard or shameful to talk about, be scared of what their families will say, etc. Emphasizing early on and regularly to youth that you are supportive of them, and they can always report to any safe adult like school staff is a good measure. I was watching The Harpreet Show episodes on bullying and they brought up an important point about reactions. We can all imagine certain parents start to yell, blame their child, judge, take away all computer privileges, etc. They pointed out that the child has trusted an adult in revealing what happened and this breaks that trust and prevents them from sharing in the future, further isolating them and not solving the problem. I know teenage and pre-teen youth who have entire secret lives about what they are doing, watching, and who they spend their time with. I think this ultimately creates a safety threat if something goes wrong. If the reactions are overblown and strict, with no flexibility and understanding for mistakes, then there will certainly be secrets. Youth will be more likely to come to their parents knowing that they are unconditionally loved even when they make a mistake, not judged and there will be help in solving the problem by being their advocate. It can be hard to do if you are feeling horrified and overwhelmed at what happened, but it is important to step back and manage those emotions otherwise the trust will be damaged. Sadia Sameeullah also brought up that when it comes to sexual exploitation of girls, we often just say that it’s a taboo subject not talked about and end it. This prevents girls from being able to talk about it, and us from knowing the extent of what happened, or how to help. (She also mentioned that if we do have household rules we should be explaining why those rules are in place). I think that the show really emphasized how important the reactions and responses are to the youth’s experience.
Hopefully this gives our families some discussion points and things to think about in terms of online presence and keeping ourselves safe from predators, scams, and cyberbullying.
“Singing the Kirtan of the Lord's Praises in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is the highest of all actions." (SGGSJi Ang 642)
I saw a kirtan video on facebook the other day and noticed that on the distant end, there was someone playing an instrument other than the harmonium. I asked and it turned out to be a Rabab. It was exciting to see this instrument, which had been played in the times of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, now being used in the present day. It brought me back to thinking about wanting to play a traditional kirtan instrument except I realized that I don’t know exactly which instruments these are… or how they sound. I distinctly remember the first time I saw something other than a harmonium being played was when there were youth from Baru Sahib who came to our Gurdwara. I was captured by the beauty of the Taus (pronounced tau-oos), shaped like a peacock. This sat in the back of my mind for years, and then a few months ago I had decided it would be one of my life goals to learn one of these traditional instruments. Yet still this was a distant idea which was not properly formulated. Seeing this rabab being played ignited a light within me to pursue this now.
What are Saaj, Raags, and Gurmat Sangeet?
Baru Sahib Akal Academy
As I just learned, our instruments are called Saaj in Punjabi, and thus these are our “Sikh Saaj.” Kirtan is also called “Gurmat Sangeet.” When we read Gurbani you will have noticed at the beginning it will say for example “Gond Mahalla 4.” Gond is the Raag, Mahalla is the Guru Ji who wrote the shabad (4 here would be Guru Ram Das Ji). Then sometimes it will say Ghar which means the tone/taal. A raag is a “framework” used to make a melody, that tells us which notes to use and which not to use, and conveys an emotion. For example, Raag Vadhans is sung at funerals since it is for loss. Raags also allow us to be flexible in creating new melodies. Raags also have associated timings and are meant for different times of the day depending on what they convey. They are thus very important in kirtan and expressing the feelings and understanding of the shabads. When I started playing kirtan as a child, my first teacher used to teach me by just showing me different keys and not in Raags. During my teens, Bhai Gurcharan Singh Ji came from Singapore and taught me starting from Sa-re-ga-ma-pa-da-ni-sa and all the associated exercises. It was from there that I developed a strong emotional connection to the shabads and realized the depth to the kirtan. I am forever thankful to him for teaching me because playing kirtan on the vaja has become a huge part of my life and that connection came from learning in raags.
Kirtan History
Bhai Mardana Ji
When Guru Nanak Dev Ji would sing Gurbani in Raags, he was accompanied by his Muslim friend Bhai Mardana Ji who was playing the Rabab (more history below on the rabab). The rabab helped to deliver the message of the composition. Once they were done travelling and stayed in Kartarpur, the Rabab was then accompanied by the Pakhawaj or Mardang for setting the taal. The tradition of kirtan continued with each Guru Ji. Guru Arjan Dev Ji designed the Saranda, and called upon all Sikhs to learn kirtan rather than depending on professionals. Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji went on to create the Dadhis and introduced the Dadh and Sarangi to inspire the soldiers. Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji is also said to have designed the Taus (although some say this was Guru Gobind Singh Ji). Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Sikhs went on to design the dilruba to carry with them during times of battle. Sikhs such as Bhai Mani Singh Ji and Bhai Taru Singh Ji who are remembered as martyrs were also great musicians and played the Saranda. Then there was a time period during which the Sikhs were on the move, living in the deserts and the hills, and not able to perform Gurmat Sangeet in Gurdwaras. Finally during Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji’s rule, it became possible for Rababis once again to return to perform kirtan. Unfortunately after the partition in 1947 many Rababis left to Pakistan and there were less people around to also make the Rababs. Over time, this tradition of singing kirtan with the Rabab started to die off. Thankfully, this has now been revived. The work of many including Dr. Gurnam Singh Ji (Punjabi University, Patiala), Prof. Surinder Singh Ji (Raj Academy) and Bhai Baldeep Singh (Anad Conservatory) have been key in helping to keep the traditional Saaj alive. These instruments are being taught around the world in places like Akal Academy Baru Sahib and Gurmat Sangeet Darbar. I got this history from the references at the bottom, which is a history that in itself was preserved through these efforts.
The Guru Granth Sahib Ji itself tells us about the importance of singing kirtan. In addition from our history now we can realize how important these instruments are to the Sikhs and to singing kirtan. It is important for us to learn our traditional saaj and singing in raags just like its important to maintain our language, shastar Vidhya, Simran, and katha. The website Sikh Saaj describes this perfectly: “These instruments are used to tame and conquer our emotions. Just as we use tools (ex. weights, machines) to build our physical body, Guru has given us these tools to use in our psychological workout…The sounds produced by these instruments have the power to create a wide range of moods, from ‘self-evaluation,’ and ‘courage,’ to ‘insane amounts of determination.’ These instruments were given to humans for the very purpose of helping us in our journey to bring balance and order between our mind, body, and soul.” When I think about how much unbalance and stress we face today, I wonder how much of that is because we don’t live our lives using these tools that the Guru Jis provided us with. The strong male warriors we look up in our history were also balanced out as poets and musicians; saint-soldiers. The kirtan allows the healthy expression of emotions which we nowadays seem to want to suppress, or otherwise comes out in other unhealthy ways. This gift has been bestowed upon us and let us use it- let us start singing kirtan. Also when someone else reads a shabad at the Gurdwara Sahib, listen, engage, understand and most importantly, experience the shabad.
Instruments
Below is a list of instruments used in kirtan, with some further history provided. I also added a video of most of the instruments, so you would get to hear what they sounded like, then videos of kirtan with multiple instruments combined to get the total effect. Later on I have written resources for buying these instruments and taking classes. Personally, I have been so inspired by watching these videos and learning about this, that I just ordered a rabab. I figured there would be no better reminder of my graduation than this. Eventually I would like to at least own all of these instruments as a reminder of our history, and so that anyone who does come to visit and knows how to play them can share/teach the beauty of the kirtan. (It would be great if our Gurdwara Sahibs nowadays also kept these instruments to inspire the next generation to learn these Sikh Saaj. Picking up something that is so deeply rooted in our history and fabric of who we are will surely inspire some). I will post a picture when it arrives.
Vaja (Harmonium):
The harmonium was made in Europe and brought to India by Christian missionaries who wanted something portable compared to large church organs. Even though this is the instrument most of us think of when we think of kirtan, it is not a traditional Sikh instrument used for kirtan and was not used anywhere near the time of the Guru Jis. It was adopted for kirtan in the early 1900s since it was easy to carry, easy to learn, and the instrument does not require any preparation/tuning so it is easy to handle. Unfortunately, the harmonium does not have the flexibility to play in raag the same as a string instrument does.
Gurmat Sangeet Toronto singing to vaja in Raags
Rabab
Firandia Rabab
There are two main types of Rababs, the Afghani (Kabuli) Rabab and the Firandia (Dhrupati) Rabab. Bhai Mardana Ji was the Muslim friend of Guru Nanak Dev Ji who accompanied him on his Udaasis. At first he played the Afghani rabab however this didn’t make the sound that was needed for kirtan, so Bibi Nanaki Ji gave 7 rupees to Bhai Firanda Ji to make a new Rabab as a gift to her brother. He declined the money and made it for free for Guru Ji, which was then further gifted to Bhai Mardana Ji. This rabab has extra strings and has no frets or need for constant retuning making it easier to sing in any Raag. Guru Angad Dev Ji also played the rabab. According to sikhiwiki.org, Bhai Mardana Ji’s original rabab was destroyed in the fire during the attack on Harmandir Sahib Ji in 1984.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s rabab was found by Chris Mooney Singh from Australia in 1999. Amazingly, he worked for ten years to track the history so we could preserve this part of our history. Many people now play both types of Rabab with kirtan as it is being revived.
Raag on Afghani Rabab
Tanpura: Sets the drone sound in the background during kirtan.
Taus (peacock in Persian)
This instrument looks like a peacock and is said by some to have been developed by Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji while others say it was Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
Dilruba (heart-stealer)
At the time of Guru Gobind Singh Ji the Sikh warriors had trouble carrying the Taus as it was large and heavy. Guru Ji allowed the Sikhs to make a smaller instrument, the dilruba, which was easier for the warriors to travel with. This also shows us how important kirtan was to the Sikhs as they carried and sang with these instruments even during times of battle.
Tar shenai is typically played at Harmandir Sahib. I learned during the researching for this post that now there is always a minimum of one person playing a traditional saaj at Harmandir Sahib. This is usually the fourth person sitting to the right. I just learned about this instrument for the first time.
Saranda
The Saranda was created by Guru Arjan Dev Ji in Goindwal and used for kirtan. Guru Ji made this instrument at age 13! Just like the Rabab, there are similar instruments called Saranda but they are not the same as Sikh Saranda.
Sarangi (“one-hundred colors”)
Most of us know this as the instrument used by Dhadhi Jathas although the Dhadd Sarangi is a smaller version than the full size. This was invented in 5000 BC to sing kirtan however its purpose was lost over time and revived by Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji for singing kirtan.
Sitar: Widely used for music in India.
Swarmandal(aka Surmandal): has a very magical quality of sound and is harp-like
Chimta: a chime instrument used typically at the Gurdwara Sahib.
Dhadd:two sided drumlike instrument also played as part of the Dhadhi Jatha. Watching the video below you will see how skillful it is.
Tabla (Arabic for Drum): used to set the taal for the kirtan, such as teentaal (16 beats). When learning the tabla, I realized was how much coordination and forearm strength it takes.
Dholaki:normally we see this at festivals and weddings but also the Gurdwara
Pakhawaj:drum
Jori
I thought the Jori was the same as the Tabla but actually it is its own instrument made in the court of Guru Arjan Dev Ji by Bhai Satta and Bhai Balwand (musicians). It is taller, with a louder sound than the tabla which helped to amplify its sound in the sangat. It is also played differently than the Tabla, and has no ink (black circle) on the larger drum.
After making phone calls in Brampton and Surrey, I had a hard time finding a real store who sells these in Canada. This in itself speaks to how few people are buying them. All stores seem exclusively to sell harmoniums and tabla now. If anyone knows of a store, please share in the comments below. Online, I found www.kalakendar.comsells them from their Canadian location (and can be delivered to your house or picked up in Toronto warehouse), and then www.tablasitar.comand www.buyraagini.comwhich are both owned by the same company deliver from the US (where I ordered my Rabab from). Sikhsaaj.com also sells (more expensive) instruments which I wasn’t sure if they delivered to Canada. http://www.kaaynamusicals.com/also delivers to Canada, and so does https://www.musiciansmallusa.comwhich is based in the US. http://naadarts.com/instruments-for-purchase/also delivers to Canada. Some websites have certain instruments and others don’t carry them so you have to look around at the sites. I noticed amazon even sells some of these instruments but they are a lot more expensive than these other sites. You also have to keep in mind extra duties/customs charges.
Taking Lessons:
There are lots of lessons on youtube for harmonium, like my own channel and many others, but it can be harder to find lessons for the traditional Sikh saaj. It is especially hard to find a real teacher in a small location like our city, however online lessons can be helpful until you find a real teacher. Here are some links below (noting that mostly these are paid lessons). Sometimes we do have Raagi Jathas at the Gurdwara Sahib who are familiar with some of these instruments (for example, a member of the jatha who left last summer knew 5 instruments) and we can learn from them when the opportunity arises. The other option is to visit and attend camps or lessons at other locations in bigger cities like Surrey and Brampton. I think that the biggest step is to make the commitment to learn because then God helps us automatically in being able to find a method to fulfill that.
