History records a very beautiful event from the life of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji. During His travels, Guru Sahib once reached Banaras (Varanasi), where a Sikh named Gurbakhsh Singh was performing kirtan. He was singing Gurbani with deep devotion and also playing the mridang (traditional drum) along with it.
Listening to his soulful kirtan, Guru Sahib was immensely pleased. He praised Gurbakhsh Singh’s heartfelt devotion and said, “Blessed are you, Ragi Singh, who sings in such a beautiful way.”
As a token of appreciation, Guru Sahib gave him His own beloved instrument – the mridang. This incident shows how close the sound of the mridang was to Guru Sahib’s heart.
Today, however, in most Gurdwaras, the mridang and other traditional stringed and percussion instruments are rarely seen, and in many places, almost forgotten. But should it really be this way? Are we neglecting the very instruments loved by our Gurus?
The art of playing the mridang should be revived, especially during the recitation and kirtan of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji’s bani. The sweet sound of this instrument should remind the sangat that this was the Guru’s most beloved instrument.
Kirtan lovers are encouraged to preserve this heritage and pass it on to the coming generations so that the tradition continues to live in Guru Ghars.
👉 What are your thoughts on this? Share with us in the comments. Sat Sri Akal 🙏
