Akhand Kirtani Jatha

[futurekaur]

There is a gurdwara near me and I will be going soon, but I noticed that Atlanta Akj is having a smaagam in June.

Has anyone here gone? Is there a place where you can stay or put up? Would this be a good experience for someone new like me? I figure I might have to deal with ethnicity issues at the local gurdwara so the Akj thing seemed inspirational.

 

[S|kH]

Re: Akj

I've been to multiple AKJ smaagams ...

it's a fun time, and you'll probably love how involved the entire congregation is. I would definitely recommend going to see what its like and to experience it for yourself.

As per AKJ overall, you can read about them, and their policies and be your own judge.

My opinion, smaagams are fun and involving, but AKJ is far too out there for me.

 

[spnadmin]

Re: Akj

If anyone knows of smagams anywhere in the world, please send me a PM. We are trying to include more information like this on the SPN Calendar whenever ossible.

 

[Harjas Kaur Khalsa]

Re: Akj

:: AKJ.Org :: Home Page ::
Akhand Kirtani Jatha California

Under Programs section.

 

[spnadmin]

Re: Akj

Thanks Harjas ji for this. I checked the link. They have an entire calendar of events. This is great!

 

[futurekaur]

Re: Akj

Yes, that's how I found it. A pity there isn't an adult Global Khalsa camp for newbies and just to get together. I think that would be helpful.

 

[spnadmin]

Re: Akj

futurekaur ji

Check the SPN calendar -- you might find something there for adults. Oops! I didn't mean that the way it must sound.

 

[futurekaur]

Re: Akj

lol, not a problem Antonia. Everyone here is so nice
I didn't even know there was a calendar here, excellent. I also found this event in May for girls:
Kaurs United, in Facebook as their new website isn't up yet.

"KAURS UNITED IS COMING TO TORONTO! MAY 1ST-4TH: Kaurs United Toronto Camp for all Sikh Women aged 12 and above. For more information e-mail kaursunited@yahoo !"

 

[spnadmin]

Re: Akj

That is another good entry. I will work on this tonight.

 

[spnadmin]

Re: Akj

Jios

Just as a follow-up note

I think I have updated the calendar with smagams from this thread.

The link provided by Harjas ji includes an abundant amount of information about smagams and Khalsa camps worldwide.

Links to these events will be gradually entered in the SPN calendar. It takes a while.


:: AKJ.Org :: Programs ::

Thanks to Harjas and futurekaur for their information.

 

[lionprinceuk]

Re: Akj

I would explore different types of sikhi, I find AKJ to be very biased and tribalisitic, so you can take the knowledge but I would not just keep it at AKJ

 

[spnadmin]

Re: Akj

I would explore different types of sikhi, I find AKJ to be very biased and tribalisitic, so you can take the knowledge but I would not just keep it at AKJ

Lion_Prince_Jatinder ji

Yes, the AKJ have a very rigorous slant toward Sikhi. The conversation was about locating information about smagams so that the SPN calendar could include them. They do have good kirtan, good jathas.

There are a lot of things I could say about different sects within Sikhi, web sites that are biased, and so forth. But it would take too much time.

I think it is a good thing that you point out that this is a group with a particular point of view. In my opinion, their point of view does not change the kirtan that one listens to. And people have to sift through all these different perspectives and make personal decisions. They are going to do that anyway.

Thanks for making an interesting contribution to the discussion.

 

[lionprinceuk]

Re: Akj

Cheers, it is good to go to smagams, to listen to the kirtan and the bani. Although, I would promote Raag kirtan, after all, isn't raag really/technically Guru's hukam.

A mistake for someone to make would be to think AKJs are following original khalsa/sikh traditions, or even to recognise a jatha organisation(as opposed to where the jatha term is used to describe a group of 3 or 4 kirtanis) as a traditional sikh sampradaiye.

My honest opinion is the best place to learn sikh spirituality, history and tradition is a sampradaiye, since it is more free from the politics, and also the British Raj protestant influence to modern sikhi and jathas like AKJ cannot even come close to matching this lol

 

[spnadmin]

Re: Akj

Lion_Prince_Jatinder ji

You have made some thoughtful comments above. I do know that some people have found the AKJ music and chanting so moving that it has convinced them to join up with AKJ. Personally, I am not one who finds the AKJ point of view consistent with my own understanding of shabadguru.

I try to be open-minded about various sects. It is not always easy to be open-minded.

 

[lionprinceuk]

Re: Akj

absolutely, if the akj were indeed just a kirtani jatha, there would be no problem. But they seem to have made their own type of sikhi or even khalsa, lacking raag kirtan and contraversial views towards bani, although it doesn't really come close to being a khalsa fauj, and they seem to have been quite involved in the reforms during the british raaj, and hence have been called the tat khalsa jatha.

So if all these other things were removed, and they were just about kirtan, then there wouldn't be a problem. But sometimes you see fliers for kirtan smagams, and they have AKJ stamped over them, obviously promoting their own organisation even though the programme welcomes other sikhs as well. What effect does this have on youth, they see AKJ stamped all over, and it seems like a harmless organisation, that is until someone either becomes absorbed into their views or finds out about them lol.

 

[spnadmin]

Re: Akj

absolutely, if the akj were indeed just a kirtani jatha, there would be no problem. But they seem to have made their own type of sikhi or even khalsa, lacking raag kirtan and contraversial views towards bani, although it doesn't really come close to being a khalsa fauj, and they seem to have been quite involved in the reforms during the british raaj, and hence have been called the tat khalsa jatha.

So if all these other things were removed, and they were just about kirtan, then there wouldn't be a problem. But sometimes you see fliers for kirtan smagams, and they have AKJ stamped over them, obviously promoting their own organisation even though the programme welcomes other sikhs as well. What effect does this have on youth, they see AKJ stamped all over, and it seems like a harmless organisation, that is until someone either becomes absorbed into their views or finds out about them lol.

You know something? With all my "paap" they wouldn't even accept me. So I guess the music will be fine.

 

[lionprinceuk]

Re: Akj

Really? I thought AKJ amrit cleanses all your sins each time you take it? lol

You will also miss out on their naam dhrir

 

[spnadmin]

Re: Akj

What is the naam dhir like? Have you ever participated.

 

[lionprinceuk]

Re: Akj

no, I have not lol I have not been given their naam dhrir, I think one has to take amrit to join the jatha to get the naam dhrir as well. IT reaches a spoecial AKJ sachkhand level

However I have experienced some special monkey simran kirtan, and also mad professor laughing simran kirtan.

 

[spnadmin]

Re: Akj

Lion_Prince_Jatinderji

On the brink of sect bashing -- and unfortunately I have myself been joking around. Let's be careful.