Kirtaniya’s portrait installed in Central Sikh Museum

Amritsar, October 23

Avtar Singh Parowal, a ‘kirtaniya’ (one who recites hymns) who died maintaining the centuries-old tradition of the Golden Temple during Operation Bluestar in June 1984, has found a place in the Central Sikh Museum.

SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal installed his portrait in the museum after performing kirtan and ardas. The ‘maryada’ (tenets) of performing ‘akhand kirtan’ (uninterrupted recitation of hymns) has been followed for centuries. It starts from the opening of the portals of the shrine during wee hours, until the closing in the evening. On June 6, 1984, the tradition got disrupted after the Army launched an attack to flush out terrorists. Unlike his colleagues, Parowal, who was on service of reciting kirtan, chose not to leave the ‘danger zone’. He continued to recite prayers for many hours. He eventually died in sniper fire.

Longowal said: “He was blessed to have breathed his last in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib. He sacrificed his life for the sake of maintaining the ‘rehat maryada’ of the Golden Temple.”

Parowal was born on April 1, 1950, to Gurbaksh Singh and Bhagwant Kaur at Parowal village in Batala. In 1972, he partook of ‘amrit sanchar’ and got associated with the Akhand Kirtani Jatha. Meanwhile, a portrait of Sikh preacher Kartar Singh (Bariaran Wale) was also installled in recognition of his services to the religion. — TNS