Sikhi Whilst Self-Isolating

As the COVID19 outbreak confines most people around the world to their homes, Sikhs are staying home en masse and subsequently seeking outlets to connect with their faith.

For a Sikh, finding saadh sangat (holy congregation) and connecting to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji (Sikh scriptural Guru) has been more difficult than at any point in a very long time. Thankfully, the Sikh community is an industrious group of people, and many groups and individuals have taken it upon themselves to help others maintain a close relationship with their Guru, taking advantage of online content streaming services to provide services, such as katha (discourse), kirtan (Sikh devotional music), simran (recitation meditation) and nitnem (daily prayer), virtually to sangat around the world.

Here we share links to and descriptions of various Sikh practices you can watch whilst self-isolating. You can watch a breakdown of Sikh community reaction to the outbreak here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzGDymftVLo.

SikhInside – Virtual Satsang

For the past three weeks, Malaysia-based collective SikhInside has been holding a “Virtual Satsang” on YouTube and Facebook and Twitter.

The group of sevadars (selfless servants) began the online initiative in 2011, filming events across South-East Asia, in countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, New Zealand, India & Australia.

As the full extent of the Coronavirus pandemic came to light, the sevadars began a month-long series of daily one-hour programmes for the chardi kala (rising spirits) featuring Gurbani jaap (recitation), kirtan and vichaar (discussion), and is due to conclude with an e-Vaisakhi celebration on 14th April 2020. The Virtual Satsang takes place each day at 12pm UK time.

Sri Harimandir Sahib Live

With a curfew enforced in Punjab, and the public unable to leave their homes except for in extenuating circumstances, sangat around the world saw images of Sri Harimandir Sahib looking uncharacteristically empty. But while the most popular Gurdwara in the world is running a scaled-back service in accordance with the latest guidance from the Akal Takht, sangat around the world can still tune in online via Facebook and YouTube for their daily darshan (viewing).

Basics of Sikhi

Educational charity Basics of Sikhi responded to the COVID19 outbreak by adapting to create more live online content. Keen to minimise the impact that Gurdwara closures around the world have on English-speaking sangat, the educational outlet is using real-time streaming services on YouTube and Facebook to provide an increased volume of content and engage with viewers via instant messages.

In collaboration with multimedia partner DGN Sounds, Basics of Sikhi’s schedule includes six live streams each day, including morning and evening nitnem (daily prayers), Hukamnama Katha (explanation of the edict of the day) and Sikh stories.

Digi Sangat – 1 Million Mool Mantar Jaap

A collaborative effort between Gurdwaras, Sikh organisations and charities, including Dharam Seva Records, Nihung Santhiya, Khalsa Aid, Akal Bunga Sahib, Sikh Channel, Midland Langar Seva Society and many others, encourages Sikhs around the world to contribute to a one million Mool Mantar Jaap for sarbat da bhalla (the welfare of all).

The idea is for groups or individuals to use their time at home to recite the opening passage of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, known as the Mool Mantar (root mantra), as many times as possible and submit their totals online at Digisangat.co.uk.

The groups had hoped to reach 250,000 during the two weeks between Sunday 29th March unti Monday 13th April. However, that target was already reached by Wednesday 1st April, so the groups set a new target of 1 million jaaps.

S2I Online

UK- based Sikh educational charity Sikh 2 Inspire has put together an online offering to help sangat learn about Sikhi while they stay at home. Using YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, the charity’s daily schedule of events includes nitnem at 4.30am, followed by Hukamnama from Sri Harimandir Sahib and katha, as well as evening nitnem, talks and simran.
In addition, Sikh 2 Inspire is supplementing its daily schedule with weekly posts, including an Ask S2I questions and answers session on Twitter and katha of Japji Sahib and Bhai Gurdas Ji’s Vaaran.

Living Room Kirtan

Proving that you don’t need industrial equipment, lots of manpower or a large venue to help sangat connect to Sikhi, a family in East London has been streaming kirtan on Facebook from their living room during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Father Mankamal Singh explained that the family hopes to sing and share a shabad from their living room every day during the COVID19 isolation period. Their efforts have even seen their broadcast appear on television, via the Sikh Channel.

SikhNet

SikhNet has long been a pioneer in online Sikhi services. From February 1985 until October of 1994, before the worldwide web as we know it was created, SikhNet was online as a computer bulletin board system (BBS.) Since then, the website has amassed an impressive array of content including recordings of kirtan and katha, news, educational videos and even a cyber Hukamnama service, allowing Sikhs to ask their Guru for guidance online.

During this epidemic, the team has been supplementing their content by streaming two programmes each day on Facebook, featuring kirtan, meditation worshops, simran and educational talks.

Nanak Naam

Satpal Singh is a parcharak that leads katha (educational discourse) for charity Nanak Naam.

Throughout the lockdown period he has been sharing various videos for GurMat (Guru minded) based understanding of topics including “how Gurmat spiritual wisdom and meditation helps us to deal with troubles in life” and “Coping in Uncertain Times”.

Gatka Combative Akhara 

And another way in which Sikhs can also connect to the divine is through the martial arts. Gurpreet Singh, a sevadar from the UK who teaches martial arts to students of all ages, has put together a series of recorded and live Gatka tutorials on Facebook.

The tutorials are aimed at children and beginners, and include the very basic skills, such as how to draw your stick weapon, and how to warm up in the comfort of your own home. There are even online classes for regular students, while classes at the dojo are on hold during the epidemic.