| Music plays a significant role in Sikh worship. The link between Sikh music and worship can be traced back to the origins of Sikhism when its founder, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, first professed God's message accompanied by divine music emanating from a rabab. Singing God's words in raaga remains a distinct aspect of Sikh prayer. Raagis, or religious Sikh musicians, enliven Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book, through active, community-driven worship. The Granth Sahib embodies Sikh identity by being the true words and actions of the Great Guru, much like Islam's Koran or Judaism's Torah. Singing the Granth Sahib elevates one to the status of Guru through active, music-driven devotion. Music is the key element for unification with the Divine.;But where is the nexus of Sikhism and music? And how can we know music's role in facilitating a connection with God? In this thesis I argue that music is not a mere vehicle with which to disseminate God's message, rather it is the connection with God. In particular, I introduce and employ the Guru Shishya Parampara tradition and apply it to Sikhism. The guru, or God, is a sacred source and imparter of musical and religious knowledge for the shishya, or Sikh, and the lifelong relationship between the two affords spiritual nourishment, knowledge, and, ultimately, transcendence. 1 The role of community and the performance of identity are key aspects of the Sikh religious experience as well. Using a combination of primary and secondary sources as well as interviews, I present a close examination of how and why Sikh devotional music fosters connections with the divine, which will lead to a deeper understanding of Sikh music.;1 B.B. Tirha, A Taste of Transcendence, (Delhi: Mandala Press, 2002), 161. |
