# Women As Granthi Or Keertaniya



## sachbol (Oct 5, 2011)

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh,

In our Panth, there is no discrimination between men and women.

I have seen that in almost all Historical and main Gurdwaras, we do not find any women granthi or keertaniya. Why ?


----------



## Kanwaljit.Singh (Oct 5, 2011)

Why the situation has come to this, no one has an answer (and perhaps it is not important). But no one has time (including me) to go and bring about a change. That's the reason the clog has become a stationary one.


----------



## Gyani Jarnail Singh (Oct 6, 2011)

Women are slowly taking their rightful place..we have women granthis and parcharaks..and excellent ones too....most viisble is female parcharak harpreet kaur khalsa on Facebook and Utube... there are also women Dhadi Jathas but those are more for commercial money making ratehr than parchaar..and the BEST is  the Gurmatgian Kirtan Group of the Gurmat Gyaan Missionary College ...they are the BEST and all female...and they are on SPN !! Listen to their kirtan...


----------



## Tejwant Singh (Oct 6, 2011)

This thread takes me back to the memory lane.

http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/359-bogey-men.html

*Bogey Men*

 [SIZE=-1]*By Tejwant Singh*[/SIZE]
Friday, May 23, 2003 - 04:18 AM PST 

_Quest for fair play_ 

This  week Annika Sorenstam, the most successful woman golf player of today,  started on the first tee at the Bank of America Colonial (dubbed as Bank  of Annika Colonial by her fellow players who happen to be all men). A  first for her, she also is the first woman to play in a PGA tour - the  exclusive boys club. 

Three months ago, Mejindarpal Kaur along with other  sisters in arms tried to do _seva_ in the Harmandir sahib with  the men sevadars - their brethren in arms, who have been doing the seva since the Sanctom Sanctorum was built. They were the first women  who challenged that, which is also perceived as an exclusive boys club.

The former went peacefully. However, lots of bushy eyebrows were seen racing north on the boys' foreheads.

The latter was chaos - pushing, shoving, and jostling - as if an invasion of an incurable disease had fallen on the boys.

The PGA is the golfing boys club as The LPGA is the girls', but there is no law  that forbids either to participate in both tours. Personally, I would  enjoy seeing guys in real skirts (not in kilts) competing in the LPGA, the  sign that they are not men enough to qualify in the boys club.

 Harmandir Sahib the most sacred shrine of Sikhi that has four doors so  all mankind from any gender, hue, creed, or faith can visit it hence  perform the necessary seva - sign of equality. As a matter of fact, it  is the first religious place in the world where all have to climb down  rather than up to visit it - sign of humility, one of the basic tenets  of Sikhi.

Vijay Singh the third ranked PGA player positioned himself smack dab in  the crosshairs of the debate over Annika Sorenstam playing the PGA Tour  when, after winning the Wachovia Championship, he told Associated Press  that he hoped she would miss the cut. He also said he would withdraw if  paired with her at the Bank of America Colonial. He ended up  withdrawing.

My insecure brethren in arms say that Ishnaan seva in the Darbar Sahib,  after the Guru Granth Sahib is removed for Sukhasan, is done by men in  their _keccheras_, which women will not be expected to do.

 Since when did the kecchera, one of the five Kakaars and a symbol of  chastity and restraint, become the symbol of intimidation? Why cannot  men wear more discreet vestments to do seva? Is it against Gurmat to do  so?

Nick Price, last year's champion at Colonial showed his unhappiness about Anna being invited to play the colonial.

Brethren in arms also showed unhappiness, anger and even hatred towards  Sisters in arms that were there to serve Ik Ong Kaar as is their right  in this quest for fair play.

The boys of The PGA felt Sorenstam's presence as an invasion to the  playground that they have owned since the start of PGA about 100 some  years ago.

Brethren in arms, who currently do the seva, have come to feel that it  is their birthright handed down to them from their forefathers. It is a  shame that they have forgotten the basic essence of Sikhi, that one is  not born a Sikh but becomes one. They also forget that as far back as  the fifteenth century Guru Nanak based Sikhi on equality.

The fact that women are not physically as strong as men makes the Boys  of The PGA feel more insecure and fearful. What if women like Annika do  better than them at the tour? Then they will be left behind, which is  shameful and unacceptable. They do not want to be the second fiddles.

Sisters in arms may not be physically as strong as men, however, their  Sikhi Spirit is inferior to none. They just want the equal opportunity  to do seva as prescribed by Guru Granth Sahib ji. Nothing more. Nothing  less.

You go, Sikh women!

Vaheguru is walking alongside you on this Fair Way of equality.  Unfortunately, some of  Vaheguru seekers - my brethren in arms - are  dragging their feet by not following Vaheguru…not yet.

In the end _Gurmat _will prevail with a 'hole in one' whereas _Manmat_ will keep on making 'bogies'.

Edited on 10/06/11


----------



## Adi Nanaki (Oct 7, 2011)

Women in America have always enjoyed equality in this realm. There many skilled women keertanian and devout Granthis. Even I first learned to read Gurmukhi in 1971 and began doing all Banis in Gurmukhi in 1976 as an Amritdhari Sikh. Every day I call on all the Gurus in prayers for the world to live by a divine pardadigm, including women naturally playing kirtan in the Golden Temple and washing our Guru's floors.


----------



## Scarlet Pimpernel (Oct 7, 2011)

Like with the body the disease will be found in it and rarely outside it, is very sad that our sisters have to fight for what is their Sikh right.Their brothers today seem to be more like the ugly sisters jealous of their spiritual beauty and trying to keep them in the kitchen.


----------

