VIRGINIA: The Sikh Foundation of Virginia hosted the 2nd Annual Youth Kirtan Darbar from Aug.12,1992. Planned as a non-competitive event, the Sikh Foundation and its Youth Committee, sought to bring the youth together in wo days of kirtan and related activities, Starting with a picnic on the afternoon of August 1, at the scenic Burke Lake Park, there was good family fun. In addition to the traditional tug of war and fun races, there was boating on Burke Lake, The kirtan program began with a singing of kirtan by the youth from the host gurdwara, Standing in the form of a khandha, the children sang “Jai Teghan” and several groups sang shabads to set the stage for the formal kiran darbar to be held on the morning of August 2nd. Sunday morning, August 2nd, saw some 175 Sikh children and youth gather at the Gurdwara in Fairfax station. Some groups came from as far as Canada, and Florida and California in the United States, The ambience was enjoyed by all as the gurdwara reverberated with the devotional singing of shabad kirtan by the youth. Many groups Sang no Lone, bul woor even three shabads, It certainly seemed 1 be meaningful to both the children and their parents who had come from afar to celebrate the gift of kirtan. For a change of pace, the youth did not compete for a prize. They simply tried to do their best as they sang the glory of Waheguru. Twenty-two groups of Sikh youth participated in the Kin an Darbar, which lasted almost six hours. The Darbar concluded with the awarding of certificates by Dr. Amarjit Singh of Buffalo, New York, who was the chief guest,
Clearly, innovative ways are necessary to stimulate and encourage Sikh youth into living in the Sikh way, It was spiritually uplifting to see the Buffalo youth sing As a-Di Var, and certainly the youth who listened to them were motivated’ and inspired. Peer pressure can be positive, Parents, educators, and gurdwara managements just need to strive for ways to create this kind of pressure, Doubtlessly, kids singing kirtan together will create and deliver a far more important message to other Sikh youth than any single adult can,
The Kirtan Darbar created just such an opportunity, it lacked the stress of competition and save many kids from feeling that they did not come out as winners, The organizers of the Kirtan Darbar at the Sikh Foundation of Virginia, in particular the Youth Committee, seemed to have attained their objective of highlighting the unifying quality of Gurbani-kirtan.
Article extracted from this publication >> Aug 21, 1992
