INSIDE THE GURU'S GATE - Anpere

musical measures” (Ragmala). 473 The solemnized reading of the final end goes by the
name Samapati path, or “the closing recitation” and forms a part of a larger ceremony
referred to as bhog, the “pleasurable” ending. Even if a professional reciter or a family
member conducts the actual reading alone on behalf of the whole family, all relatives
will most likely partake in the event of bhog. When a recitation has been undertaken
with a desired end in view ‒ to bless and protect a newborn child, a new house or
business ‒ the family often invites the whole community to enjoy and benefit from
the auspicious closure. The celebration of bhog is then scheduled to a propitious time
and date that will be notified in advance, either through verbal communication, notices
in the gurdwaras, or invitation letters. The beneficial effects of completing an
Akhand path are not restricted to Sikhs. Prior to the yearly board exams at Guru Nanak
Khalsa School in Varanasi the recitation is carried out at the headmistress’s office to
help the students to come out well. The completion of this reading is neatly adjusted
to the day when Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh students from class ten to twelve receive
their admission cards from the governmental school board of Uttar Pradesh. 474
To boost the pleasant atmosphere the family may invite ragis to perform devotional
music (kirtan) and serve sweets and food to the guests. A great number of families
in Varanasi also keep a custom of committing the bhog ceremony of a broken
reading (Khulla path) of Guru Granth Sahib or sanchis to professional reciters from the
gurdwara. Family members will then recite up to page 1426 (Shalok Mahala 9) themselves
and invite the reciters to complete the last four pages publicly at their house or
the gurdwara. This provides the individual family an opportunity to have private
recitations blessed by the congregation and allows them to hand over the responsibility
to specialists with skill in the ritual procedures. The bhog ceremony may just as
well be a small and private event, only for the closest relations who gather around
Guru Granth Sahib on memorial days of ancestors or at the beginning of a new solar
or lunar month to share the ceremonial closure of a recitation and start a new one.
Although the bhog ceremony can range from simple to elaborate, depending
upon the situational context and for which purpose and by whom the recitation is
undertaken, it is a religious event that involves a handful of stipulated acts to be
performed in proximity to the final reading. Devotional offerings, presented to God,
Guru Granth Sahib, and the Sikh congregation, make an integral part of this event.
On the day of the solemnized conclusion, the family may give various gifts to the
gurdwara – money, food, and new robes (rumala) for Guru Granth Sahib ‒ that are
placed before the scriptural throne. In connection with the traditional bhog ceremony
473
The authorship and canonical status of the Ragamala has caused recurrent controversies in the
Sikh community. Since 1940s each Sikh congregation can decide whether they choose to read the
closing verses in recitations of the scripture (Mann 2005).
474
As the principal of Guru Nanak Khalsa School explained, the Guru Granth Sahib will be installed
in her office and the auspicious conclusion will be adjusted to the day when the admission
cards arrive from the UP office. The children get the cards after having performed matha
tekna before the scripture and recieved karah prashad.
274
Published on www.anpere.net in May 2008