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47-602: The Akhand Kirtani Jatha , alternatively romanized as the Akhand Keertanee Jathaa and abbreviated as AKJ , is a jatha (collective group) and sect of Sikhism dedicated to the Sikh lifestyle. The Jatha follows a strict discipline in keeping the Rehat of Guru Gobind Singh . They also enjoy an active style of Keertan recited by Sikhs in a collective manner in front of Guru Granth Sahib . This style of Keertan

94-475: A Khalsa, all the warriors were equipped with a long-sword and dagger ( kirpan ). Some but not all of the warriors wore body armour, excluding helmets. Horses were incredibly valued and mounts of high-quality were targeted during raids on the enemy transport convoys (columns and baggage trains). Later-on as the Jathas succeeded in capturing hostile resources, they came into the possession of more firearms in

141-601: A Sikh had to master to succeed in a Jatha. The Jathas were in ordinary times independent of one another and had to depend on itself to survive, but they co-operated on missions. All of the Jathas submitted to the authority of the Sarbat Khalsa and attended the annual Diwali convening in Amritsar. If a Gurmata was passed by the Sarbat Khalsa, the Jathas obeyed it. The Mughal government made peace with

188-478: A collective manner in front of Guru Granth Sahib. This style of Keertan is relatively simple, and the entire congregation devotionally participates in singing along. Randhir Singh embodied this lifestyle of strict personal discipline. He wrote many articles on Gurbani and the Sikh lifestyle. He was a dedicated Gursikh who fought injustice and always remained in Chardi Kala (high spirits). The Jatha (group)

235-649: A copy of the Guru Granth Sahib excluding the Rag Mala). Thereafter, after reciting the Anand Sahib, the Ardas of the conclusion of   the reading should be offered and the sacred pudding (Karhah Prashad) distributed." Raagmala is the title of a composition of twelve verses, running into sixty lines, appended to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji as a table or index of raags that appears after the "Mundaavni", i.e.

282-531: A kakkar makes turban wearing a requirement for women as well. The Panthic Sikh Rehat Maryada states: "The reading of the whole Guru Granth Sahib (intermittent or non-stop) may be concluded with the reading of Mundawani or the Rag Mala according to the convention traditionally observed at the concerned place. (Since there is a difference of opinion within the Panth on this issue, nobody should dare to write or print

329-401: A minimum of 9 inch-Kirpan), III. The Kachhehra (The Kachhehra (drawers like garment) may be made from any cloth, but its  legs should not reach down to below the shins.), IV. The Kanga (comb), V. The Karha {iron bracelet} (The Karha should be of pure iron (also known as Sarabloh, or wrought iron).) The Jatha, believes Keski is Kakkaar, not Kesh. They base this on references in

376-427: A moral code banning the sale and consumption of meat and for jhatka shops to be closed. The ban led to much of Punjab being without meat and the closing of jhatka shops. Those who continued to sell or eat meat risked death and commonly would have their businesses destroyed and be killed. One survey found that there were no meat or tobacco shops between Amritsar and Phagwara . In the peak of the militancy, most of Punjab

423-638: A name commonly used in India, which means a group. The name was started by Parbandaks and managers of the Gurdwaras; later it got registered in the 1970s, as was the case with most panthic groups. Today it is a worldwide organization which spreads the message of Shabad Guru, and considers itself a part of the Khalsa Panth and not a separate entity. AKJ follows the rules ( Panthic Rehit Maryada ) set by SGPC . The Jatha fully align itself with Akal Takht and

470-642: Is an armed body of Sikhs that has existed in Sikh tradition since 1699, the beginning of the Khalsa (Sikh martial order). A Jatha basically means a group of people. The word derives from the Sanskrit word yūtha , meaning a "herd, flock, multitude, troop, band, or host". After the creation of the Khalsa, Guru Gobind Singh is said to have created the Damdami Taksal in 1706. Its first Jathedar (leader)

517-586: Is inhumane; and the third being historic opposition of the right of ruling Muslims to impose its practices on non-Muslims. However, kutha meat doesn't include just Halal or Kosher meat but any meat produced by slow bleeding or the perceived religious sacrifice of animals, including meat from animals slaughtered ritualistically in Hinduism , for instance. In Ajmer (Rajasthan, India), there are many jhatka shops, with various bylaws requiring shops to display clearly that they sell jhatka meat. By contrast there

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564-476: Is one of the requirements for a Sikh to be an initiated Khalsa or sahajdhari according to the Rehat Maryada (Sikh code of conduct). In Sikhism, there are three objections to non- jhatka or kutha products: the first being the belief that sacrificing an animal in the name of God is ritualism and something to be avoided; the second being the belief that killing an animal with a slow bleeding method

611-493: Is relatively simple, and the entire congregation devotionally participates in singing along. The Jatha's purpose is to provide Sikhs around the world with Sangat (companionship with enlightened souls), just like any other Jatha or group within the greater Khalsa Panth. The Jatha organizes Kirtan Smagams in cities around the world. The Jatha attempts to follows a strict discipline in keeping the Rehat of Guru Gobind Singh. They also enjoy an active style of Keertan recited by Sikhs in

658-496: Is sufficient for the slaughter of multiple animals, so long as there is no interruption between them; in Dhabihah a separate prayer is required before each animal is slaughtered. This prayer, however, prevents the meat from meeting the requirement of jhatka. Slaughter by means such as kosher , halal and bali does not meet the requirements of jhatka and the products of it are referred to as kutha meat – abstention from which

705-578: Is supposed to be served inside gurudwaras after the introduction of Colonial-era "Mahants" and " Udasis " into Sikh Gurdwaras. Some Sikh organizations, such as the Akhand Kirtani Jatha , have their own codes of conduct regarding meat consumption. These organizations define kutha meat as any type of slaughtered meat, and eating meat of any type is forbidden aside from that which is slaughtered on religious festivals and individual "Akhand paht" three-day prayers. In early 1987 Kharkus issued

752-402: Is well known by most Sikhs to have been mandated by the ten Sikh Gurus: According to the Sikh tradition, only such meat as is obtained from an animal which is killed with one stroke of the weapon causing instant death is fit for human consumption. Guru Gobind Singh took a rather serious view of this aspect of the whole matter. He, therefore, while permitting flesh to be taken as food repudiated

799-546: The Babbar Akali Movement , formed in 1921, rejected non-violence and gave stiff resistance to the British, which led to small battles and assassinations, and eventually by 1939 were down to large shootouts. During the partition of Punjab in 1947, many Sikhs began to form armed Jatha squads for both defensive and offensive purposes against Muslims . When British rule came to an end in India, it had to make

846-683: The British colonial police . During these difficult times, Sikhs began forming jathas and new armed squads in British India, and many villages and towns relied on the protection of the Sikh jathas. Sikhs carried out many attacks and assassinations on the British, resulting in many Sikhs arrested and executed. The Sikhs played an influential role in the Indian independence movement . Prominent figures include Bhagat Singh and Udham Singh , who traveled to London and hunted down people who got away with

893-568: The Khalsa Panth . The Jatha views itself as being completely under the umbrella of Akal Takht and the Khalsa Panth . The four transgressions, which must be avoided are: (1) Dishonouring the hair, (2) Eating Kutha meat , (3) Intimate relationship with a person other than one’s spouse, and (4) Using tobacco (i.e. intoxicants). In addition to the Sikh Rehit Maryada, AKJ follows a stricter form of rehit. AKJ follows

940-861: The Nitnem maryada followed by the Sikh Panth. The 5 Banis recited every morning are the same Banis that are recited when preparing Amrit during Amrit ceremony. On 28 April 1985, the Akal Takaht issued a Hukamnama which ordered the SGPC to make the appropriate amendment in the Sikh Rehat Maryada, which reflects that the morning Nitnem is 5 Banis. A Gursikh learns from the Amrit Sanchar that the Banis being read there should be read every day so that

987-470: The Singh Sabha movement to refer to "bands of preachers and choirs", an association which survives until the present-day. However, during the later Gurdwara reform movement , the terms began to take on a martial tone once again, resuscitating and harking back to the 18th century's context for the word. The group of Sikhs protesting and fighting for the freedom of Sikh shrines and places of worship from

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1034-528: The East Punjab for Pakistan and thousands of Sikhs left Pakistan to go to "New" Punjab, but this journey resulted in thousands of lives lost due to massacres committed by both sides. Kutha meat The Punjabi word Jhatka is derived from the Sanskrit term jhatiti which means "instantly" or "at once". Although not all Sikhs maintain the practice of eating meat butchered in this style, it

1081-566: The Muslim way" ( Halaal meat). The Jatha believes that Kutthaa means "killed meat" (i.e. killed in any way). Thus, the code of vegetarianism is followed by Akhand Kirtani Jatha. According to the Panthic Sikh Rehit Maryada, published by the SGPC, the five K’s are: I.  The Keshas (unshorn hair), II. The Kirpan {sheathed sword} (The length of the sword to be worn is not prescribed, although Damdami Taksaal mentions

1128-569: The Sikhs for a short sliver of time between 1733 and 1735 and allowed the Jathas to reside in Amritsar without being harassed. During this period, Nawab Kapur Singh, leader of the Sikhs at that time, decided to organize the various Jathas into two groups (' Dals ', referring to a "branch" or "section"): the Budha Dal (army of the old) and the Taruna Dal (army of the young). The Taruna Dal itself

1175-500: The animal is slaughtered by one swift, uninterrupted cut severing the trachea, esophagus, carotid arteries, jugular veins, and vagus nerves, leaving the spinal cord intact, followed by a period where the blood of the animal is drained out. In the Jhatka method, a swift uninterrupted cut severs the head and the spine. In both Shechita and Dhabihah, a prayer to God is required at the start of the slaughtering process. In Shechita one prayer

1222-659: The contemporary Ali ud-Din Mufti in his Ibrat Namah . Finally, on the annual Diwali meeting of the Sarbat Khalsa in Amritsar in 1748, the Jathas were reorganized into a new grouping called misls , with 11 Misls forming out of the various pre-existing Jathas and a unified army known as the Dal Khalsa Ji . Ultimate command over the Misls was bestowed to Jassa Singh Ahluwalia . The words Jatha and Jathedar began to fall into disuse after this point, as leaders of Misls preferred

1269-552: The control of hereditary mahants were termed Akali Jathas . The term Jatha began to refer to a "band of [Sikh] volunteers going forward to press a demand or to defy an unjust fiat of the government". This semantic of the word is still used. Jathas existed during the British Raj in the Punjab , northern India. During this time, the British imprisoned many Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims, and many villages and towns being raided by

1316-462: The crucial decision of determining the borders of the new country of Pakistan. Some historians say the biggest mistake the British made before they left India was splitting the Sikh main land of Punjab in two, giving one half to the Islamic government of Pakistan and the other half to be run by a Hindu government. This led to non-stop bloodshed between many Sikhs and Muslims. Thousands of Muslims fled

1363-739: The epilogue or "closing seal". The authorship of Raagmala has been the subject of controversy; more so the point of whether it should form part of the recitation of Gurbani in its entirety (i.e. being included in Sehaj Paath or Akhand Paath bhog/completion). The Jatha, do not believe in Raagmala being composed or written by the Guru Sahibs, but was added to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji at a later date. The current official AKJ leadership details are: Bakhsheesh Singh (Phagwara) Jatha A Jatha ( Punjabi : ਜੱਥਾ [sg] ; ਜਥੇ [pl] ( Gurmukhi ) )

1410-462: The execution of Banda Singh Bahadur and persecution of the Sikhs by the Mughal authorities led to the Sikhs gathering in armed nomadic groups, termed Jathas. Each Jatha was headed by a local leader, known as a Jathedar . The Jathedar was chosen based on merit alone, as only the most daring and courageous warrior of a particular band was selected for the honour. Devout Sikhs of the Khalsa joined

1457-444: The form of matchlocks to equip their ranks with. The Sikhs avoided the use of heavy-artillery pieces as it impeded their military strategy of being quick and mobile. As per Rattan Singh Bhangu in his Panth Prakash , some light-artillery pieces were used by the Sikhs of this era, such as zamburaks (camel-mounted swivel cannons) and a long-range musket known as a janjail . The terms "jatha" and "jathedar" were revived during

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1504-461: The head of an animal with a single stroke of any weapon , with the underlying intention of killing the animal whilst causing it minimal suffering. During the British Raj , the Sikhs began to assert their right to slaughter through Jhatka. When jhatka meat was not allowed in jails, and Sikhs detained for their part in the Akali movement resorted to violence and agitations to secure this right. Among

1551-516: The historical Gurdwaras. It was when Bhai Sahib started doing his marathon non-stop kirtan sessions that the name Akhand Kirtani Jatha (non-stop kirtan group) became prominent and was used often by the SGPC officials and the historical Gurdwaras where they performed Kirtan. This was how the name Akhand Kirtani Jatha came into existence. Bhai Sahib never named the Jatha and only referred to it as ‘the Jatha’,

1598-416: The historical text of "Guru Kian Sakhian" (also known as "Bhatt Vehee") and other Rehatnamas. Promoting the wearing of a Keski (turban) shows greater respect and reverence for the sacred hair. It also helps avoid the violation of damaging or dishonouring one's hair which is one of the 4 Bajjar Kurehits (cardinal sins), according to Sikh Rehit Maryada. Since most male Sikhs already wear a keski (turban), keski as

1645-459: The internal Amrit is experienced every day. The Nitnem banis read every day by Gursikhs in AKJ are the same Nitnem Banis prescribed by Sri Akal Takhat Sahib: In addition to the following banis, Sikhs try to add as many banis as possible to their daily rehit. Eating "Kuttha" meat is prohibited in Sikh Rehit Maryada. The Sikh Rehat Maryada and some Sikh scholars define Kutthaa as meat "slaughtered in

1692-549: The killings in India. Most Sikh prison inmates were executed after the assassination of the high ranking British officer John Simon, 1st Viscount Simon , head of the Simon Commission from the British Parliament. There was also a bombing targeting the British courts. Bhagat Singh was said to have been behind most of the actions carried out against the British and was later hanged. Some Sikh jathas such as

1739-479: The past, it was often referred to as the "Waheguru Singhs". In one such text, this was because people would say that everywhere these Gursikhs went, they would walk, talk, work, sleep, with Waheguru resounding around them. Other names for the Jatha have included the Nirban Kirtani Jatha and "Bhai Randhir Singh da Jatha". The name AKJ only became common when Randhir Singh started doing Kirtan in all of

1786-463: The term ' Sardar ' to refer to themselves, due to Afghan influence. After the rise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the establishment of the Sikh Empire , various aspects of 18th century Sikhism, including Jatha formations, were abolished. 18th century warriors of a jatha were equipped at-first with knobbed clubs , spears , battle axes , bow and arrows , and matchlocks . As mandatory for

1833-648: The terms in the settlement between the Akalis and the Muslim Unionist government in Punjab in 1942 was that jhatka meat be continued by Sikhs. On religious Sikh festivals, including Hola Mohalla and Vaisakhi , at the Hazur Sahib Nanded , and many other Sikh Gurdwaras, jhatka meat is offered as "mahaprasad" to all visitors in a Gurdwara. This practice is considered to be unacceptable by modern Sikh sects who believe only lacto-vegetarian langar

1880-401: The various Jathas, which appealed to them to advance the cause of their religion and fight oppression. An important selection criterion for joining a Jatha was skill in horsemanship, as cavalry tactics and guerilla warfare was vital to the fighting style of the Jathas against the far more numerous Mughal and Afghan forces. Therefore, agility and maneuverability were the most critical skills that

1927-480: The whole theory of this expiatory sacrifice. Accordingly, he made jhatka meat obligatory for those Sikhs who may be interested in taking meat as a part of their food. As stated in the official Khalsa Code of Conduct as well as the Sikh Rehat Maryada , Kutha meat is forbidden, and Sikhs are recommended to eat the jhatka form of meat. Jhatka karna or jhatkaund refers to the instant severing of

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1974-429: Was Baba Deep Singh who died at the age of 83 by having his head severed in a battle against Durrani forces. In the Sikh tradition, a Jatha refers to a group of Sikh volunteers working together for a common cause, whether that cause is violent or peaceful. The term was already in use by the first half of the 18th century amongst the Sikhs but its exact point of origin has not been traced as of yet. The aftermath of

2021-474: Was further split into five sub-sections. Each sub-section of the Taruna Dal flew its own banner. However, state oppression of the Sikhs shortly after began again and the jathas started dividing themselves into more and more groups. Then on the annual Diwali convening of the Sarbat Khalsa in 1745, a Gurmata was passed that reorganized the Jathas into 25 groups. Yet the number of Jathas kept on ballooning until around 65 Jathas had begun to be known, as recorded by

2068-473: Was honoured by all the 4 "Takhts" (5th Takhat was ordained later on) or supreme centres for Sikhs for committing his life for the sacrifice of the Panth and always propagating the true message of Gurmat and inspiring people to take Amrit. Bhai Randhir Singh and Bhai Veer Singh were the only Sikhs to receive this title in the 20th century. Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh ji was very prominent in the Panthik arena. There

2115-451: Was meatless. Famous restaurants that served meat had removed it from their menu and denied ever serving it. The ban was popular among rural Sikhs. Kharkus justified the ban by saying, "No avatars , Hindu or Sikh, ever did these things. To eat meat is the job of rakshasas ( demons ) and we don't want people to become rakshasas ." Both methods use sharp knives. In the kosher and halal methods, Shechita and Dhabihah respectively,

2162-402: Was started in the late 1800s, when Mata Gulab Kaur, a spiritually enlightened Gursikh woman asked Bhai Randhir Singh to re-invigorate the Khalsa Panth with Kirtan. Randhir Singh (1878–1961) was from Ludhiana. He opposed the British rule and was imprisoned by the British authorities in 1914 till 1931. Bhai Randhir Singh was given the title of "Bhai Sahib" and the suffix "Ji" from the Panth as he

2209-554: Was wide recognition of his high Jeevan and Panthik Kurbani. Many of the jatha went to jail in the anti – British movement, and suffered a lot of torture. Bhai Sahib and Baba Attar Singh with many other Gursikhs had brought a lot of change in the Panth via the Gurdwara Sudhaar Movement. They worked under the banner of the Panch Khalsa Divan. For a long time, the Jatha did not have an official name. In

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