Page 43 - Gurmat Book 7

To have an Akhand Paath, people plan ahead of time. They clean a special room to

do Parkash of SGGS. This is a room where their friends and relatives can come
anytime to listen to the Paath during the Akhand Paath. There is an Ardas to
start the Paath. The family asks for permission to start the Paath and prays that
it may be completed without any interruption. The next two days, the family

would host their relatives and friends who come to listen to Paath in their home.

On the day when the reading of Sri Guru Granth Sahib would be completed, there

is a big celebration of Bhog. The family invites a Ragi Jatha to do Kirtan.
Relatives and guests come. There is delicious Langar. The program ends with an
Ardas, Hukam and Karhah Parshad.

No one knows when the Akhand Paath tradition started. However, historians say
that it probably started during the eighteenth century when the Sikhs were
being persecuted by the Mughals. They lived in jungles and they started Akhand
Paath to get strength and spend time in a productive way. They did not have too

much free time. So they tried to do recitation of complete Guru Granth Sahib in
a couple of days.

Akhand Paath is an amazing tradition. It gives the Sikhs a chance to listen to a

lot of Gurbani in a short amount of time.

Exercise: Go to an Akhand Paath. Then write a paragraph about what you see
there.

Chapter Questions
1. What are different ways of reading Gurbani from Guru Granth Sahib?

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2. What does Akhand Paath mean?

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3. What do Sikhs think about Akhand Paath?

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Stepping Stones PSL Gurmat Sikhia Book 7G 2023 Edition Page 41