Nagar Social Surrey 1

You may be wondering why I don't stick to the parchalat term for the Vasakhi Celebration in the streets. I don't call it the Nagar Kirtan because it just isn't.

From what I see year after year the only chunk that can be labeled as a nagar kirtan is the group 15 meters in front of the main float carrying the Swari of Guru Sahib and the 20-25 meters behind it. The true sangat is in the area around the main float from where kirtan can be heard doesn't even amount to 1% of the total people that take part.

So why should it be called a nagar kirtan when the rest of the people don't have anything to do with the true meaning of a nagar kirtan. Bhai Japnaam Singh Jee wrote: "I don’t' like modern day "nagar keertan". More like "nagar gup shup" or "nagar social"." here. He also has interesting commentary from the Abbotsford one last year here.

One great example is:

How would you describe what is going on here? Religious or Cultural/Social or just downright appalling and totally unrelated to Vaisakhi. I think its still generous and kind to call it a nagar social, because for what you are going to see you'll be glad that no one’s calling it Nagar BHANGARA.

I don't think there is anything more sick and boring to listen to than Punjab Radio. Playing the content they play and the ads they run, I don't know with which conscience they can be proud to celebrate the Spirit of the Khalsa. But this guy sounded like a pretty religious person.

This is also a great example of what should be avoided at all costs. There are 364 days for this, I wonder why they chose to do this on a day when all the expenses to the city and RCMP are paid by a gurdwara :S