Friday, February 4, 2011

My favorite Singer Gurdas Maan

 Gurdas Maan was born in the village of Giddarbaha, District of Faridkot. He was formally educated in Malout. After completing his education his parents moved him to Patiala for further studies. The city fascinated him especially because it was home to the National Institute of Sports, as Gurdas is a keen sports enthusiast. He Joined the N.I.S and gained a Masters Degree in Physical Education.
He took part in youth festivals organised by various universities and won numerous awards for his singing and acting. He competed in many athletic events and won medals including a bronze at the National Championship, he is also a black belt in Judo. After completing his Masters Degree, he started working and also kept on writing and doing stage shows.

In one of his stage play he sang a song which he wrote himself and called " DIL DA MAMALA HAI ". The play was seen play a producer of a Jullander TV station, who than approached him for a TV recording of his song, which Gurdas reluctantly agreed to. When the song was aired on the 31st December 1980 it stormed the nation and Gurdas Maan became a household name. The overwhelming success of the song grabbed the attention of HMV who wanted to record the song and from this came his first album in 1982.

He has produced over 27 albums and has written over 200 songs. He also wrote and directed TV programmes like POP Time for Delhi Doordarshan. When Gurdas Maan started his career, as a performer there was no market for solo singers, as the market was dominated by the duets.many offers to perform as a duet as he was confident of becoming successful as a solo artist. Even today when organisers arrange for a group of artists to perform, he always perform solo. He has toured the globe and charmed audiences with his versatile performances.

Credit goes to Gurdas Maan for raising Panjabi music from a mere regional level to an international level by giving it a fresh look. The ever-popular "APNA PANJAB" track which has superseeded all other songs by Gurdas Maan, this track has received awards for The Best Song , Album & Best International Artist of the Asain Pop and Media Awards held in Birmingham in 1998 He is a pioneer in many ways and keeps trying to better things by doing something different, be-it using different kind of music or giving new dimension to an old folk song. As a singer Gurdas Maan has worked with music directors like Laxmikant Pyarelal, Bappi Lahiri, Anu Malik, Nadeem Sharvan, Amar Haidipur, Charanjeet Ahuja, Jaswant Bhanyra to mention but a few.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Guru Gobind Singh ji


Guru Gobind Singh was born as Gobind Rai[3] in Patna to Guru Tegh Bahadur and his wife Mata Gujri. He was born while Guru Tegh Bahadur was touring Assam to spread his teachings.

According to a legend, the birth of Gobind Rai was prophesized by Pir Bhikan Shah, a fakir from Thaksa village (now in Karnal District of Haryana). One day, Bhikan Shah bowed towards the east during his prayers, contrary to the strict standard Islamic practice of bowing in the direction of Qibla-Kaaba only. When the villagers questioned his strange act, he stated that a special child, the savior chosen by the God, would be born in Patna, which lay to the East. He then traveled to Patna with a group of his followers to see the child. He placed two bowls of sweets before the newborn; one bowl was purchased from a Hindu's shop, and the second from a Muslim's shop, thus signifying the two major contemporary religions in India. The baby placed his hands on both the bowls, thus indicating that both Hindus and Muslims will be treated equally by him. According to another legend, the fakir Araf Din of Lakhnaur (now in Ambala District) also bowed to the boy, and proclaimed him as divine.

Gobind Rai spent the first five years of his life in Patna. As a child, he used to play war games with other children, leading mock battles. He had many admirers, including a learned Brahmin called Pandit Shiv Dutt who used to call Guruji Bala Pritam ("child god"), a name that is used even today to refer to the Guru. Once, Raja Fateh Chand of Patna and his Rani, a childless couple, visited Shiv Dutt, and asked him to bless them with a child. Shiv Dutt suggested that they must seek blessing of Bala Pritam, and their desire would be fulfilled. The couple then requested young Gobind Rai to visit their palace, where the Rani asked Guruji to bless her with a son. Guruji smiled and said that why do they need a son, the Rani could call him her son. From that day, the Rani started calling him her son. The royal couple were blessed - Guruji would visit them almost everyday and started playing with his friends in their palace often. Rani cooked meal of poori (a type of Indian bread) and black grams daily for guruji and his wargaming friends. Till today a meal of poori and black gram is served in langar (free kitchen) in their palace which has been converted into gurdawara (sikh religious place).