Bidar: Songs from "Gurubani", the sacred text of the Sikhs, filled the air in the Gurudwara Guru Nanak Jhira in Bidar on Thursday.

Scores of Ragi Jatan (saint-singers) came from Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Delhi.

They sang songs praising the intellect of the Gurus of Sikhism, the unfailing love of human beings for one another and about the idyllic settings of rural Punjab.

The signing began in the evening and went on till Friday morning.

A large turnout

The singing was part of the Holla Moholla celebrations attended by thousands of devotees from across the world.

The festivities, organised on the fifth night after Holi, are aimed at celebrating the eternal spirit of the Gurubani.

It has the essence of the preaching of all gurus in the world. "We organise annual kirtans, where parts of the Gurubani are sung.

"This is our way of recalling the sacred text and introducing it to the public," says Balbir Singh, president of the Sri Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee.

"The practice was started 20 years ago and never stopped. The Mumbai-based Bava Charitable Trust has been supporting us throughout", Mr. Balbir Singh said. People of all faiths flocked to the Gurudwara to listen to the music.

Songs by Sant Rajinder Singh of Jammu and Sant Ravinder Singh of Amritsar became an instant hit.

All-night celebrations

People stayed awake till 5 a.m. on Friday, though some took small walks around the Gurudwara to avoid falling asleep.

"Over 10,000 people are fed on the day of Holla Moholla. Devotees consider working in the Langar (mass kitchen) as a sacred service.

Professional cooks do not prepare the food. Getting to prepare food or serve it is considered a rare honour", said Bachchan Singh, a devotee from Hyderabad who has been attending the celebrations in Bidar for over a decade now.

Felicitated

The Gurudwara honoured some Sikh families from Moscow who arrived here only to participate the celebrations.

The gurudwara in Bidar is considered one of the five most important pilgrim centres for the Sikhs in India.

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