Kirtan — devotional music

Kirtan is one of the main practices of Sikh worship: singing hymns from the Guru Granth Sahib, which are set to ragas. At an Anand Karaj the chosen shabads often concern divine love, the soul's union with the Divine, and blessings for the couple. The product preset is 20 minutes, and that dedicated block is part of the 90-minute traditional order.

• Two vocalists, often a lead and a harmony singer.
• Harmonium, a small hand-pumped keyboard, played by one of the vocalists.
• Tabla, a pair of hand drums.
• Larger ensembles may add rabab, dilruba, sarangi, and more voices.

Wedding programs often include Guru Ram Das's four laavan, the hymn "Palle Taiday Lagi," and passages from Anand Sahib. Ragis usually choose the set with the family. Spellings of hymn titles vary by transliteration.

Head covered, shoes off, cross-legged when you are not moving. Silent shutter. A longer lens for the musicians' faces and hands.

Key frames: a wide view that includes the ragis and the Guru Granth Sahib, tight frames of a singer, tabla hands, and the harmonium, the congregation listening, and the couple listening.

Not every Anand Karaj gives kirtan the same weight. In a full traditional order, the dedicated block before the laavan can run close to the twenty-minute preset, with several shabads chosen for marriage themes. Venue-constrained or shortened ceremonies may fold kirtan into a briefer opening — one or two hymns — so the atmosphere still rises without consuming the schedule. Diaspora gurdwaras sometimes keep a steady, familiar set; families who travel with preferred ragis may request specific compositions, including passages tied to Guru Ram Das or Anand Sahib themes. Spellings on programs vary by transliteration, so match the family's printed titles rather than correcting them in captions later.

Ensemble size changes what you can photograph. A classic trio — two voices with harmonium and tabla — reads clearly from a side aisle with a longer lens. Larger groups that add rabab, dilruba, or sarangi create denser detail frames but also more bodies between you and the Guru Granth Sahib. Ask who is singing lead, whether guests are expected to join on familiar lines, and whether the ragis will pause for announcements. Quiet passages between shabads are when shutters carry farthest; silent mode and selective firing matter more there than during a full chorus.

Confirm with the couple or the granthi's coordinator where photographers may sit or kneel without blocking the congregation's view of the scripture. Head covering and shoes-off rules apply for the whole block. If the family has hired traveling ragis, ask when they arrive and whether a brief sound check happens before guests fill the darbar — that window is often the only clean chance at a wide that includes instruments, singers, and the palki without guests in the foreground. Once kirtan begins, stay still, cover the musicians' hands and faces, and leave room for the couple listening; the devotion is in the stillness as much as in the sound.