From California to Punjab, women’s voices unite in a powerful ode to Sikh devotion
‘Gaavani’ brings together 31 women ‘kirtaniyas’ for multi-city tour in India, honouring Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Sikh master known for his supreme sacrifice
Inside the gurdwara in Chandigarh’s Sector 34 on November 12, devotees sat poised with eyes closed as Guneet Kaur, Simrit Kaur, Nivedita Singh, Kamaljeet Kaur and Gurpreet Kaur sang verses from the ‘bani’ of Guru Teg Bahadur — their melody carrying both serenity and strength.
This was no ordinary ‘kirtan’. It was a part of ‘Gaavani’, a rare musical movement bringing together 31 women ‘kirtaniyas’ from around the world on a multi-city tour in honour of Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Sikh master known for his supreme sacrifice.
Across Punjab this month, voices of these ‘kirtaniyas’, who hail from the USA, Canada, and India, will be rising in unison — singing the 31 ‘Gurmat Sangeet raags’, while uniting women’s voices in faith, leadership, and healing at a time when the state is still recovering from devastating floods.
The tour began in Amritsar on November 6 and will conclude at Anandpur Sahib on November 26, travelling through Delhi, Chandigarh, Patiala, Faridkot, Ludhiana, and Jalandhar. Each stop is set to become a congregation of devotion, where traditional raag and contemporary resonance meet.
Gaavani, which began as an intimate initiative in California over three years ago, has now become a global sisterhood of devotion.
“This year, with our multi-city India tour, it has truly become international,” said Navpreet Kaur, the force behind the movement.
“Our pillars — Simrit Kaur from Canada and Guneet Kaur from the USA — have been instrumental in connecting the sangat to shabad through the beauty of the female voice,” she added.
Navpreet traced the roots of Gaavani to the ‘31 Raag Gurmat Sangeet Darbar’ held in San Jose in 2018.
“That’s where the idea took form. Encouraged by our founding member and mentor Gurnam Singh, we decided to create a women-led kirtan platform that celebrates the spiritual depth of shabad,” she shared.
The response in India, Navpreet said, has been heartwarming.
“It is for the first time in Sikh history that women have organised a global kirtan of this scale. The love we’ve received here is overwhelming. I hope to hold 31 Raag Darbars in Punjab every year from now on,” she said. Beyond the music lies Gaavani’s deeper message — of equality and self-realisation.
“The female voice carries radiance, emotion, and grace that must be heard. Our mission is to inspire sangat and encourage kirtan as a contemporary choice for a Sikh way of life and to make this spiritual journey accessible to all,” said Navpreet.
Among these 31 women is Rupinder Kaur from Ludhiana, a PhD scholar at Punjabi University, Patiala.
“I’m attending every performance and volunteering wherever needed,” she said, adding that she would be performing at Jawaddi Taksal in Ludhiana on November 16.
As Gaavani’s caravan moves from city to city, the hymns rise like a collective prayer — a celebration of the Guru’s timeless courage and of women reclaiming their sacred space in Sikh musical tradition.
