The Unbroken Reading

An Akhand Path is the continuous, unbroken reading of the entire Guru Granth Sahib from beginning to end, completed without pause in roughly forty-eight hours. Because the Sikh scripture is regarded not as a book but as the living, eternal Guru, its complete recitation is among the most solemn of Sikh observances, undertaken to mark important occasions, births, weddings, deaths, festivals, the founding of a home or enterprise, or times of crisis and thanksgiving. The reading proceeds day and night in relay, a succession of readers taking turns so that the recitation never stops, the sacred text sounded aloud continuously in the presence of the congregation.

The practice requires careful organisation: a team of competent readers who can maintain accurate and clear recitation through the night, and an unbroken attendance so that the Guru's word is honoured without interruption from the opening to the closing hymn.