Akhand Kirtani Jatha

The Akhand Kirtani Jatha is a jatha, or collective group, and order of Sikhism dedicated to strict discipline in maintaining the Rehat of Guru Gobind Singh and to an active style of collective kirtan, or devotional singing, performed before the Guru Granth Sahib with congregational participation; its name means non-stop kirtan group. It was founded in the late 1800s by Randhir Singh of Ludhiana, who lived from 1878 to 1961, after Mata Gulab Kaur, described as a spiritually enlightened Gursikh woman, asked him to reinvigorate the Khalsa Panth through kirtan; the order, now active worldwide, practices strict egg-free vegetarianism, follows Sarbloh Bibek by eating only from iron vessels, requires turban-wearing for both men and women, does not recognize the Raagmala as authentically composed by the Sikh Gurus, and considers itself part of the Khalsa Panth rather than a separate group.