I Want To Know About Life Of Ragi Bhai Gopal Singh Ji

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Serenacorbat
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I Want To Know About Life Of Ragi Bhai Gopal Singh Ji

Post by Serenacorbat »

Wjkk Wjkf all,
I want to know about life of ragi Bhai Gopal Singh ji.If anyone help me.Please share anything about him.
Kuldip S. Virdi
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Re: I Want To Know About Life Of Ragi Bhai Gopal Singh Ji

Post by Kuldip S. Virdi »

I will share with you what I gleamed from my mother-in-law who was one of the student of Bhai Gopal Singh Ragi some 50 years ago in Delhi.

Gopal Singh Jee came from Amritsar was probably an orphan who was brought up in an orphanage in Amritsar and learnt Keertan there. He was very good keertankar and became Hazuri Ragi in Harmander Saheb. Some people from Delhi invited him to come to Delhi and he found employment at Gurudwara Sis Ganj Saheb in Chnadani Chowk, where he did keertan duties regularly. He was transferred to Mata Sundari Gurudwara in what was called Noorjeahn Road area which had government servant living quarters. This area is some where between IP Estate, Ajmeri Gate and New Delhi Railway Stations.

Gopal Singh had lost his eyes when he was some three years old probably due to some wrong medication and was assisted by some one to move around. He had some differences(due to his request for undertaking free lance Keertan outside Gurudwaras) with the managemetn of the Delhi Gurudwaras and lost his job and accomodation there. Sikh ladies who used to learn Gurbani Keertan from him supported him during this phase including housing him and providing meals for him in turn in different homes.

During his stay in Delhi some young Sikh girl married him and they had a son.

After some stay in Delhi following his being removed from Gurudwara job, he moved back to Amritsar, where he passed away after a cardiac arrest.

Bhai Gopal Singh had cut a disc of Shabads under the music and arrangements of K.S. Narula (father of Jaspinder Narula), a music director of Punjabi popular and folk music in 50s and 60's of the last century and was published under HMV (presently sare gama) level and became very popular. The disc had some of his best keertans.

I will try to locate more about Bhai Gopal Singh Raagi probably from Sare Gama level and update it on the Sikhnet, if I am sucessful.

Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh.

Kuldip Singh
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Serenacorbat
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Re: I Want To Know About Life Of Ragi Bhai Gopal Singh Ji

Post by Serenacorbat »

Wjkk wjkf Kuldip S. Virdi ji,
A lot of thanks for providing these useful information about bhai Gopal singh ji.Again thanks.
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Re: I Want To Know About Life Of Ragi Bhai Gopal Singh Ji

Post by Guest »

A lot of thanks for providing these useful information about bhai Gopal singh ji.Again thanks.

Thanks Kuldeep ji for sharing this information, It is really very sad that Bhai Gopal Singh Ji suffered so much in the hands of DSGMC, instead of promoting his talent they tortured him.
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Re: I Want To Know About Life Of Ragi Bhai Gopal Singh Ji

Post by Guest »

Bhai Gopal Singh Ragi was my Chacha Ji. Him and my father who is still alive and in late 80s were ਮੁਹੰਬੌਲੇ ਭਰਾ, no direct family relation though but much stronger bond developed between my father and him and rest of the family of Bhai Gopal Singh Ragi. My dad came into contact while renting room at their home as a young armyman. My dad is from Ajnala Amritsar. I was like only 4/5 year old and still remember when my mother came crying on the news from a phone call about Bhai Gopal Singh Ragi’s death due to heart attack in 1972 or 1973. I still have faint memory of sitting in lap of Bhai Gopal Singh Ragi’s lap as very young child. My parents used to tell me that Chacha Ji used to say that he will teach me Kirtan. Chacha Ji were head ragi of Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Delhi and head ragi of Shri Harinandir Sahib Amritsar. He was from Gurdaspur, and wasn’t an orphan but raised by only her mother. His father passed away long back in their early childhood. I called her Babhi Ji but also loved as my grandmother. She has visited and stayed with us for weeks at a time in Delhi for many years after Bhai Gopal Singh’s death. Bhai Gopal Singh’s had a sister living in Tri Nagar of Delhi and I called her Bhua Ji and we are still in contact with family and her kids. Bhai Gopal Singh Ragi also had a younger brother Bhai Jagir Singh. Bhai Jagir Singh used to play violen ( very uncommon instrument) at Harimandir Sahib with Ragis. He had allotted quarter above Darshani Deodi at Harinandir Sahib and I used to spend many summers during summer breaks while visiting Punjab from Delhi and was very close to the family of Chacha Jagir Singh and Chachi and their three children of similar age of mine.
Bhai Jagir Singh and his wife died during Blue Star military operation.
Bhai Gopal Singh Ragi got married just a year or so before his death and had a son only few weeks or may be few months old at time of his death. Lost link with his wife and son soon after his death because there was a court case filed about rights on the royality of recordings revenue for mother’s share and wife and child’s share. I was very young to know all details and never asked.
pisabji
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Re: I Want To Know About Life Of Ragi Bhai Gopal Singh Ji

Post by pisabji »

I never saw Bhai Gopal Singh Ji but what I heard from my grandmother that he use to sing at Manji Sahib Diwan hall opposite langar hall at Harimandir Sahib Amritsar and people use to line up ahead of time to save a spot to listen to him live. He was very liked Keertankar at Amritsar, wish Sikh institutions could learn from such gifted souls and raise heritage. How many pupils with such skills survived, another Keertenea of our current time is Bhai Randhir Singh, he has just retired from Harimandir Sahib, wish SGPC could use there talent to grow new breed of gifted Keerteneas.
Amarjot Singh Matharu
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Re: I Want To Know About Life Of Ragi Bhai Gopal Singh Ji

Post by Amarjot Singh Matharu »

Sat sri akal ji
Bhai Gopal Singh ji is my maternal grandfather .He is my mother's taya ji
There's a comment by guest at 2018 in the reply of this post he knows my family and mentioned bhai jagir singh ji who had three children 2 elder boys and young girl that girl is my mom .
Please could you make a contact to the guest .
My mom is eagerly waiting to talk to that guest id person .

Moderator Note: The label is "guest" when the writer has inactivated their account or has changed to a different name. No information on that writer would be available now. Thanks.
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