Documentary 

The Guru Granth Sahib is one of the Sikh scriptures. It is a unique piece of religious literature. For Sikhs it is much more than a mere book of scriptures. It embodies the spirit and philosophy of the founder of Sikh religion, Guru Nanak and his nine successors. The Granth is actually considered to be a living guru, a spiritual guide who teaches God’s message to humanity. Not just a book, but a sacred person.

Throughout its 1430 pages, the Granth contains 6000 hymns of devotion to God, reflections on the divine cosmos, and vision of higher life. It calls upon mankind to attain spiritual peace and liberation, a state known as "Mukti". Liberation from the cycle of birth and death. It also contains the fundamental beliefs of Sikhism.

- That there is only one God

-That all humans are created equal

-That women and men are equal

- That all religions must be accepted

- That it is good to serve others and share the fruits of one' labor

Each of the 10 human Sikh Gurus made significant contributions to the Guru Granth Sahib.

The second Guru Angad Dev compiled Gurmukhi (Punjabi) script, the common language of the people at that time. The third Guru Amar Das also added 869 compositions to the Granth Sahib. The fourth Guru Ram Das added 638 hymns. The fifth Guru Arjun undertook the enormous task of collecting and compiling the writings of the first four Gurus, with his own works. He sent aides to distant places to locate the writings from other saints. In addition to the compositions of the Sikh Gurus, the Granth Sahib contains the work of 36 divinely inspired poets. (Hindu, Moslem Sufis and bards ) were belonging to different castes from all over India. It embodies five centuries of religious, philosophical, and cultural history, from the 12th to the 17th centuries. It is perhaps the only scripture in the world, which sanctifies the writings of people who did not belonged to the faith. In that sense, it is the only non-denominational scriptures that exist. The Guru Granth Sahib was installed in the Golden Temple in 1604 AD

Guru Gobind Singh was the last of the ten human Gurus. Rather than pass on his Guruship to another person, he instead passed it on to the scriptures, hence the name Guru Granth Sahib.

Despite being written over a span of five centuries, the Guru Granth Sahib has a unity of language and thought.

The Gurus believed that divine worship through music was the best way of achieving communion with God. They knew that music and rhythm deeply affect the human soul. All the compositions except Introductory scriptures called Japji are set to musical arrangements called Classical Indian Ragas (set of ascending and descending notes), and there are 26 pure ragas and 29 mixed varieties are also found in Granth Sahib.

Guru Granth Sahib is greeted with affectionate reverence, because for the Sikhs it is a Guru. Guru Granth Sahib presides in all the social and religious ceremonies in a Sikh’s life.

Like the Bible for the Christians, the Torah for Jews, or Koran for Moslems, the Guru Granth Sahib contains the principles and teachings of the Sikh religion. But unlike other books, few people outside of the Sikh faith are familiar with the Guru Granth Sahib. This documentary explores the fascinating world of Guru Granth Sahib and the following topics are covered.

What is Guru Granth Sahib?

How it came into Existence

Language of the Granth

Arrangement of the Granth

Teaching of the Granth

Some of the quotes from famous writers and politicians

"The hymns of Guru Granth are an expression of man's loneliness, his aspirations, his belongings, his cry to Goo and his Hunger for communication with that Being. I have studied the scriptures of other great religions, but I do not find elsewhere the same power of appeal to the heart and mind as I find in Adi Granth. It speaks to me of life and death; of time and eternity; of the temporal human body and its needs; of the mystic soul and to longing to be fulfilled; of God and the indissoluble bond between them"

Miss Pearl S. Buck

Noble Laureate

". We find in Guru Granth a wide range of mystical emotions, intimate expressions of the personal realization of God and rupturous hymns of divine love. The barriers of seas and mountains will give way before the call of eternal truth which is set forth with a freshness of feeling and fervor of devotion in the Guru Granth"

Sir, S. Radhakrishanan

(Ex- President of India)

Review 

 Guru Granth Sahib is a brilliant twenty eight minutes documentary on the Sikh’s Holy Scriptures with the same title. Producer/Director Joginder Kalsi reaches into the depth of Indian historical and religious antecedent that gave rise to those inspiring verses. Sensitively scripted, this documentary has achieved the enormous task of faithfully portraying, admits the turmoil and intrigues of the age, the passion of the new faith. The crisp narration brings to life the richness of the sacred revelation of Sikh Dom’s ten Gurus. Set behind a background of authentic devotional music and chanting, the guru Granth Sahib touches the spiritual nerves of the text’s poetic compositions. Inspiring and illuminating, this colorful film communicates the wide range and tremendous power of these mystical hymns. This unique presentation enters into a diverse World of aspirations. It gives a glimpse of the golden age of a tradition built on honor, courage and justice. Guru Granth Sahib is a wonderful resource for all schools, public libraries, churches and interfaith movements. It is enlightening, as it is enjoyable

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