⟵ Back to videos

Explore Alahania (Mahala 1)

The Guru Granth Sahib Project

Thursday
,
28
March
2024

Alahani is a mournful or sorrowful Panjabi folk song. When a person dies, friends and relatives usually visit the deceased’s family to share their sorrow and memories of their loved one’s life and deeds.

Alahani is a mournful or sorrowful Panjabi folk song. When a person dies, friends and relatives usually visit the deceased’s family to share their sorrow and memories of their loved one’s life and deeds. Expressing such feelings creates the core of the folk poetic form Alahani.


The Alahania composition revealed by Guru Nanak Sahib redirects and transforms the sorrow and grief of death and separation from loved ones into a serene state, urging the being to embrace the will of IkOankar (the Divine). By illustrating the insignificance and impermanence of the material world, this composition inspires the mind towards a perpetual connection with the eternal companion, IkOankar.

The Sikh Research Institute recognizes its ethical responsibility to promptly correct any factual small or large errors. Please get in touch with us via email to request a correction if you have identified a mistake.

Suggest a correction →
No items found.

In This Video

Jasleen Kaur

Research Associate

Jasleen Kaur is a Research Associate at the Sikh Research Institute. She has received a Religious Studies B.A./M.A. from the University of Virginia, focusing on South Asian Religions through the lens of literature and poetry.

View profile ⟶

Latest Videos

Wednesday
,
9
July
2025

Seva in Our Lives

This interactive session examines Seva as both a principle and a revolutionary practice in today’s world. Through discussions, reflections, and hands-on activities, participants will explore how the Guru’s message of Seva can be applied in both Panthic...

watch now ⟶
Wednesday
,
9
July
2025

Seva in Sikh History

This session traces the evolution of Seva throughout Sikh history, from the time of the Gurus to the present day. It examines Seva in its many forms—spiritual, communal, and revolutionary—while connecting it to broader frameworks of the Sikh revolution...

watch now ⟶
Wednesday
,
9
July
2025

The Principle of Seva in Bani

This session explores Seva through the lens of Guru Granth Sahib and secondary sources, examining its significance in the Sikh paradigm.

watch now ⟶

Share on Social Media

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Stay informed with our weekly updates, important events and more at SikhRI.

Thank you! Your submission has been received.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.