Obituary: Bhai Chaand passes away

Chaand, renowned amongst the Sikh community for his devotional singing leaves behind four children

LAHORE:

Bhai Ghulam Muhammad Chaand, a rubabi, passed away on Wednesday.

Chaand was renowned amongst the Sikh community in the city for his devotional singing. Muhammad Nadeem, a close relative, told The Express Tribune that besides Guru Granth Sahib, Chaand used to sing Sufi poems at various city gurdwaras.

He said Chaand was born in 1935. His family had decided to move to Pakistan and settle in Lahore after partition.  He said Chaand had started singing Guru Granth Sahib at Najam Hussain Syed’s home in Jail Road where he was a frequent visitor during his teen years.

Later, he said, he had started getting invitations to gurdwaras in other countries as well.  Nadeem said Chaand was awarded several prizes for his rabbabi singing by governments in Pakistan as well as India.  “He did not just sing Gurugranth sahib in its original language but also translate it to Urdu so that the listeners would understand the meaning as well,” he said.

Chaand was buried in Mian Munshi Hospital graveyard on Band Road. His soyem will be held at 4pm on Thursday at his residence in Malik Park, Bilal Gunj.

Chaand has left behind two sons and two daughters.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 30^th, 2015.