India, Nov. 14 -- Inside the gurdwara in Chandigarh's Sector 34 on November 12, devotees sat poised with eyes closed as Guneet Kaur, Simrit Kaur, Nivedita Singh, Kamaljeet Kaur and Gurpreet Kaur sang verses from the 'bani' of Guru Teg Bahadur - their melody carrying both serenity and strength.

This was no ordinary 'kirtan'. It was a part of 'Gaavani', a rare musical movement bringing together 31 women 'kirtaniyas' from around the world on a multi-city tour in honour of Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Sikh master known for his supreme sacrifice.

Across Punjab this month, voices of these 'kirtaniyas', who hail from the USA, Canada, and India, will be rising in unison - singing the 31 'Gurmat Sangeet raags', while uniting women's voices in fai...