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Sikh Studies
nirinjan@umich.edu
Nirinjan came to graduate school through a non-traditional route. After seven years dedicated to the study and performance of Sikh percussion (jori), she became aware of the dearth of scholarship on the topic of Sikh devotional music (Gurbani Kirtan). Sikh Studies itself is a relatively new field that has been enmeshed in identity politics due to the colonial encounter, while dismissing lived worship practices. Due to the glaring need for scholarship on Gurbani Kirtan, she decided to pursue a combined Masters/Ph.D at the University of Michigan. Particularly Nirinjan's work focuses on the contemporary revival of traditionally classical musical modes which have been all but forgotten, and their implications on Sikh identity formation. Throughout her graduate education she has continued to serve her university and local communities while also teaching and performing the jori.
