The IsmailiGinanTradition from the Indian Subcontinent
Ginan bolore nit nure bharea;Evo haide tamare harakh na maeji.Recite continually theginanswhich are filled with light;Boundless will be the joy in your heart.Ginansare devotional songs rooted in the musical and poetic matrix of Indian culture. The term “ginan” carries a double significance: on the one hand, it means “religious knowledge” or “wisdom,” analogous to the Sanskrit wordjnana(knowledge). On the other hand, it means “song” or “recitation,” suggesting a link to the Arabicghannaand the Urdu/Hindighana, both verbs meaning “to sing.” For the past seven hundred years, Ismailis from the Indian subcontinent (Satpanth Khoja Ismailis) have been recitingginansas a part of their daily religious devotions at the congregational hall (Jamat Khana).