ਜੈਕਾਰਾ

What does jaikara mean?

A jaikara (ਜੈਕਾਰਾ, pronounced JYE-kaa-raa) is the Sikh call of victory: a two-part cry in which one person shouts the first half and the whole congregation roars back the second. The best-known jaikara is ‘Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal’, whoever speaks shall be blessed, for Truth is timeless, and it proclaims the Sikh belief that every victory belongs to God.

Breaking the word down

Jaikara is a compound: jai means to proclaim success or victory, and kar means to do or act, literally, to make a victorious utterance. It can also be spelled jakara. The idea is the same either way: to call out in triumph and to rally spirits, in celebration or in a stance against injustice.

Where the word comes from

The term reaches back into Sikh scripture. It appears in hymns from the time of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Guru: on page 621 of the Guru Granth Sahib the verse says all the world applauds the Lord ‘with resounding cheers proclaiming victory.’ Many of the jaikare Sikhs use today are the legacy of Guru Gobind Singh’s time, when the cry would also have rung out as the battle cry of Sikh warriors.

The jaikare Sikhs know

The most famous is raised at the end of every Ardas: one voice calls ‘Bole So Nihal’ and the sangat answers ‘Sat Sri Akal’. When it is repeated, it is usually said five times, honouring the Panj Pyare. Others heard in gurdwaras include ‘Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh’ (the Khalsa belongs to God, and to God belongs the victory), ‘Deg Teg Fateh, Panth ki jit’, and ‘Bolo ji, Waheguru’. Each ends with the same conviction: the victory is God’s.

How a jaikara is used today

A jaikara closes the Ardas in every gurdwara program, and it erupts at nagar kirtan processions, weddings, and celebrations wherever Sikhs gather. The leader shouts the first half while the congregation stands and answers in one voice, a shared vow, spoken together, that Truth will prevail.

Is jaikara the same as Sat Sri Akal?

Not quite. Sat Sri Akal, ‘Truth is the timeless one’, is a greeting Sikhs exchange when they meet. A jaikara is a congregational cry: one person gives the call and everyone answers together. Sat Sri Akal often serves as the answering half of the most famous jaikara.

When is the jaikara said?

At the close of the Ardas in gurdwara services, and at moments when Sikhs want to affirm themselves together, processions, celebrations, anniversaries, and rallies of spirit.