Nitnem banis: the full list and daily order

Nitnem is the daily discipline of reading set baanis at set times: at amrit vela before dawn, at sunset and before going to sleep. Guru Gobind Singh Ji made these baanis part of the Khalsa rehat, and the Sikh Rehat Maryada published by the SGPC lists them as the minimum daily reading for every Sikh.

The baanis come from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and Sri Dasam Granth Sahib Ji. They are usually read from a gutka (a small printed pothi) or from an app such as Tat Khalsa Pothi, and many Sikhs learn them by heart over time.

Read after ishnaan, before the day begins. In order:

1. Japji Sahib (ਜਪੁਜੀ ਸਾਹਿਬ) by Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The opening baani of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji: Mool Mantar, 38 pauris and the closing salok. About 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Jaap Sahib (ਜਾਪੁ ਸਾਹਿਬ) by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, from Sri Dasam Granth Sahib Ji. 199 verses in praise of Akal Purakh. About 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Tav Prasad Savaiye (ਤ੍ਵ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ਸਵੱਯੇ) by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Ten savaiye from Akal Ustat, beginning "Sravag sudh". About 5 minutes.
4. Chaupai Sahib (ਬੇਨਤੀ ਚੌਪਈ) by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. A prayer for protection, "Hamri karo haath dai rachha". About 5 minutes.
5. Anand Sahib (ਅਨੰਦੁ ਸਾਹਿਬ) by Guru Amar Das Ji, 40 pauris in Raag Ramkali. About 15 minutes.

The morning Nitnem ends with Ardaas, read standing.

Rehras Sahib (ਰਹਰਾਸਿ ਸਾਹਿਬ) is read at sunset. It is a collection rather than a single baani: So Dar and So Purakh shabads from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Chaupai Sahib, the six-pauri Anand Sahib, Mundavani and the closing salok of Guru Arjan Dev Ji. About 20 minutes, followed by Ardaas.

Rehras as read at Sri Darbar Sahib differs slightly from the Damdami Taksal, Hazuri and Nanaksar versions, mainly in which Dasam baanis are included. The Pothi app carries each version separately in the Nitnem pothi.

Kirtan Sohila (ਕੀਰਤਨ ਸੋਹਿਲਾ) is the last baani of the day, read just before sleep. Five shabads from angs 12 and 13 of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, beginning "Jai ghar keerat aakhiai". About 5 minutes. It is also read at the time of antim sanskar.

The five-plus-two list above is the Rehat Maryada minimum. Several traditions read more each morning:

• Damdami Taksal: adds Shabad Hazare after Japji Sahib, Shabad Hazare Patshahi 10 after Jaap Sahib, and reads both sets of Tav Prasad Savaiye (Sravag Sudh and Deenan Ki).
• Dal Panth (Nihang Singhs): the above plus Akal Ustat Chaupai, Chandi Di Vaar and the Dal Panth form of Chaupai Sahib with extra verses.
• Many families also read Sukhmani Sahib daily, and Barah Maha on Sangrand.

The Tat Khalsa Pothi app has Nitnem pothis for each tradition, so you can follow the one taught in your family or jatha without switching gutkas.

• Start with what you can keep. Japji Sahib in the morning, Rehras in the evening and Kirtan Sohila at night is a complete rhythm. Add Jaap Sahib and the rest as reading speed grows.
• Read with Larivaar assist. If you are learning to read Gurbani, the app's Larivaar mode with word colouring trains the eye without losing the original form.
• Use audio for pronunciation. The app has santhya audio for every Nitnem baani so you can read along.
• Track days, not minutes. The Sehaj Paath tracker marks what you have read so a missed day is visible and easy to resume.