Santhiya

Color codes to stop and pause, known as vishraams, are commonly used to dictate the flow and rhythm of the recitation.

[6] In 1706, after the Battle of Muktsar, the army of Guru Gobind Singh camped at Sabo Ki Talwandi, now known as Takht Sri Damdamā Sahib.

[4] During this period, Guru Gobind Singh performed katha of the entirety of the scripture, as well as teaching the proper recitation, or santhiya.

[10] Damdamā Sahib was considered to be the highest seat of learning for the Sikhs during the 18th century,[11] and the Damdami Taksal claims direct historical ties to Guru Gobind Singh,[12] who entrusted it with the responsibility of teaching the reading (santhyā), analysis (vichār) of the Sikh scriptures.

[20] Before the printing of the Guru Granth Sahib was widespread, the copies or birs of the scripture were handwritten almost always in larivaar script.

[20] This made reading Gurbani significantly harder, thus providing greater necessity for santhiya.

A vishraam literally means "pause", and they are frequently used in Gurbani to specific a specific metre (such as a Salok or Doh(i)ra, some of the most common poetic metres in Sikh Scriptures) and regulate the reciter's elocution.