Tejasv jeeo, presented below are humble answers to your questions:
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1. Does conclusion have to necessarily take place within 48 hrs or time is no limit until the Paath is Continuous without any gap in between?
There is no compulsion to end the paath in exactly 48 hours. Some premis do insist on doing the Paath in exactly 48 hours but there is no solid logic behind this argument. We hear Saakhis from times of Bhai Atma Singh jee where Singhs used to conclude Paath in much less time than 48 hours. They used to conclude Siri Asa kee Vaar Kirtan late in the day and but do bhog of the Paath still at Amritvela. This way they used to conclude Siri Akhand Paath Sahib in about 36 hours or so. There can be no harm in doing so.
On the other hand, I have heard of Gurmukhs in India who do Siri Akhand Paath Sahib very slowly. They pretty much sing the whole Paath and this way conclude Maharaj jee's Paath in 72 hours or so. What harm can there be in doing so? How can doing Paath with love and devotion be harmful?
Instead of getting entangled in such meaningless rules, we should do Paath with love, devotion and Gurmat-Fear (Adab) and attain Khushi of Guru Sahib.
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2. Madh di Ardaas:
a. Are the 6 pauris of Anand Sahib read before Madh di Ardaas or only Ardaas is performed.
b. During Ardaas, should the ardaas be audile to the Sangat or the gurbani from Sri Akhand Paath Sahib, which are going on? Could the reason also be stated for clarity.
6 Pauris of Siri Anand Sahib are mandatory before bhog to Degh can be done. Many Gursikhs do whole of Siri Anand Sahib while preparing Degh. For Madh Ardaas, at least 6 Pauris of Siri Anand Sahib are done before bringing the Degh to the Darbar of Guru Sahib.
The Ardaas should be audible but the Paath too should not be lowered. Some Gursikhs start doing Paath inaudibly when Ardaas is done but this does not seem to be a correct thing to do. Who can stop Maharaj jee from speaking loud? What if some Gurmukh in Sangat is determined to listening to whole of Maharaj jee's Paath; wouldn't he miss couple of Angs of Jaitsree kee Vaar if the volume of the Paathi is lowered?
Paath should go on at normal speed and the Ardaas too should be little audible so that the Degh Sewadaar can do bhog to Degh and Sangat wishing to hear Ardaas can hear it.
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3. After Conclusion of Sri Akhand Paath Sahib, firstly 6 pauris of Anand Sahib are read but if sangat would like to do Sri Asa di Vaar kirtan (or any kirtan for that matter), then should it be done after the Ardaas/Hukamnama for conclusion or sangat can kirtan be done before and then later on Ardaas be performed for both Sri Akhand Paath Sahib and Kirtan together?
After the conclusion of Siri Akhand Paath Sahib, Kirtan of 6 Pauris of Siri Anand Sahib should be done and then an Ardaas should be performed. After the distribution of Degh, Siri Asa kee Vaar should be started immediately and Degh should be prepared again for the conclusion of Kirtan.
If we bring Degh at the time of Bhog of Siri Akhand Paath Sahib but offer it to Guru Sahib few hours later after the Samapti of Kirtan, we would have to offer cold Degh to Guru Sahib, which does not seem to be right. Degh offered to Guru Sahib should be Taazi (fresh) - not cold and not too hot.
The aforementioned Maryada of doing Kirtan of 6 Pauris of Siri Anand Sahib has been confirmed with Puraatan Singhs in India.
Guru Sahib knows better.
Daas,
Kulbir Singh
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥