Golden Temple decked up on eve of Guru Ramdas Gurpurb

On the eve of the Parkash Purb of Guru Ramdas, founder of the holy city, the Golden Temple was beautifully decorated with ornamental flowers brought from different parts of India and abroad while a massive nagar kirtan was taken out here on Tuesday.

About 125 artisans from West Bengal and 200 Sikh devotees of Maharashtra were engaged in decking up the holiest Sikh shrine with over 10 tonnes of ornamental flowers. All of them together started embellishing the holy complex on Monday.

Hundreds of quintals of different kinds of flowers — especially imported from Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore, as well as from states like Kolkata, Bengaluru and Himachal Pradesh — are being used to adorn the walls of the sanctum sanctorum, Darshani Deorhi, Akal Takht and the entire circumference of the shrine.

Harinder Singh said the sangat of Mumbai has been doing the sewa of flowers at the holiest Sikh shrine for the past 19 years. He said as many as 35 varieties of flowers, including pin protea, red and green berries, anthonium, oriental lily, brassia, astova, pink cushion, silver dollars, halconia, costco and limonium were specially ordered from different countries and Indian flowers like rose, carnation, baby breath, daisy, sunflowers, gerbera, orchid, marigold, star and gulmohar were specially arranged. These ornamental flowers were used to beautify the sanctum sanctorum, Akal Takht and Parikrama.

The entire Golden Temple complex was decked up with rare varieties of flowers and illuminated with decorative lights on Tuesday night making it the cynosure of all eyes and drawing a large number of devotees.

A devotee, Sarbjit Singh, arranged ‘deepamala’ at the Golden Gate, the railway station and the bus stand and on the day of Parkash Purb he arranged desi ghee to lit one lakh earthen lamps at the holiest Sikh shrine.

A sea of devotees took part in the nagar kirtan taken out on Tuesday to mark Parkash Purb of fourth Sikh master Guru Ramdas in different areas of the city. Devotees set up stalls of langar on the route of the nagar kirtan, which passed through different areas of the city.

Congratulating the Sikhs on the eve of the Gurpurb, Giani Kuldip Singh, acting Jathedar, Akal Takht, and Harjinder Singh Dhami, president of the SGPC, said the life of the fourth Sikh master was an inspiration to the entire humanity. They appealed to them to adopt the principles of service, ‘simran’, politeness and humility out of the life of the fourth Sikh master.