Golden Temple goes dark once again after 54 years

The lights in the Golden Temple complex were turned off once again after fifty-four years as a part of the ‘blackout’ call given under the nationwide civil defence mock drill in the wake of escalated tensions between India and Pakistan.

However, keeping in view the ‘rehat maryada’ (Sikh code of conduct), the sanctum sanctorum and other spots where the ‘parkash’ (illumination ceremony) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib was being initiated, were barred from this exercise. The blackout was implemented between 10.30-11.00 pm in Amritsar yesterday.

Generally, the permanent illumination at the Golden Temple — now studded with special high-tech lighting system — is admired worldwide and was never put off, except under exceptional circumstances.

Former SGPC secretary Kulwant Singh said that a similar situation had occurred twice — during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars — when the lights of the Golden Temple complex were switched off as security measures.

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) secretary Partap Singh said that this exercise was to be acknowledged keeping in view the importance of the civil defence drills undertaken as a part of checking preparedness against hostile threats.

“In compliance, the whole complex was plunged into darkness during the designated span. Observing the ‘maryada’, the lights were on at the places where ‘parkash’ of Sri Guru Granth Sahib were being held, but kept on dim mode. Moreover, the spots, where the ‘akhand path’ was being performed, were already covered from all sides — leaving little scope for noticing the luminosity from outside,” he said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs had ordered several states to implement blackout measures as mock drills to reduce visibility for enemy aircraft. The purpose was to avoid attracting enemy attention and potentially being targeted.