Flowers from across globe to adorn Golden Temple

PK Jaiswar
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, August 30

On the eve of first Parkash Utsav of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Golden Temple is all decked up with aromatic flowers from India and abroad.

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

Some of these flowers have a shelf life of 15 days to six months, said Abhi Kumar who along with 250 workers is making the designs. He said there were around 12 trucks containing hundreds of quintals of flowers for the embellishment. “We feel fortunate and blessed to perform this sewa at Darbar Sahib,” he said. He added that the devotees were also volunteering for flower decoration.

“Some Delhi-based devotees have taken the sewa to bedeck the holiest shrine of Sikhs,” said Kulwinder Singh Ramdass, a spokesperson of the Shiromani committee here.

He said all arrangements had been completed for the celebrations of first Parkash Utsav of Sri Guru Granth Sahib by SGPC, different Sabha societies and devotees. He said a nagar kirtan would also be organised from historic Gurudwara Ramsar Sahib where Guru Granth Sahib was edited. It would pass through various bazaars of the walled city before culmination at the Golden Temple.

He said a ‘Jalau’ (show of splendour) would also be displayed at the Sanctum Sanctorum, Akal Takht and Gurdwara Baba Atal Rai, while Gurmat Samagam would be held in the evening. In the night, the entire complex with the illuminated with lights and fireworks would also be organised to mark the occasion, he said.