Rare fresco of Guru Nanak Dev, his disciples damaged

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 19

In a glaring lapse, a rare fresco of Guru Nanak Dev with his two sons and disciples, Bala and Mardana, that adorned the ‘samadh’ in front of the Golden Temple’s main entrance plaza has been painted with white emulsion.

Instead of initiating efforts to conserve the fresco with the best techniques available nowadays, the authorities as well as the firm involved in the construction of entrance plaza frustrated the efforts put in by a local heritage lover.

The rare wall painting depicts pictures of the first Sikh master, Guru Nanak Dev, and his two sons, Sri Chand and Laxmi Chand, besides his disciples Bala and Mardana playing ‘rabab’. The sides of the painting have peeled off.

The ‘samadh’ belongs to Mahant Tehal Dass Akhara, one of the 12 akharas situated around Darbar Sahib. As per history, the foundation stone of the akhara was laid by Baba Sri Chand, the elder son of Guru Nanak Dev. Similar frescos were present inside the dome of the ‘samadh’, but with the passage of time, they were damaged.

The district administration had expressed its helplessness in preserving the wall painting as it is a private property of the Akhara. The ongoing construction of the Golden Temple entrance plaza has further damaged the fresco.

Rajneesh Khosla, a heritage lover and popularly known as ‘manuscript man’ for his collection of centuries-old rare handwritten manuscripts, got a glass frame with a sagwan wooden frame fixed, in order to stop the seepage of moisture. The glass is missing now while the wooden frame was still there while the sides of the fresco have been whitewashed with white paint. Khosla said the fresco was made from natural colours, but it was damaged due to the negligent approach of all concerned.

The preservation experts pointed out that the damage to the fresco couldn’t be undone, but it could be saved from further damage with the help of latest techniques.

“Since it is a non-replenishable embodiment of our ancient religious cultural heritage it needs to be conserved through best available means,” said Khosla.