A pictorial tribute to 9th Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur

Ravi S Singh

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Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 4

A pictorial exhibition on life and martyrdom of the 9th Sikh Guru, Tegh Bahadur, held in Gurdwara Bangla Sahib here on Saturday, was thronged by devotees of all ages.

The exhibition, however, was a wholesome montage of more than 40 pictorial frames depicting the celebrated moments in the lives of all the Sikh Gurus.

While some of the frames were purely edifying, loaded with mystical frisson of spiritual excitement for some of the apparently spell-bound devotees, the others were a lesson in the religion-spiritual historicity of Sikhism.

A painting of Bhai Jaita, who was later lionised as Baba Jiwan Singh, reverently carrying the severed head of martyred Guru( Tegh Bahadur) from Delhi to Anandpur (Punjab) to be handed over to the latter’s son, Guru Gobind Singh, for conduct of obsequies, apparently touched the deep chord among the visitors.

Bhai Jaita, a Sikh general, who hailed from a low caste, was an associate of Guru Gobind Singh.

The recorded history says that Bhai Jaita, who helplessly witnessed the beheading of Tegh Bahadur, demonstrated exemplary courage in whisking away the severed head.

Another painting depicting the severance of the Guru’s head by a henchman of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb had one inset of the head and the torso, which is in a sitting posture, on a cot. Another inset showed two other Sikh associates of the Guru being tortured in captivity by Mughals.

The painting had another inset showing a courtier informing Aurangzeb of the execution (beheading) of the Guru.

Guru Tegh Bahadur was executed on the order of Aurangzeb for defending his faith and championing the cause of others.

Also, a painting depicting Guru Nanak’s visit to Mecca in blue robe and in another him reclining with his feet towards Kabba and the legend related to it, were also of mega attraction.

One Sikh legend has it that when the Kazi objected to Guru Nanak’s feet pointing towards Kabba, the latter asked him to turn his feet to some other side where there was no Kaaba. When the Kazi moved the feet, Kabba started revolving in synchrony with the direction of the feet moved.

Besides, a painting of Nanak offering “aarti” (prayer ritual) at the Lord Jagganath temple in Odisha was also cynosure to all eyes.

The exhibition was organised by the Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan with the support of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC).