Rare relics of Sikh Gurus on display in Delhi to mark Bhai Vir Singh’s birth anniversary

The stick Guru Ram Das used to demarcate the holy pond at Harmandir Sahib, the shield Guru Tegh Bahadur used in the Battle of Kartarpur and the rabab Guru Arjan Dev played while reciting Gurbani kirtan are among the rare relics of Sikh gurus on display in the Capital as part of scholar-poet Bhai Vir Singh’s 152nd birth anniversary celebrations.

Advertisement

The relics, under the care of a family from Punjab’s Bhai Rupa village, arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday. They were on display at Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan today and will be part of the nagar kirtan Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee will be organising on Friday to mark the martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru.

Speaking to The Tribune, Bhai Buta Singh, the 13th descendant of Bhai Roop Chand (after whom the Punjab village is named) who was bestowed the relics by the Gurus, said, “It was Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru, who, during his travels to Malwa in Punjab, met Bhai Roop Chand’s family and blessed them with these precious relics. The family has preserved these for generations.”

Bhai Buta Singh’s is the only family in Malwa to house the relics of the Sikh Gurus, Director of Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan Mohinder Singh said.

The relics include the stick (khunda) of Guru Ramdas, rabab played by Guru Arjan Dev, a golden tip arrow of Guru Hargobind, a shield Guru Tegh Bahadur used in the battle of Kartarpur, wooden sandals of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s wife Mata Gujri and a dagger of Guru Gobind Singh.

All relics were on display at the lawns of the Sahitya Sadan today with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur and Competition Commission of India chairperson Ravneet Kaur as visitors.

Also on display are the kada of Guru Tegh Bahadur associated with his Assam visit, the Hukamnama of Guru Gobind Singh, Hukamnana of Mata Sundri and a container Bhai Roop Chand used for fetching water from the well.

Guru Tegh Bahadur visited Assam in 1670 to mediate peace during the conflict between the Mughals and the Ahoms.

Apart from the display of relics, the celebrations were made special by a kirtan performance by the students of Akal Academy of Himachal Pradesh’s Baru Sahib, who played musical instruments used during the times of the Gurus.

Gursharan Kaur released a special issue of Khalsa Samachar, the weekly founded by Bhai Vir Singh in 1899, which is now celebrating its 125th anniversary.

Ravneet Kaur, a special guest on the occasion, paid tribute to Bhai Vir Singh, describing his writings as a source of Sikh rejuvenation.