300-year-old footwear of Guru Gobind Singh finds new home

Days after Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s family requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to find a suitable home for 300-year-old footwear of Guru Gobind Singh and Mata Sahib Kaur their generations have served for centuries, the Sikh Sangat has taken a decision to safe keep it at Gurdwara Patna Saheb, the birthplace of the tenth Sikh Guru.

The decision was on Saturday announced jointly by Puri, presidents of Patna Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee JS Sohi and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Harmeet Singh Kalka.

Puri said the committee of Sikh historians and leaders tasked with deciding where to house the holy relics has unanimously decided to keep the Jore Saheb at Patna Saheb.

"A nagar kirtan will soon be held and the holy relics will be taken in a Yatra to Patna Saheb with utmost respect in the midst of holy chanting of Gurbani verses," Puri said.

The relics have been preserved at the Karol Bagh Delhi residence of Puri's cousin Jasmeet Singh Puri, whose wife decided to hand over the Jore Saheb for appropriate placement so that all Sikh devotees can offer prayers to them.

Puri took the matter forward with PM Modi. The Ministry of Culture got involved and carbon dating of the relics proved these were 300 years old and dated back to the times of the founder of Khalsa Panth.

References to Jore Saheb have been found in the historical Sikh text Mahakosh written by Bhai Kaan Singh Nabha.

After carbon dating a committee of Sikh leaders was formed to take a view from the Sikh community as to where Jore Saheb should be housed.

The committee consisting of Simrit Kaur, principal of Sri Ram College of Commerce, philanthropist SPS Oberoi of Sarbat da Bhala Cheritable Trust, singer Harshdeep Kaur, designer JJ Valaya among others spoke to the community and got an overwhelming opinion in favour of housing the relics at Patna Saheb gurdwara.

There was also a minority view that these be placed at gurdwara Anandpur Saheb where the Khalsa Panth was founded.

"The relics handed over to our ancestors by Guru Gobind Singh as a reward were brought to India by Beant Singh Puri of our family and has since remained with his family," Puri said.

After the Tribune broke the News of the issue of holy relics last week ex MP Tarlochan Singh had advised the Jore Saheb to be safe kept at Patna Saheb gurdwara.