Guru Gobind’s footwear to be housed at Takht Patna Sahib

In custody of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri's family for nearly three centuries, the holy footwear worn by Guru Gobind Singh and his third wife Mata Sahib Kaur has now found a new home — Takht Sri Patna Sahib, the birthplace of the tenth Sikh Guru.

The announcement to house 300-year-old Jore Sahib (a shoe each of the tenth Sikh Guru and his wife) at the gurdwara was made here on Saturday by Hardeep Puri and presidents of the Takht Sri Patna Sahib management committee and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee Jagjot Singh Sohi and Harmeet Singh Kalka, respectively.

Earlier, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) had maintained that the genuineness of Jore Sahib must be ascertained since all relics of Sikh Gurus were in possession of the Sikh body and had been authenticated by it.

Also read: Hardeep Puri requests PM to find suitable home for 'Jore Sahib', footwear of Guru Gobind Singh and Mata Sahib Kaur

'Jore Sahib' should be placed at Takth Patna Sahib gurdwara: Tarlochan

The schedule for a nagar kirtan to take the holy relics from the home of Puri’s late cousin Jasmeet Singh Puri in Delhi’s Karol Bagh to the Takht Sri Patna Sahib will be announced soon. Takht Sri Patna Sahib is already home to Guru Gobind Singh's robe, a sword he carried as a child, four arrows, a dagger and his footwear.

Hardeep Puri said the decision to safe-keep Jore Sahib at Patna was taken unanimously by a committee of Sikh leaders formed recently.

“The committee spoke to the Sikh community and overwhelmingly recommended that since Guru Gobind Singh ji was born in Patna Sahib, the Takht Sri Patna Sahib Gurdwara Committee should be requested to assume charge of serving the Jore Sahib," Puri said.

There was one view that suggested placement at Anandpur Sahib, where Dasam Guru founded the Khalsa Panth but Patna was overwhelmingly favoured. Puri shared historical sources and results of the Ministry of Culture's Carbon-14 dating on Jore Sahib to cite their authenticity.

The Holy Jore Sahib finds a mention in Mahakosh, the most authentic source of Sikh traditions written by Bhai Kaan Singh Nabha in Gurmukhi. It says, “The sacred relics the holy Jore Saheb belong to Guru Gobind Singh ji (1666-1708) and his third wife Mata Sahib Kaur ji, also known as Khalse di Mata. Two Sikhs namely Rocha Mahal and Anar Singh from village Dhamiyal of Rawalpindi served the sangat in Anandpur Sahib with much dedication. Guru Gobind Singh and Mata Sahib were pleased with their service to the sangat. At their request, Guruji and Mata Saheb gave them their shoes as a nishani. They returned to Dhamiyal with their pairs.”

Puri family records refer to Jore Sahib from Dhamiyal. The minister says family elder Beant Singh Puri brought the holy relics by air to India in 1947. “Beant Singh Puri’s eldest son Avtar Singh, whose will mentions Jore Sahib, held custody which was later passed on to Jasmeet Singh Puri,” the minister told The Tribune.

In 1947, the relics were placed at the Rohtak Road residence of Jasmeet Puri. This road was later renamed Guru Gobind Singh Marg.  It was after Jasmeet Singh’s demise that his wife involved Hardeep Puri for help to house the sacred objects. This is when Puri approached the Centre and PM Narendra Modi directed finding a suitable home.

The Culture Ministry findings say, “Holy Jore Saheb is an authentic object which has remained the object of reverence amongst millions of devotees for the last three centuries. Bhai Kaan Singh Nabha has mentioned about the Puri family and the sacred object in his Mahakosh which is the most authentic source on Sikh tradition. The fact that the family has one foot each proves they have not invented the tradition. Had they invented the tradition they could have invented the other pair also.”

One of five temporal seats

• The Takht Sri Patna Sahib is one of the five temporal seats for Sikhs, the others being the Akal Takht (Amritsar), Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib (Nanded), Takht Kesgarh Sahib (Anandpur Sahib) and Takht Sri Damdama Sahib (Talwandi Sabo).
• Former MP Tarlochan Singh said, “I was the first to suggest through The Tribune that the holy Jore Sahib should be placed at Sri Patna Sahib gurdwara, the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh. I welcome the decision.”