Ex-Takht Jathedar welcomes ‘holy city’ resolution

Devotees turned up in large numbers to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple and Gurdwara Guru Ke Mahal, birthplace of Guru Tegh Bahadur, on his 350th martyrdom anniversay.

Giani Raghbir Singh, head granthi of the Golden Temple and former Akal Takht Jathedar, said it was an occasion to spread Guru Tegh Bahadur’s message of religious freedom, humanity and self-sacrifice.

He welcomed the decision of the state government to declare Anandpur Sahib, Amritsar Walled City and Takht Damdama Sahib as “holy cities”. Meanwhile, social activist Navdeep Singh Vichhoa criticised the SGPC and local gurdwara management committees for failing to organise any religious programme at historic Gurdwara Guru Ka Bagh on the occasion. No commemorative religious programme was held at the sacred site that was graced by both Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Arjan Dev, he said.

“It is shocking that on such a historic day, no religious function was held at a place where Guru Tegh Bahadur performed intense meditation for over nine months. Sikh history records that it was because of the Guru’s single-minded devotion here that this site came to be known as ‘Guru Ka Bagh’,” said Vichhoa.