The destruction of Sikh Heritage

[kamalroop singh]

Vahiguroo Ji Ka Khalsa

Vahiguroo Ji Ke Fateh!!!

It is very sad to see the destruction that has been noted by Gurmeet Rai and others. The SGPC and its leader Vedanti Sahib have a lot to answer for, they need some accountability. It is a shame that people spend their time in arguments, rather than doing something to educate and save our heritage.

This picture was taken by Das of Baba Atal Rai Gurudwara, and shows the replacement of freco work, and gold bordering and minakari, with what we in the west would call "toilet tiles". It is quite amazing that with all the donations the S.G.P.C recieve from the hard working people of Punjab that they cant do any better than this sad picture.

Maybe it will be a good idea to campaign against people donating money in SGPC gurudwaras. They are obsessed with white washing anything they see with paint. Ramsar Sahib in the area also had fresco's, sadly they are no longer there, and have been long destroyed by the SGPC "seva".

The Akal Takht also had fresco's but again these were destoyed in the "Gurmata". This was after the restoration of the Akal Bunga by Baba Santa Singh leader of the Buddha Dal. Das has a very nice picture showing the so called rebuilding of the Akal Bunga Sahib. Incidently around 45% of the Akal Takht Sahib was damaged. However for some reason the Gumatta wished to raze it to the ground. Attached in another picture of the so called work of rebuilding, with an old man destroying the frescos. The whole Takht was pulled down by angry Sangat, and followers of the Dam Dami Taksal, and other factions wishing for Khalistan.

It is a shame that in their anger, they had to destroy the valubale Sikh heritage by doing more damage than the army actually did. It is quite a similar story to the Taliban destroying Buddist art in Afghanistan, and the Protestants destroying Catholic art.

May Vahiguroo bless the Panth with peace.

Panth Das Kamalroop Singh

[Guest Javanmard]

How horrible!!!!

Just imagine how many artists and skilled workers the Panth could pay in order to conserve and create beautiful places of worship. Guru Gobind Singh encouraged artists and poets but today it seems such people are not wanted in the Panth. The SGPC hates culture in the same way as the Talibans or Nazis did. The SGPC's destruction of SIkh cultural heritage, perseuction of the sampradayas and scholars through its army of criminals fully illustrates the saying of Baldur von Schirach, the leader of the Hitler Youth who said: "Wenn ich das Wort Kultur höre, dann entsichere ich meinen Revolver". When I hear the word "Culture" I take my gun out!!!

That was the Nazi theory:

here is the joint SGPC-AKJ-Taksal practise of Nazi principles:

second destruction of Sri Akal Takht by fanatic Neo-SIkh after first destruction of Akal Takht in 1984 by fascist Indian army!

[kamalroop singh]

Shame on the Panth for letting the SGPC get away with this for so long. While people are shouting abuse at the Indian Government, these British made Ferangi organisation continue to do their damage.

Here is the picture of the Kar Sewa , see the well qualifed artisans perform the Seva:

We have to ask the question? Was it necessary to knock the whole Takht down? Then not rebuild it with the original form it was in, and heritage?

[Guest]

What this is disgraceful. This is not the first time something like this has happened. There are many historical sites of Punjab which been pulled down or undergone a 'facelift', especially those from the era of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Plenty of unique and beautiful havelis are no longer standing but have been replaced by ugly shopping complexes or other unneeded constructions...

It is a terrible tragedy for all lovers of Punjab and Punjab's rich heritage.

[Narsingha]

One should question as to WHY the S.G.P.C/AKJ/Taksal etc are so keen to destroy such works....

[Guest Javanmard]

They abviously have something to hide...

[amandeepm]

These pictures highlight the absolute destruction of Sikh heritage in just a few years, what Abdali and the Indian army couldn’t do the Babas and the SGPC are doing with great relish. This is being supported by the likes of the Soho Road Gurdwara in Birmingham who have absolutely bodged and wrecked the Harimandir Sahib. All of this has happened in our own lifetimes and it is a great shame.

Anyone who reads this thread should at the very least not be complicit in any further destruction and I woudl urge you all to in the first instance stop funding these goons.

I read with some interest recently that the recent conservation effort on Michelangelo’s David in preparation for its 500th anniversary consisted of a very gentle brushing with a sable brush and all of this was watched and carefully controlled by the art world. In sharp contrast the Sikhs take their central expression of spiritual and artistic expression (the Golden Temple) and allow it to be vandalised by a bunch of brummies who whip off the old gold panels and replace them with crude poorly executed replicas. (BTW where are the priceless originals?) In doing so they whitewash over the ancient frescos on the original structure and cement over the lime plaster base. This cementing has now created a serious problem with water ingress and the marble work inside the Harimandir Sahib is now discolouring and beyond repair - shahbaash !

Opp the Golden Temple the SGPC decide to knock down the ancient Akal takht (when Michelangelo’s David was damaged by a lunatic in the 90s, the art world preserved the fragments of marble that coudl not be replaced during the conservation and have subsequently been working on analysing them to understand the type of marble that he used!). The SGPC, in contrast, knock the entire standing structure down and bin it! tearing down the old frescoes, the ancient mortars that were used for Ruggraa (Sp) and destroying the ancient plinth that was Guru HarGobinds Takht and replace it with a poorly executed replica that would put a Southall bricky to shame.

Its sickening. I could go on and on - for example the SGPC recently stuck a horrible marble facade on one of the very few remaining structures that date from the time of Guru Har Rai. I am afraid one day that they will read a book or two and find the rest just so that they can bulldoze these too.

[Guest Javanmard]

Guru Gobind Singh told us what to do with masands of that kind!!!

[SAadmin]

Really sad and sickening.

We should post this topic link to http://www.sgpc.net/forum/default.asp .

Lets see what they have to say to this! :evil: :evil:

[kamalroop singh]

It is very sad that this is happening, under the guise of restoration and the "Panth". Every year we loose something or another by this bunch of hot headed pot bellied, Chair loving, waste of space, minsters of the "faith".

In a few days, das will post up the photographs of them whitewashing, and the before and afters. Please send this link out as far and wide as possbile. It is about time the SGPC were made accountable and shamed in public.

The heritage issue goes alot further than just this, from re-writing of scripts, editing of old manuscripts, and leaving out lines when printed. To burning of manuscripts, and so on.

As for excommunication, I think the only people that need excommunicating are the SGPC. Gurus kirpa I will post the notes of the conversation I had with Jagjit Singh .

Arguements like "Paintings are no good". I replied why do you have paintings in your musuems?

The reality is because largely it is a memorial to the Neo-Sikhs of the SGPC, and one or two pictures of Ancient Sikhs that they had to put up. Whereas in the Akal Takht and Baba Atal were pictures of Akalis and Shaheeds, Singhs who they wished to reinvent. The photographs speak for themselves. Therefore I do not expect much counter arguments from the Neo-Sikhs.

This issue needs to be addressed, I am in no way trying to put salt on healing wounds. The indian army did a great injustice to the Qaum, but we have insulted our own Heritage and Guru more than anyone, even the British, simply because we do not keep a Catholic outlook, and cool head.

Kamalroop Singh

[shindasingh]

Congratulations to Mr. Kamalroop Singh and his sidekick Lallshiveri for cleverly incorporating the 1984 destruction into this.

[Beast]

But without something revolutionary happening, I just don't see the SGPC removing itself. They are making too much money and have too much power - and to them this seems more important than Sikh Heritage.

People will look back at our history and comment that it wasn't the Indian Govt that destroyed sacred Sikh shrines, but the Sikhs themselves.

[Guest Javanmard]

Also there were paintings depicting Radha and Krishna whose stories have been told in Dasam Guru Granth and Bhagat Jaydev's "Gitagovinda".

[Beast]

Congratulations to Mr. Kamalroop Singh and his sidekick Lallshiveri for cleverly incorporating the 1984 destruction into this.

Mods, can we make sure that this thread doesn't get hijacked by people who only wish to make personal attacks.

(can I ask Kamalroop Singh, Lalleshvari, amandeepm, etc not to respond to those who support the SGPC but yet cannot validate their actions; hence resorting to misdirection)

[Guest]

Remember this one?

http://www.sikhawareness.com/sikhawareness...shed+tarn+taran

- Frescos of Hindu gods, including Ram and Krishna, have disappeared during the ‘kar seva’ being carried out by Baba Jagtar Singh at the behest of the SGPC. The paintings of Sikh Gurus, Sikh warriors and religious leaders have been included during the ‘kar seva’ at Darbar Sahib at Tarn Taran. — Tribune photo Rajiv Sharma

[guv]

Congratulations to Mr. Kamalroop Singh and his sidekick Lallshiveri for cleverly incorporating the 1984 destruction into this.

care to elaborate?

kamalroop, i remember attending a very disturbing & saddening lecture by gurmeet rai at the victoria & albert museum. is there anything we can do to help? anyway in which we can give donations or volunteer to help with her restoration efforts?

[Beast]

^ don't ask them to elaborate guv, otherwise it will end in a petty slanging match. Those that support the SGPC will have achieved their aim in misdirecting people away from the heinous act of destruction and the message delivered to us by Kamalroop Singh will be forgotten. Leave shindasingh to his immature comments and lets concentrate on the topic at hand.

[Sherni-E-Punjab]

BEAST CAN ACTUALLY WRITE ...SOMEWOT IN A SCHOLARLY MANNER?

FO REAL SERIOUS DUDE?

[Beast]

lol

yes, miracles do occur

[kamalroop singh]

VahigurooJiKaKhalsa

VahigurooJiKeFateh!

The facts remain facts, the Indian Army damaged the Akal Takht, it was a heinious crime, which we all hang our heads with sorrow and grief, each year in mourning. It was a tragic loss, it was a knife in the heart a wound into the Sikh Panth.

However, to add to the sacriledge done in the name of National stablility, and all the political tensions, which are tragic, and some what disgusting. That the head of the SPGC the late Gurcharan Singh "Tohra" ran away when he promised to uphold the Akal Takht. He later became the head of the SGPC. Tell me who the hypocrites are?

Then to add insult to injury the angry Sangat, under the whim of the Khalistani's, destroyed the rest of the intact Takht, as well as that restored by Baba Santa Singh.

This is fact, it is not clever, it is simply dusted under the carpet, by those whose brains are simply filled with the heroism of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji, and Khalistan Movement.

What we can do is the following:

1: Find old artifacts photograph them.

2: Look on the net for Sikh antiques, if you have the money buy them.

3: Educate people about this, send this link out. I for one have no worries, since I made all my opinions clear to the leader of the SGPC Mr Vedanti Sahib.

Fact is fact, the Akal Takht is not what it used to be, much of the original hand painting has been achieved by tiling as well. None of the orginal fresco's survive. They did survive the Indian Army attack, but not the rage of the Taksal and Khalistani inspired Sangat.

We are our own worst enemies.

The truth may hurt Mr Shinda Ji, but if you are convicted to the Truth. Then you well except that War, and Civil unrest are tragic, and war never goes the way any leader wants. It is as it is, a tragic loss to the Panth. A cocktail of political fighting, and power struggles.

Vahiguroo Bless us with peace.

[Guest]

2: Look on the net for Sikh antiques, if you have the money buy them.

This is an excellent idea. I had come across some coins from Maharaja Ranjit Singh era on eBay only a couple of months ago. They were silver and in Persian language. I kick myself now for not bidding on them.

Also came across some weapons but they were beyond my price range.

But what you suggested is a great idea. You have my email address or PM me and i am willing to start looking and collecting. If you are interested we can find a common storage for things we collect and years from now find an appropriate place in Punjab where they can be brought back home to, and why not? I will collect Sikh and Punjabi treasures for rest of my life and bring them back home where they belong. The cost is of no concern to me and i am not interested in making money or losing money, only interested in preserving our rich heritage.

Sat Sri Akaal.

[Guest Javanmard]

Cultural heritage is not a static entity it needs to be kept alive!

The bungas around Hrimandar Sahib need to be re-created with the best teacher of the sampradayas who have both a traditional and universal training.

Painters, masons, musicians, calligraphers need to be trained!

[challenge_everything]

What a sorry state the Qaum is in when the sikhs of the Guru tear down the Akaal Takht due to their blind red mist of anger and rage...

How did we let this happen???

Waheguru kirpa kare.... may the ignorant masses not be manipulated by the equally ignorant S.G.P.C again!

Hopefully some of our history will survive!

"Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Da Bhalla"

[Hari]

Everybody can do there bit to preserve our cultural heritage.I have a few Sikh Raj coins, and am always on the look out for more coins when I go India (I'm a bit of a numismatist).If you have spare money floating around, use it to buy coins, books etc. from auctions and jewellers in India, jewellers in India tend to have antique coins etc.Go India if and when you you can, and document what you see, buy what you can.

Just one more thing: Maybe you could do as I do, pray to Mahakaal to destroy this wicked SGPC :evil:

Destroy these sinners the SGPC Mahakaal!!Death, destruction and suffering upon the heads of the SGPC!!

Mahakaaaal!!! :evil:

[Singh47]

What a bunch of disgraceful comments I am seeing here. How is demolishing the Indira Gandhi’s recreated Akal Takht against our heritage? It was a matter of honour and Izzat, which I don’t expect you most of you here to understand since some of you don’t even understand our Punjabi heritage. The only people who were a disgrace to their people were the likes of Baba Santa Singh, Giani Zial Singh, and General Brar who collaborated with Indira Gandeee against the wishes of the Panth. These GOI nurtured people should be the ones who are responsible for the tearing down of the Akal Takht. Had they not acted like servants of Indira Gandhi by kissing her butt maybe the Panth would not have had to rebuild the Akal Takht from scratch. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!