The Lost Gems of Darbar Sahib

[Freed]

These Pictures show some of the many lost gems of The Darbar Sahib.

Some gems were lost due to nature , some due to the British,some due to Operation Bluestar and some due to the neglect of the SGPC.

This Picture is a 19th C. Oil - showing The Minars of the Ramgarhia Bunga - complete with domes - The domes were lost due to an earthquake in 1905 - these were rebuilt, after the damage caused by Bluestar, along with the Minars quite recently. The picture also shows the Havelis and Bungas of Sikh Sardars - some demolished by the British to make A Gothic clock Tower , some demolished by the SGPC to make the Langar Hall, Manji Sahib and widen the parikarma.

*taken from The Sikh Heritage - Dr Daljeet 2004 pg38

This picture also shows the now demolished Bungas havelis and akharas - Ironically the ones we remember in The standardized SGPC Ardas - I believe the big one is the NauNihal Singh Haveli (Grandson of Ranjit Singh)

This picture shows the Marble Marker which used to show where Baba Deep Singh Fell defending The Darbar Sahib - I don't know if this is a modern myth, but I've heard Dhadi Jathas claim that during Op Bluestar the Tanks could not go further than this spot - as if the Shahid Faujan were keeping them back .- This part of the parikarma has been repaved with plain marble.

*taken from The Sikhs -Sondeep Shankar Gurbachan Singh 1998

These next pictures show the Courtyard between the Harimandir and the Akal Takht - This was damaged during Bluestar - This beautiful marble floor was highly intricate with geometric patterns and animals and birds - All now Gone - with no explanation

*taken from One Day at The Golden Temple - Rupinder Khallar 1997

This picture shows the gorgeous marble work in front of the Akal Takht - paid for by amongst others Mah. Sher Singh son of Ranjit Singh and the Maharajas of Jind and Kapurthala - the central round feature was beautiful with animals flowers and birds - Similar to the work that can be seen in the upper storey of the Harimandir -under Guru ji's Manji Sahib.

All this priceless work has disappeared -quite recently - the courtyard is now paved with plain marble slabs and the central feature replaced with a much simpler design.

*taken from Marg Vol XXX 3 1977 - pg 37

This is the marble inlay( from the Harmandir upper floor ) that the Akal takht work resembled

* taken from Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms - Susan Strong 1999 pg 57

These 2 photographs show frescos from the Akal Takht - Lost after Op Bluestar and the rebuilding

*taken from Sikh Architecture P S Arshi 1986

*taken from The Golden Temple - Patwant Singh 1988

This last Picture shows the remains of the Sikh Reference Library after Operation Blue Star.

*pic from sikhtimes.com

I hope this post hasn't depressed you all too much - these pictures always make me sad and angry .

This Post is dedicated to all those who gave their lives and energies to beautify, protect and defend Siri Harmandir Sahib.

Waheguru ji ka Khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh ! Sat Siri Akaal ! GurBar Akaal !

[Beast]

It seems that Darbar Sahib needs to be protected from it's inhabitants as well as outside forces!

[challenge_everything]

dithai sabhai thaav nahee tudh jehiaaa....

waheguru

baba deep singhs shaheedi space moved - ae hae

waheguru

this is the reason why the saying has come about

'in panjaab there is no culture only agriculture.'

maust have taken sevadars ages to make those intricate tiles but not very onlg at all to pave over them with marble

internal adn external threats - waheguru

[amandeepm]

Freed, another excellent post with some really powerful images. Perhaps those idealogues who opposed the UNESCO dossier woudl like to offer a realistic approach to preserving heriateg rather than shouting about sovereignty hysterically seeing the application as a GOI plot! This is what happens when sikh leadership is left to its own devices. Slowly they will turn The Darbar Sahib into a giant golak and pave over the sarovar to make seating for sikhs to listen to kirtan blasted out over loudspeakers.

[Dynamic_Banda]

what a good idea, i mean alot of the sarovar is unused as nobody swims out past the several steps

lets add floats and platforms in the sarovar for people to sit on and stick aqua speakers in the water so when u do a chubee or are pushed off the floats you can still hear the kirtan .. !!

[challenge_everything]

why not have underwater part to darbar sahib where there is a continuous akhand paath that no one listens like the akhand paath above water!

that would be chardi kala

[stopsingh]

Or how about one of them walk through under water tunnels like they have at aquariums/sea life centres so you can walk under the sarovar. SGPC could charge 5RS to use this and use the money to pay the debts owed to the SGPC colleges by SGPC members.

[karmjeet]

waheguru ...........................