'martyrdom Of The Akal Takhat'

[Freed]

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh !

Dedicated to all the Shaheed Singh Singhneean of the Panth

Yogi Bhajan described the army attack on the Harimandir Sahib as the 'Martyrdom of the Akal Takht' in a lecture he described the Akal Takht as voluntarily offering itself for sacrifice.

(Gurdwara lecture July 1 1984)

As a mark of respect to all those who gave their lives in June 1984 here is a collection of images of the 'Sri Takht Sahib Akal Bunga Ji' - The Siri Akal Takht Sahib.

P S Arshi 's description and map of Siri Akal Takht Sahib

Early 1900s

W. Carpenter's watercolour 'The Akal Takht' - 1854

In 1967 - during the Punjabi Suba Morcha

In the late 1960s early 1970s

[Freed]

The intricate marble floors infront of the Akal Takht

The interior in the 1970s

Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Display of Shasters

Frescoes in the Akal Takht - now lost

Guru Sahiban

Bhai Bidhi Chand - a fresco depicting Bhai Bidhi Chand presenting Guru Hargobind Sahib with 'Dilbagh' and 'Gulbagh' - horses a Sikh had wanted to present to Guru Sahib , but they were seized by the Governor of Lahore - Bhai Bidhi Chand recovered the horses from Lahore - the first horse was recovered by Bidhi Chand while he was disguised as a hay seller, he recovered the second horse disguised as an astrologer.

A panorama of The Darbar Sahib in the early 1970s

[Freed]

Akal Takht in the early 1980s

After the Army Attack

The interior of the Akal Takht after the army attack and the 1984 'Sarkari' repairs

The dome of the Akal Takht in 1986 during the 'rebuilding'

The original Minars of the Ramgarhia Bunga

A poem by Guru Das Singh - written about the 1984 attack on Amritsar and being prevented from visiting Amritsar

Sri Akal Takhat Sahib - today

Pictures taken from ;

* The History of the Sikh Dharma of the Western Hemisphere - SS Shanti Kaur Khalsa - SDP - 1995

*Sikh Architecture - P S Arshi - I P H - 1986

*The Golden Temple - Patwant Singh - ETP - 1988

*Marg - Vol XXX No.3 June 1977

*Khalsa Panth - Khushwant Singh - Tricolour - 1984

*Indian Temples and Palaces - Michael Edwardes - Hamlyn - 1969

*Sikhism - W Owen Cole Piara Singh Sambhi -Ward Lock - 1973

*Guru Nanak's Birthday - Margaret Davidson - Pergamon - 1982

*Des Pardes Weekly - No 787 - 13 July 1984

Bhul Chuk Maaf

Ranjit Singh 'Freed'

[blatisingh]

There is an initial action that has taken place to force us to come to our identity of Khalsa. That initial action was performed by Akal Takhat. Akal Takhat has reached its own martyrdom. Nobody could destroy Akal Takhat. I don't believe anybody could. If it was possible, then it could have happened many times before. Akal Takhat, the throne of the imperial as well as the divine power, has come to question if we are worthy to keep it. Are we worthy to keep it ever in its glory or not? This is a very internal question. It cannot be answered emotionally. It has nothing to do with sentiments and commotion. It asks a simple question.

A takhat, a throne, rules. It is a crown of rulership, divine as well as earthly, and when the rulership comes under destruction, it asks me a question. It will ask you a question. It should ask the entire humanity, "What went wrong?" Now the time has come to correct what went wrong. This is the greatest sacrifice that has been made in the history of our lives. Akal Takhat has offered itself as a sacrifice. To understand this, you have to believe in the identity of the Akal Takhat. People have been dying, our history is full of it. We will die too. Dying is as easy as pulling a tooth. One Novacain injection and then there's no pain.

I'm not talking about individual dying. In the history of our universe, this is the first time a place with the identity of rulership of the ether and of the earth, mortal and immortal, a central source of that energy, that psyche, that nucleus, has sacrificed itself. This is not an unimportant thing for the humanity. It is very important. The earth shall shake. Events will come. This is the greatest sacrifice. This is the first time Akal Takhat as an identity, as a ruling identity of the Khalsa, has sacrificed itself so that the mankind can live. It will bring the humanity to an understanding.

If Jesus had not gone on the cross and forgiven those who put them there, he would not have been Jesus the Christ. He would have been just Jesus, like any other. But he established himself as Christ when he looked and said, "If this cup can pass, fine, if not I'll accept Thy Will. Forgive them. They do not know what they do."

We must show that forgiveness, and act powerfully. Either we believe Guru is with us or we don't believe Guru is with us. If we believe Guru is with us, and Guru guides us, then we are not without leadership. There is nobody, nobody who can be my leader. No Sikh is going to accept the leadership of any man. We have accepted once and for all the leadership of the Siri Guru Granth. Therefore, I can explain to you in very clear consciousness that we shall not only win, but we will carry the day with us.

I agree we are slow. We are slow, but we are conscious. We are growing, and the growing bud has the power. Once a rosebud came between two marble bricks. You know that marble is a pretty hard stone, but when the bud wanted to open, it cracked the marble bricks. To open the bud takes the power of God, and there is nothing in the elements of the earth which is powerful enough to stop the bud from opening.

Guru Arjun gave the sacrifice; we became victorious. Guru Teg Bahadur gave the sacrifice; we became victorious. Guru Gobind Singh and his entire family gave the sacrifice, and we became victorious. Today our Akal Takhat has given the sacrifice; we shall not lose!

I have a difference of opinion from everybody because I have no opinion of my own. I have a view of things. This view is as truthful to me as I am to myself. I am crying. I'm in pain, not for myself, but for those who have done this act. Akal Takhat has its own identity and Akal Takhat has given its own sacrifice. Guru Teg Bahadur had his own identity and Guru Teg Bahadur gave his own sacrifice. As a Sikh I have no right to question it. I'm not going to question why Akal Takhat did what Akal Takhat did. If I question, then I am not a Sikh of the Guru. I think my discipline is enough that I shall not question. I know that if Akal Takhat has chosen to give its sacrifice, then it must be required.

Guru Arjun could have given in and the matter would have ended. If Guru Arjun chose to sacrifice and explained his sacrifice to Mian Mir, I have learned from it. Guru Teg Bahadur chose to sacrifice, and he told the entire world. I learned from that. If Guru Gobind Singh gave his sacrifice and Guru Gobind Singh's sons gave their sacrifice, I learned from those. If my Akal Takhat has given a sacrifice, then I am learning from it also.

I'm neither crediting nor discrediting anybody who was there. Akal Takhat wanted, at this moment, to awaken the Khalsa nation and this nation could not have come out of that sleep by any other means than through the sacrifice of Akal Takhat. This nation would not have been awakened by any other sacrifice but the end of the Akhand Jotee in Harimander. This head of mine belongs to the Guru; therefore, this head must think and work for the Guru.

Akal Takhat has totally sacrificed itself. I would like you to share with me something which I have been sharing all along. Akal Takhat has its own independent sovereign identity. Akal Takhat had to sacrifice itself to awaken these Sikhs. There was no other way.

Do you really think that people who have never gotten up in the morning, have never taken a cold shower and never chanted Japji in their whole lives could have been awakened by anything other than Akal Takhat's own sacrifice? I don't believe that anything other than the sacrifice of the Akal Takhat could do it. Now that sacrifice has been done. The nation will wake up. It will rise in spirit; it will win. You talk about Khalistan, Pakistan, this-stan, that-stan. I'll call it "Dhunistan." The whole world is going to come under it. It is the greatest sacrifice ever made. It must bring the greatest positive result that could ever happen.

Out of my pain, I have been praying whenever I go to Gurdwara. Whenever I go to some houses, I have nothing to share because there is liquor and chicken and this and that. Through just seeing this impurity in tons and tons I would pray every morning, "Guru Ji, if there will be no purity, there will be no Khalsa. Do something!" I think that what Guru has done is to ask Akal Takhat to go ahead now and sacrifice. I think the sacrifice is very timely. It will just awaken every sleeping soul.

If you tell a Sikh that Akal Takhat has sacrificed itself he will say that it is not true. That the Indian government sent the army there and blew up the Akal Takhat. I say that Aurangzeb sent the army and beheaded Guru Teg Bahadur. What is the difference? It couldn't be done by the police. It couldn't be done by a paramilitary force. That is the history. That is a fact.

[Guest Akirtghan]

shoudln't this be in the gursikhi gems section like all of bhai sahib's other posts?