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Nihangs - Lohgarh Collection


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Guest Dancing Warrior

:wub: Freed Ji,

Thank you once again, just a few questions the picture of Sahib Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji shown with Large Dastar and Large Farla, from what period is it?

I noticed in a few of the pics Nihungs wearing earring something we don’t see these days, I’ve often asked learned people about this with mixed results, what’s your take on it? Just Artists impressions?

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Dear Dancing Warrior,

Gurfateh

The picture with Guru Sahib with the Large Dastar and Farla - came from a magazine and didn't have a date. It is the only painting I have seen showing Guru Sahib with what we would recognise as a 'nihang' dumala and 'farla' . From the pose, the style and shape of the beard and the placing of the bow on the shoulder - I think it is not very old and more likely to be a copy of the famous 1971 era Sobha Singh painting.

Your question about the earrings is interesting - many people say these type of paintings are just representations and painters use certain 'iconography' to show that people are royal or of some importance - ie. jewelry, halo flywisk etc - this may be true of Indian painters but if you look at Soltykoff's drawings of Nihangs and indeed photographs of Duleep Singh and other Punjabi Maharajas - they all wear those large hooped earrings with emeralds etc . So I am of the opinion that they did wear them , as Soltykoff and Schoefft would have no need to use Indian iconography- they painted what they saw - and many of their Sikh and Nihang subjects wear earrings.

Anyone who has spent time with Nihangs will know they are very fond of 'Shingaar' - this usually takes the form of Flowers ,bells, medals and all manner of tinsel and gold - though this is mainly to decorate the kesh, dumallas and Shastar. Earrings and piercings are totally forbidden among Modern day Nihangs - but this may not of always been so.

I think this is a case of people trying to place/ enforce their understanding of 'Modern' Rehat onto people in history - without taking into account the historical setting and those peoples' understanding and adherence to 'rehat'.

Dear Gurbar Akal ji

Gurfateh !

No worries, I will post the full uncropped versions - probably tomorrow

Many Thanks for your feed back

Freed

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Dear Dancing Warrior ji,

Here is an interesting picture, it shows Dessay Singh, in around 1870 - he was in the employ of the Nizam of Hyderabad as a Police officer. Macauliffe (1909) writes that there were 12 hundred Sikh troops in the Nizam's army and over 300 police officers.

Dessay Singh wears a small dumalla with Tora and Chand - but he also wears the clothes of a man of some standing together with a 'kentha' necklace and what appears to me as an earring. His beard also appears to have been rolled and tied.

What do you think, is it an earring ?

**Important note - I am in no way disrespecting Rehat Maryada - all organisations agree that piercings are not allowed and no Sikh is allowed to have the blessing of amrit whilst wearing piercings . I am just discussing individuals and pictures from history. As we all know adherence to rehat is a very personal matter.**

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*Picture from Warrior Saints (Madra & Singh 1999)

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Gurfateh 'Gurbar Akal' Bhai Sahib !

Here are the uncropped pictures as promised :

August Schoefft's famous 'Dussehra' painting of Ranjit Singh's Darbar

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A mural from the 'Temple of Bairagis' - Ram Tatwali Dist. Hoshiaarpur

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M. Ranjit Singh's 'Sowaaree' - cast in silver by 'Garrards of London'

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A gilded panel from the entrances of the Baba Atal Tower

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A 'Marwar' (Rajasthani) painting of Guru Gobind Singh's journey to Deccan dated around 1770-80

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A folio from Sri Dasm Granth - Jaap Sahib from c1870

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The darbar of Ranjit Singh c1830

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M. Sher Singh seated in the Shish Mahal Lahore Fort - painted by August Schoeftt 1841

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M.Ranjit Singh Listens to Gurbani with the Darbar Sahib in the Background - painted by A. Schoefft 1841

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Watercolours of William Carpenter 1854

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Sardar of the Kanhaiya Misal - S. Jai Singh - pahari painting by Nainsukh c 1775

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'Indian Scenes and Characters' by A Soltykoff 1859 - depicting the Raj of Maharaja Sher Singh

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Enjoy !

Freed

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Guest Dancing Warrior
Dear Dancing Warrior ji,

Here is an interesting picture, it shows Dessay Singh, in around 1870 - he was in the employ of the Nizam of Hyderabad as a Police officer. Macauliffe (1909) writes that there were 12 hundred Sikh troops in the Nizam's army and over 300 police officers.

Dessay Singh wears a small dumalla with Tora and Chand - but he also wears the clothes of a man of some standing together with a 'kentha' necklace and what appears to me as an earring. His beard also appears to have been rolled and tied.

What do you think, is it an earring ?

**Important note - I am in no way disrespecting Rehat Maryada - all organisations agree that piercings are not allowed and no Sikh is allowed to have the blessing of amrit whilst wearing piercings . I am just discussing individuals and pictures from history. As we all know adherence to rehat is a very personal matter.**

dsc02359ce8.jpg

dsc02360qw2.jpg

*Picture from Warrior Saints (Madra & Singh 1999)

Freedji

I think you’re right it does look like a stud of some nature and not a ring type, maybe the wearing of earrings is a modern addition to Rehit Maryadas? Maybe in the old world no body really cared? I don’t know.

The kentha and the earrings could suggest the person could be of Jhat or Rajput descent. The earrings seem to be a small dome stud with a type of work done around it reminds me of a similar type I have seen before in a Rajasthani work which was of Kartik dome faced, moustached with the flame like perimeter of the sun.

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