Scribe finishes work on Sikh holy book

[nanosecond]

Scribe finishes work on Sikh holy book

BY FLORENCE A. SAMY

KUALA LUMPUR: What is 1.5m long, 0.5m wide, 0.2m high and weighs 45kg? And you cannot eat it but can certainly read it!

Well, it is a 1,430-page handwritten copy of the Sikh holy book Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

What makes this copy truly different from the usual printed copies is that it is written in traditional Gurumukhi calligraphy, which involves linking all the words. Moreover, every page in the handwritten copy starts and ends with the same word.

The man behind this feat – the first such attempt in Malaysia and possibly even worldwide – is Jaswant Singh Khosa, 66.

“There is continuous writing on each page as all the words are joined together. Thus, I could not afford to make a mistake,” he said, referring to the need for precision to ensure that the same word was found at the start and end of each page.

MAMMOTH TOME: Jaswant Singh's copy of the 'Guru Granth Sahib Ji', which is said to be the largest of its kind in the world. The book will be donated to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab.

Jaswant Singh said not everyone could pick up a pen and write the holy book.

“You have to be blessed by God to do it,” he said.

He added that he went for an amrit (baptism) in 1992 before he started writing.

And what makes it all the more interesting and lends credence to his observation is that the Muar-born writer was known for his dreadful handwriting in the past.

“My dad used to have very poor writing

. It would have (been) beyond his capability to write the book previously,” said his son Amerpal Singh Khosa, 40.

“There was a force guiding him as the words in the book look like they are printed even though he wrote them!”

Jaswant Singh took three years to complete the book, finishing it early last year. However, the book was only sent for binding last month as it was hard to get someone to do the job because of its size.

“I started the book in 1999, but took some time off for family commitments,” he said.

Jaswant Singh: 'Writing the book has made me a happier and healthier person'

While working on the book, he was so disciplined that he would sit for 10 hours at a stretch to write one page after another.

“There were no distractions. I drew the curtains and locked myself in the room. There was no noise, not even family interruptions,” he said.

The work was undoubtedly demanding.

“It took five hours just to write two pages,” recalled the father of five.

So why then did he do it?

For Jaswant Singh, a retired security guard, it was neither money nor fame that inspired him to write the book. This, he said, was a labour of love.

“I’m not getting any money for it. I just want to encourage the younger generation to write in this traditional calligraphy,” he said.

The book was displayed recently in the Kampung Baru Sikh temple, Tatt Khalsa Diwan, to help raise money for its building fund.

Temple president Indar Singh Khosa said the book was so heavy that it took two people to carry it.

Jaswant Singh's copy is, therefore, much valued and he has been offered US$60,000 (RM228,000) for it.

“This book is not for sale, but will be donated to the Golden Temple in Amritsar in Punjab so that others can benefit from it,” he said.

But will the handwritten cop

y hold up well over the years?

According to Jaswant Singh, who is also Parti Punjabi Malaysia deputy president, it would as it was written using special ink on high-quality paper.

Jaswant Singh said producing a handwritten copy of the holy book was a childhood dream which started when he was studying in India. However, he was only able to pursue it after going for the amrit 12 years ago.

In fact, this is his second effort in producing a handwritten copy of Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

He completed his first – a smaller copy comparable in size to the printed version – in 1998 and donated it to the Sikh temple in South Hall, London, in 1998.

“This is the hand that has written two volumes,” he said proudly.

He added that he planned to start a third one this year.

The Malaysia Book of Records, which has acknowledged Jaswant Singh’s efforts, awarded him with a certificate last week. Jaswant Singh is also planning to make a submission to the Guinness World Records.

Jaswant Singh leaves for India today to hand his book over to the temple in Amritsar.

In conjunction with the 400th anniversary of the reading of the first copy of Guru Granth Sahib Ji in the Golden Temple, the book will be sent to the temple in a procession from his ancestral village Tumbarbhan, some 88km away.

Said Jaswant Singh: “Writing the book has made me a happier and healthier person.”

[moorakh mugadh]

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

i know one very chardikalla walla singh hes frm akj jatha he is also writing but in small senches

[singh123]

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

ummmmmmmm correct me if im wrong.....but isn't it disrespectful to be callin Shri Guroo Granth Sahib Jee a book?????? :T: :T:

hopefully someone can answer this for me

:e:

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

[GABROO KHALISTAN DAH]

it is disresecfull but the person who wrote the article prob did'tn mean it, as he is'nt fully educated in sikhi

great feat by the singh

[Balait_da_Sher]

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

ummmmmmmm correct me if im wrong.....but isn't it disrespectful to be callin Shri Guroo Granth Sahib Jee a book?????? :T: :T:

hopefully someone can answer this for me

:e:

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!

;!

Our Guru is BANI as in "Bani Guru Guru hai Bani" so more emphasis should be given on the bani than number of page or the language. that what i think. :T:

That mean a news paper article which contains Bani Tuks should be treated respectfuly.

[moorakh mugadh]

That mean a news paper article which contains Bani Tuks should be treated respectfuly.

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

hunjee veerje we must thats y now days prachar is going on to stop printing in newsapaper and wedding cards and spesially on gurudwara sahib recipts wich we get when we do bheta

[Singhstah]

Waheguroo Jee Ka Khalsa!

Waheguroo Jee Kee Fateh!!

[Khalsa4ever]

What makes this copy truly different from the usual printed copies is that it is written in traditional Gurumukhi calligraphy, which involves linking all the words. Moreover, every page in the handwritten copy starts and ends with the same word.

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

Wow! amazing!

Just one question though, if every page starts and ends with the same word, doesn't that mean that the SGGS was changed to write it like that?

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

[Deep Singh]

yeah what does that mean....

i have never heard that Larivaar saroop is that way jee...sure that the article writer has not misunderstood what Giani jee said.

[Balait_da_Sher]

What makes this copy truly different from the usual printed copies is that it is written in traditional Gurumukhi calligraphy, which involves linking all the words. Moreover, every page in the handwritten copy starts and ends with the same word.

vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!!

Wow! amazing!

Just one question though, if every page starts and ends with the same word, doesn't that mean that the SGGS was changed to write it like that?

[font=GurbaniWebThic

k]vwihgurU jI kw Kwlsw!

vwihgurU jI kI &iqh!![/font][/font]

looolll i belive deep singh veer ji got it. When Jaswant singh jee said "every page starts with the same and ends with the same word" i think he meant that it is identical to other copies of Guru Granth sahib jee.

In another word not a single word has been changed. English Language