Kalgi Reaches Amritsar

[Azaad]

The holy Kalgi (plume) of Guru Gobind Singh was brought here today by a research team, comprising Harpreet Singh Sidhu, Punjab cadre DIG, and Kamaljit Singh Boparai, after 160 years.

The Kalgi was handed over to the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Gurbachan Singh, bypassing the SGPC, which had formed a committee to cross-check its authenticity. However, Sikh leaders, including SGPC secretary Dilmegh Singh, HS Boliana, former OSD to then SGPC president Joginder Singh Vedanti, were present at the Rajasansi International Airport to receive the research committee.

The event was kept a “top secret” and the media was informed at the eleventh hour since earlier efforts of Boparai to bring back the Kalgi had courted controversy. Two years ago, former Jathedar of Akal Takht Bhai Ranjit Singh had called upon the Sikhs to boycott the team.

Researchers claimed that they had pieced together facts bit by bit to examine the authenticity of the Kalgi.

The possession of the Kalgi by Maharaja Ranjit Singh has been proved from the records of the Lahore Durbar and numerous other sources. Court records of the Lahore Darbar and the daily diary of Faqir Azzizuddin testify to the manner in which Maharaja Ranjit Singh daily paid obeisance to the Kalgi.

The fact that Lord Dalhousie took the possession of the Kalgi and later purchased the same from the Court of Directors of the East India Company was also proved from correspondence between the two parties.

That the possession of the Kalgi passed to the daughter of Lord Dalhousie and through her to her husband Col WH Broun. Its possession by Colonel Broun is evident from his correspondence with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, dated 1898.

The keeper of the Asian Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum, in a letter dated January, 2006, made it clear that after Lord Dalhousie’s death, the Kalgi, along with other relics of Guru Gobind Singh, passed on to in his family.

The correspondence with the present descendants of Lord Dalhousie (through daughters) proves that the Kalgi was indeed sold by Col Broun, either privately or through an auction.

According to the family, many other valuable items, that came in the possession of Col Broun, were sold in a similar manner. Some items that were not sold by Col Broun continue to be in the possession of the family and the Kalgi is not among those.

[mala]

There must be so many historical Sikh artefacts around the UK to be re-discovered. There still needs to be a thorough investigation of the vaults of the British Library, V&A museum and various other private collectors.

[AK47 JATHA LION]

These English thieves have no right to have Sikh Relics in their possession.

Look at these thieves passing sikh relics around and selling them off privately for money when it dont belong to them.

Its like me having the Holy grail in my possession and hiding it. Or passing it on to some1 or me selling it secretly.

Col Broun is dead. So his daughters/decendants have the sikh relics in their possession. Some1 should go and give them a slap and get the sikh relics back into sikh hands.

Any idea Where they live?

[satpunga singh]

British still have the orignal hand written Aadh Granth in their possession, along with the original Sau Sakhi.

[dalsingh101]

There must be tons of stuff here. Seeing the reaction of Sikhs on trying to sell that armour plate with Akal Ustaat inscribed on it recently will make goray even more secretive about possessing and selling Sikh artefacts.

Our own love of our history means that such things have a very high monetary value, and they know this!

[Khaalis]

"Some1 should go and give them a slap and get the sikh relics back into sikh hands.

Any idea Where they live?"

What a typical Sikh Sangat sentance!

Lol, **click** (snapping my finger), look into my eyes... when I say 'Akaal' you will awake, and will no longer live in a fairytale land, where you think conquering nations do not and have not always helped themselves to the treasures of the defeated foe... yes, even the Sikhs took booty from their enemiies in order to fund the Khalsa armies and supplies there in..

I for one am glad that many of the Sikh relics came into the hands of the British, at least they have looked after them and preserved them for our and future generations. The state of the majority of relics (and the security surrounding them) in Punjab is beyond a joke. we caouldn't even preserve our architecture (our biggest relic) let alone anything else. Numerous birs and ithihaasik granths are diminishing or have been stolen, old saaj have virtually be neglected to extinction (just 1 or 2 sorry examples left), many shastar have been replaced with equivalents i.e. the tiny kataari that supposedly belonged to the physically huge 6th Master... etc etc. The Sikh exhibition at V&A a few years ago was amazing - the condition of the relics was immaculate - making them a pleasure to behold - and them having the ability to transport us back in time due to their immaculate state.

Lets educate the keepers of Punjab 1st and change the 'perishables' mentality, set up secure, temp controlled, modern evironments for 'real' relics - then lets approach those that have preserved our ithihaasik relics, in an intelligent manner in order to persuade them to return them to us - or purchase them back.

[JustME]

WJKK WJKF

going complety off topic................Khaalis i love your avatar pic, could you upload it so that I,and other may download it please

thank you

WJKK WJKF

[HSD*^]

I for one am glad that many of the Sikh relics came into the hands of the British, at least they have looked after them and preserved them for our and future generations. The state of the majority of relics (and the security surrounding them) in Punjab is beyond a joke. we caouldn't even preserve our architecture (our biggest relic) let alone anything else. Numerous birs and ithihaasik granths are diminishing or have been stolen, old saaj have virtually be neglected to extinction (just 1 or 2 sorry examples left), many shastar have been replaced with equivalents i.e. the tiny kataari that supposedly belonged to the physically huge 6th Master... etc etc. The Sikh exhibition at V&A a few years ago was amazing - the condition of the relics was immaculate - making them a pleasure to behold - and them having the ability to transport us back in time due to their immaculate state.

yeah i'm also glad the british travelled all that way just to kill tens of thousands of our ancestors and make others have control of the panth's destiny. :rolleyes:

before the first anglo-sikh war, a british commandeer (Harding, if i remember correctly), said: 'if we seperate the sikhs from their guru, they will be easily beaten and forever in our control'. now that phrase is as true today as it was back then. by keeping us away from our heritage, they are keeping us from our Guru ji. but at the same time, if they give the stuff back, what is to say they havent changed it? god knows what they would have done to the Sau Sakhi. most of our problems stem from our loss to the british and our subsequent division into factions and then dispersing around the world. unfortunately we are in a similar state to how the jews where after the roman empire blasted their Judea into oblivion (though the armies of the khalsa raj were a lot better at fighting the british than the jews were at fighting the romans). some people even compare what Sant Bhindranwale ji did to what jesus tried (the real story of jesus, not the biblical nonsense). we face dark days and we are in danger of changing beyond recognition. some fools think sikhi will never change...my response is that if our enemies wish to, they can make us believe any lie.

having said that, as we are not in control of our own country, we arent able to do anything. one idea is some kind of international sikh musuem (near the un building in new york, or in a cheaper location near new york?) where we store these artifacts and create some kind of taksal to study our heritage, and find means of recovering the rest of the stuff these ******** stole off us.

[AK47 JATHA LION]

yes im sure the British had our best intentions at heart when they stole sikh relics from sikhs and kept them "safely" locked away or sold them on to others.

yes im sure.....not.

Come on man, these relics were stolen. Its not right.

[jassa]

Great hopefully will have its darshan ... does anyone know is it open for the darshans by the sangat ... ???