NEWSFLASH: Sikhs want SGGSJ back in Golden Temple.

[Akaali]

Sikhs want holy book back in Golden Temple

(India News) Amritsar, Aug 25 : Amid hectic preparations for the 400th anniversary celebrations of Sikhism's holy book Guru Granth Sahib, religious leaders have asked a family in Punjab to hand over the original writings on which it is based.

Sikh religious and political leaders have appealed to the Sodhi family in Kartarpur near Jalandhar to hand over the "Bir" (volume) of the original Adi Granth written by fifth Sikh Guru Arjan Dev to the Golden Temple here.

The Adi Granth forms part of the Guru Granth Sahib compiled by the 10th and last Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh. The anniversary celebrations start from Aug 31 with the main event being on Sep 1.

The family, which possesses the Kartarpuri Bir, has maintained a stoic silence about the increasing demands for handing it over.

Fearing that the volume may not have been kept as per religious traditions, religious leaders want the Kartarpuri Bir to be installed after a religious ceremony at the holiest Sikh shrine, Golden Temple.

The volume has been seen only by a handful of people in the last one century. Guru Arjan Dev had compiled it between 1601 and 1604 after collecting the teachings and hymns of all previous Gurus, including the first Sikh Guru, Nanak Dev.

Guru Arjan Dev had installed the volume at the present site of the Golden Temple in 1604.

Original writings of Guru Arjan Dev and Bhai Gurdas, who was asked by the Guru to write it, are part of the volume now kept by the Sodhi family of Kartarpur.

The sixth Sikh Guru, Hargobind, took the volume to his house in Kartarpur. Sikh historians have noted that the volume was stolen by h

is grandson Sodhi Dhir Mal who wanted to become the next Guru by keeping the book.

Followers of the ninth Guru, Tegh Bahadur, forcibly recovered the book but were ordered by the Guru to be returned to Dhir Mal.

The volume has since remained with the Sodhi family.

It is presently placed in a safe inside Gurudwara Thamb Sahib managed by the Sodhi family at Kartarpur.

It has been seen in the original by only a handful of people. It comprises 974 leaves (1,948 pages) and is eight inches thick.

British historians C.H. Loehlin and J.C. Archer, who saw the volume in 1946, had noted that it contained certain blank pages.

"The blank pages indicated that this was the original manuscript as some more things had to be included by the Gurus. Other volumes claimed to be originals had no blank pages," they noted.

Between 1960 and 1990, only two Sikh scholars were allowed to see the original work.

Historians now want the volume to be properly preserved and photographed.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to be here on Sep 1 for the celebrations. The first Sikh prime minister of the country, who belongs to Amritsar, will be coming here for the first time after assuming the country's highest political office.

--Indo-Asian News Service

http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.ppa?action=fullnews&id=9784 ://http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily...llnews&id=9784 ://http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily...llnews&id=9784 ://http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily...llnews&id=9784

This is news to me! The article says that the family has kept the puratan bir as per proper tradition, etc. But I think they should give guru sahib's saroop back to Sri Harmandir Sahib.

[Harpartap Singh]

VahegurujikaKhalsa, VahegurujikiFateh!

It seems we should abide by the Hukam of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur ji - when the GurSikhs forcibly recovered the saroop from the Sodhi's, Guru ji instructed them to return it to them.

Who does the SGPC and people like Badal think they are? Do they know better than Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur ji?

If the Saroop had been in the control of the SGPC in 1984, they would have put it in the Central Sikh Reference Library in a glass exhibition case just like the other ancient Saroops - and what happended to them? they were either burnt or stolen by teh Indian Army. DHAN DHAN Sri GUru Tegh Bahahdur Sahib ji who was all seing and all knowing and foresaw exactly what would occur in 1984!!!!

Did the SGPC and Badal and company defend to the death these Saroops? NO - so why should we entrust the Saroop of Aadh Guru Granth Sahib ji to them???

[DhadiMania]

at the beginning of this year, i did email the SGPC for this, i did urge people from sikhnet.com to do the same, and make sure the SGPC organise a nager kirtan and do prakash, and then after that return it to the sodhis. whether or not they followed our advice i dont know, but it seems like it. however, after deep thought on this matter, i would say the badaloo and co should not put pressure on the sodhis.

i would personally say that the kartarpuri bir should not be used, unless perhaps on certain gurpurabs, like they do bring out hand written birs, exact versions of the kartarpuri bir.

but i noticed, some angs have been ripped in the main bir in the main hall of darbar sahib. salotape is all over them (not the present one, it was the one before the present bir, some angs had salotape all over them). if the granthis cannot look after maharaj like that, imagine how they may treat the origional copy of maharaj, if its used for daily use?

If the Saroop had been in the control of the SGPC in 1984, they would have put it in the Central Sikh Reference Library in a glass exhibition case just like the other ancient Saroops - and what happended to them? they were either burnt or stolen by teh Indian Army.

everything happens by the will of maharaj. if maharaj wants to preserve something, he will. i think the bir used on gurpurabs (the hand written one) was also at the sikh museum. but it survived. i think there wa

s a sakhi of a whole gurdwara burnt, but the fire people saw the bir of maharaj unharmed. only 41 people saw that thread, it was such a beautiful story, yet not many of us saw it....

http://forums.waheguroo.com/index.ppa?act=...=ST&f=12&t=6525

when guru gobind singh ji asked for the kartarpuri bir (he was about to make the damadama bir), he sent some of his nihangs, the sodhis refused to give it to him in case they thought the guru may steal it off them for good. guru ji, began to recite all of the SGGS. do you know what hapened to all those people who were with guru ji? they all turned brahmgiani, those who listen to the whole of SGGS, they become brahmgiani.

btw, why isnt this in the news section if this is a newsflash?

bhol chukke muaff

[Singh132]

I wouldn't get too excited about this saroop being the originl one prepared by Guru Arjan Dev jee.

Bhai Kanh Singh Nabha saw it in the early part of the 20th Century and his description of the saroop he saw was very different from the one scholars have seen today. Who knows where that original saroop is? Maybe they've hidden it or maybe they gave it to someone? But a lot of scholars agree that this is not the original Kartarpuri Bir.

[Bijla Singh]

But a lot of scholars agree that this is not the original Kartarpuri Bir.

This is the original Bir Sahib. SGPC sent committee of gursikhs including Dr. Bhai Balbir Singh Ji to check the Bir Sahib and their report was published in Khalsa Samachar. Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha had no answers when he was asked questions by the committee. Bhai Kahan Singh's writings on Kartarpuri Bir contradict with each other. So Singh Ji, please do not raise these points. Leave it to the panth to decide what is authentic and what is not. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

[Deep Singh]

The book 'Kartarpuri Bir De Darshan' by Jodh Singh gives an authentic view on the Bir. He also had Darshan of the Bir.

[Bijla Singh]

Yes that is indeed very good book. I personally think we shouldn't be discussing this anyway. One should do a proper research on this matter, read views of both sides, have darshan of the Bir Sahib himself/herself, check eveything and then make the decision. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh