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4 years after demolition, Tarn Taran gurdwara’s historic deori restored
Before initiating the renovation work, a meeting was held in this regard and experts of Directorate of Cultural Affairs Archaeology and Archives Museum Punjab, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, local intellectuals and members of Sikh organisations assembled for discussion.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has restored a razed portion of the historic deori (main entrance building) at gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Tarn Taran, four years after it was partially demolished overnight by hundreds of Kar Sewa men permitted by the apex gurdwara body that led to outrage among devotees who prevented further damage to the structure.
“The renovation work is almost complete and final touches are being given,” said Dharminder Singh, manager of the historic Sikh shrine, which has the largest sarovar (holy water tank) in the world.
He said, “The project has been executed by an archeological agency, under the guidance of experts. So far, ₹50 lakh has been spent on the project from the exchequer of the gurdwara.” “The original structure was not tempered with,” he added.
Before initiating the renovation work, a meeting was held in this regard and experts of Directorate of Cultural Affairs Archaeology and Archives Museum Punjab, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, local intellectuals and members of Sikh organisations assembled for discussion.
The deori is a structure for the main entrance to the complex of the gurdwara in Tarn Taran, the holy town founded by fifth Sikh Master Guru Arjan Dev in the Majha region of Punjab.
A sizeable portion on upper side of the deori, which was constructed during the regime of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was demolished on March 31, 2019 by hundreds of men of a religious organisation called Kar Sewa at night under a plan to demolish it and replace it with new a one. Timely protest by local devotees prevented further damage to the building.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s grandson Kanwar Nau Nihal Singh had deep attachment with this sacred gurdwara and the deori was built on his orders. It is one of the rare relics of the Sikh kingdom.
Since the structure was demolished with the permission of the SGPC, which manages the affairs of this historic shrine and assigns such kinds of tasks to Kar Sewa organisations, the move remained under fire from the Sikh community.
However, the plan of replacing the deori with a new one was scrapped by the SGPC on demand of the community.
