A multi-storey building which is coming up in the galliara outside the Golden Temple Complex has drawn flak from Sikh groups as two storeys of the under-construction facility are visible from Ghanta Ghar Deori (entrance) and parikrama, affecting the ambience of the historic buildings of Akal Takht and Golden Temple.
The building, which is being built by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), appears to be higher than Akal Takht, the highest Sikh temporal seat.
Punjab Human Rights Organisation (PHRO) chief investigator, advocate Sarabjit Singh Verka who has been fighting a legal battle against the mushrooming of illegal hotels and guest houses around the holiest Sikh shrine for many years, said, “A building taller than Akal Takht cannot be tolerated. This is an act of diluting the historic and religious importance of the Sikh shrine. Around a decade ago, a water tank was demolished outside the shrine complex because it was visible from the parikarma of the Golden Temple.”
Terming it a clear-cut violation of the Sikh architectural principles, functionaries of prominent local NGO, Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) condemned the SGPC for “vitiating” the ambience of Akal Takht and Golden Temple.
“AVM demands that SGPC must immediately stop the construction and demolish the upper part of the building that is visible from the parikrama of Golden Temple. Any building overshadowing Akal Takht Sahib, the highest temporal seat of the Sikh community, is not tolerable. Akal Takht Sahib was constructed by Baba Budha ji and Bhai Gurdas ji under the guidance of Guru Hargobind,” said the AVM patron principal Kulwant Singh Ankhi (retd) and other office bearers.
{{/usCountry}}“AVM demands that SGPC must immediately stop the construction and demolish the upper part of the building that is visible from the parikrama of Golden Temple. Any building overshadowing Akal Takht Sahib, the highest temporal seat of the Sikh community, is not tolerable. Akal Takht Sahib was constructed by Baba Budha ji and Bhai Gurdas ji under the guidance of Guru Hargobind,” said the AVM patron principal Kulwant Singh Ankhi (retd) and other office bearers.
{{/usCountry}}They said, “Sure, new buildings are the need of the hour, but a religious organisation such as SGPC must hire the services of experts and experienced religious heritage architectures, which seems to have been ignored while planning the construction of this new building. SGPC is also violating the Amritsar municipal building bylaws, according to which the maximum height of a building within the walled city is 38.5 feet.”
Ankhi said, “This maximum height is fixed to maintain the religious heritage of the city, especially the walled city of Amritsar founded by Guru Ram Das Ji. Construction of taller buildings in the vicinity of Golden Temple complex has paved the way for private hoteliers to build taller buildings, overshadowing Akal Takht Sahib and the pious Golden Temple.”
Chief Khalsa Diwan (CKD) and Sikh educational society senior member Bhagwantpal Singh Sachar said this building will damage the beauty of the Akal Takht and other historic structures of Darbar Sahib and the SGPC should limit its height.
When contacted, MC commissioner Gulpreet Singh Aulakh expressed ignorance over the matter and said he would look into it.
SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh Manan was not available for comments. Other officials said the SGPC is committed to maintaining the architectural sanctity of Golden Temple.