E-Paper
Structure found at Golden Temple remnant of a private property: Akal Takht jathedar
Says the owners of building vacated the premises after getting compensation from the government in 1988
Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh on Monday said an old structure found during excavation in the Golden Temple complex is remains of a private property called ‘Gianian Da Bunga (serai)’, endorsing the claim of a local family which purportedly lived in the building till 1988.
During an interaction with mediapersons, he said, “The descendants of Giani Sant Singh lived in this building. The family vacated the premises after getting compensation from the government in 1988. Nobody raised a hue and cry when the building was razed at that time.”
“People should not make a noise over it as no one is constructing personal buildings on the site which will have a jora ghar (where shoes are kept), a gathri ghar (locker) and a two-wheeler parking for the devotees visiting the Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple),” he said.
He, however, did not clarify whether the structure should be preserved or not.
The family’s ancestors, including Giani Sant Singh have been granthis, preachers and scholars of Sikhism. The family has demanded that the remains of the building be preserved owing to its historic importance.
A meeting of Sikh bodies, thinkers and scholars will be held at the Akal Takht on July 26 to discuss sacrilege incidents happening frequently in Punjab, he said.
Structure has Damdami Taksal link, says ex-jathedar
Akal Takht former jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) executive member Charanjit Singh Jassowal on Monday linked the structure with the Damdami Taksal, a Sikh seminary.
Rode said the historic structure found during kar sewa was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh for Giani Sant Singh who was granthi at Darbar Sahib and chief of the Sikh seminary. He also appealed to SGPC and Kar Sewa to stop all the work till all facts are cleared.
