Work on Golden Temple replica at south Delhi park stopped after Sikh leaders object to it

A day after members of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), led by committee president Manjinder Singh Sirsa, dismantled a replica of the Golden Temple that was coming up at the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC)’s Bharat Darshan Park in Punjabi Bagh, mayor Mukesh Suryan on Tuesday said the project has been “put on hold for now”

A day after members of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), led by committee president Manjinder Singh Sirsa, dismantled a replica of the Golden Temple that was coming up at the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC)’s Bharat Darshan Park in Punjabi Bagh, mayor Mukesh Suryan on Tuesday said the project has been “put on hold for now”.

HT Image

Sirsa said the sentiments of his community were hurt as replicas of the holy site (Golden Temple) are not allowed in the Sikh faith.

On Monday, he tweeted pictures of the replica followed by a video that captured the dome of the structure being lifted using a crane. “We have succeeded in getting the replica of Sri Darbar Sahib dismantled from Punjabi Bagh park. This replica was against Sikh maryada (customs) because Darbar Sahib is not a tourist place which can be replicated,” he wrote.

Suryan, however, said consultations will be held with members of the Sikh community to allay their concerns, and added that the goal of the replica was to “familiarise people with the country’s culture”.

“The work on the replica has been put on hold for now. We will discuss the matter with prominent leaders of the Sikh community and proceed accordingly. We do not seek to hurt the sentiments of any community,” he said.

The mayor said since the park’s theme was Bharat Darshan, prominent elements of other religions, too, are being set up at the park. “Besides symbols of the Sikh faith, we have symbols from other religions as well. No one else has raised any objections,” Suryan said.

Spread over 8.5 acres, the Bharat Darshan Park is being developed with replicas of popular monuments from across the country, including the Mysore Palace, Hyderabad’s Charminar and the Khajuraho temples of Madhya Pradesh. The replicas are being built from scrap material, SDMC officials said.

Sirsa, meanwhile, said that matter was closed. “The replica has been demolished and removed from the site. I’m shocked and surprised by comments from municipal officials that the project is on hold. Elected authorities of the community have raised objections to the replica and officials are still insisting that they will talk to the community,” said Sirsa.

“It will be disrespectful to have a replica of any place of worship there (in the park). People would click selfies, step on them... the sanctity of the place would not be maintained in such circumstances. People attach importance to places of worship. Our faith does not allow recreation or replicas,” he said.

Kailash Sankla, councillor from Punjabi Bagh, said the issue was being politicised ahead of the upcoming Gurdwara governing body elections. “DGCMC elections are round the corner and this has been made into a political issue,” he said.