THE GOLDEN TEMPLE OF AMRITSAR-REFLECTIONS OF THE PAST (1808-1959)

The authors of Warrior Saints, Siques Tigers and Thieves and In the Masters Presence bring us The Golden Temple of Amritsar, reflections of the past (1808-1959). Hardeep Singh reviews the work, launched following an eponymous exhibition in SOAS in 2011, which is reported to have attracted over 22,000 visitors.

What do a chivalrous British Artillery officer, an incompetent one-legged spy, an Anglican missionary imbued with religious fervor and an American actor with an interest in eastern philosophy all from a bygone age, share in common? Well, over the last century, these distinguished men along with others from variegated professions had the opportunity to journal their visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest shrine of the adherents of Sikhism.The Golden Temple of Amritsar uses these eyewitness accounts along with an incredible collection of 500 images to illustrate the symbolic architecture, ambience, history and the spiritual commodity of the ‘Jerusalem of the Sikhs’.

The cover is the first thing that is unique about the latest offering from publishers Kashi House. It’s certainly a showpiece that deserves display, unlike items that end up accumulating dust on the bookshelf. The cover is white with an embossed golden pattern around the peripheries, which is derived from Arabic, Persian and Indo-Tibetan designs from the Golden Temple itself. The design along with the four entrances of the Temple, signify a metaphor for a casteless society. The inner cover contains a detailed map of the Golden Temple complex, along with a key. To glean most reward, the reader needs to cross reference numbers juxtaposed to images, helping identify the specific location where an image was taken by the artist/photographer. Although this is innovative, at first it’s far from straightforward and can be laborious. This however is where the faultfinding stops.

Once inside, like the physicist Dr. Sam Beckett in the hit American television series Quantum Leap, the reader is transported back in time into the sanctum sanctorum of Amritsar, the city of immortality. The carefully selected independent accounts are both critical and complementary; providing a neutral view, refreshingly free of any hint of sanctimony. By way of illustration, The Reverend James Colley refers to the Akali Nihungs or warrior priests as ‘frantic demoniacs’ and ‘it is very dangerous to go near them’. Although his fear of Akalis is palpable, he later unwittingly highlights the ecumenical principles of Sikhism when he asserts 'The Seeks [sic] will admit anyone into their religion.' The reader gets a measure of Sikh military prowess coupled with a sense of teachings, which recognise the whole of humanity as one. 

As they walk barefooted along the marble causeway making their way to the bridge to the inner temple, the visitors journal a range of sights, sounds and experiences. The continuous singing of melodious hymns, reading of the Guru Granth (Sikh Scriptures), the incessant influx of pilgrims of all hues and the shimmering waters of the tank of immortality feature in many an account.  In the words of one eyewitness: At no time, in no place, have I felt quite so ‘out of this world.’

Moreover, each individual account of the Golden Temple contains a treasure trove of history. The foresight of Guru Ram Das, The miraculous story of Baba Atul, the unparalleled bravery of Sukha and Mehtab Singh, the plundering invasions by the Afghan King Abdali, the macabre martyrdom of Baba Deep Singh, the tolerance of the Emperor Akbar and the years of patronage under the wily one eyed Maharaja Ranjit Singh, are all explored in the narratives. Amritsar’s significance as a historic trade hub for shawls and carpets comes across poignantly; Europeans being amongst the beneficiaries of exports from the prosperous holy city.

Like their debut Warrior Saints and subsequent titles, the images selected by the authors, the watercolors and drawings in the volume are spectacular. One of my favorites is an early colour image from 1914 of a group of Tibetan Buddhists under the balcony of a bunga or residence within the Golden Temple precinct. Another by the same French photographer shows a Sikh florist sitting on the patterned marble forecourt, supplying devotees with bright marigolds from a large wreath basket. These along with images of formidableAkali Nihungs posing with wooden clubs and baby-faced schoolboys flanked by their teachers beside the holy tank, provide a vivid portrayal of a glorious past, in a glorious city. The Golden Temple of Amritsar is more of an experience than a book, as well as a pioneering venture into the preservation of Sikh history.

In the words of one of the eyewitnesses, Lew Ayres, an American Actor:

The Sikhs were strong indeed in those days. And they have continued to be a sturdy group of people, proud of their democratic ways. There must have long been an element in priest-ridden India that hungered for an organization which championed the things that the Sikhs now stand for. The spiritual cleanliness, simplicity, and wholesomeness of the faith is remarkably visible. 

Hardeep Singh is a freelance journalist and broadcaster and the Press Secretary for the Network of Sikh Organisations   

SIKHS CONTINUE FACING THE NEGATIVE REBOUND OF ISLAMISM

The hate fueled Neo-Nazi Wade Michael Page, who killed six people and critically wounded three at a Sikh Gurdwara (temple) in Oak Creek, Wisconsin earlier this month is likely to have thought his victims were Muslims.

Long beards and turbans often cause Sikhs to be mistaken for members of the Muslim community. In the wake of 9/11 the first person murdered in a series of retaliatory attacks was a Sikh, Mesa gas station owner Balbir Singh Sodhi. On arrest his murderer, Frank Roque was reported to have told authorities “I am a patriot.”Wisconsin is just the latest case of bigotry and violence directed at the Sikhs who have by and large suffered a backlash in silence.

The Wisconsin massacre highlights an ongoing struggle faced by practitioners of the world’s fifth largest faith: Ignorance about Sikhs and their identity is propagated by the misconception that their turbans and beards equate to the attire of jihadists who want to annihilate western civilization. Sikh human rights groups have reported a rise in bias attacks since September 11. The Washington-based Sikh Coalition has reported more than 700 incidents in the U.S. since 9/11, which advocates blame on anti-Islamic sentiment.

When the US the presidential candidate Mitt Romney gave condolences to the friends and families of those mercilessly gunned down in Wisconsin, he inadvertently made reference to ‘Sheikhs’.  A day after the massacre, the head of the US Air Force Academy Lt. Gen. Michael Gould, superintendent of the Colorado Springs military school, a highly educated official, confused Sikhs with Muslims, whilst addressing his subordinates. He referred to the killings having taken place in a “Sikh Mosque”.These two high profile gaffes highlight an underlying problem.

Here in Britain, Sikhs have largely avoided a backlash equal to the tumult seen across the Atlantic. Largely thanks to the rich Anglo-Sikh military tradition spawned after the sepoy mutiny (1857), work of organisations such as the Interfaith-Network and the presence of prominent Sikhs in the public eye. There is no doubt firearm laws in Britain are an important factor.

Sikhs in Britain, unlike those in the US are very much embedded into the British cultural mosaic. In an episode of the 1980’s sitcom Only Fools and Horses, an angry Sikh customer reprimands the Trotters, after “Del Boy” sells him some dodgy paint. When Del sees Mr. Singh on a moped without a crash helmet, he announces his latest invention: ‘Trotters crash Turbans.’

Notwithstanding, a Sikh Temple in Kent was firebombed after the London bombings and low-level harassment such as the jibes “Taliban” or “Bin Laden” are commonplace. Worse still, some have been violently attacked.

As far as world religions go, Sikhism is the new kid on the block, founded in 1469 in Punjab, India. Sikhism is monotheistic, believing in the equality of all of mankind. This isn’t just lip service, go to any Gurdwara anywhere in the world and you can get a free vegetarian meal or langar. The founder Guru Nanak, the first of 10 spiritual leaders, rejected the Hindu caste system and discrimination against women by India’s Muslim rulers, in favor of a universal brotherhood and equality for all. Sikh teachings explicitly state, "recognise the human race as one." The tenth Guru, Gobind Singh in the face Islamist bigotry, established the Khalsa or brotherhood of the pure. Part spiritual part self-defense, those men baptised into this military fraternity were named Singh or lion and women Kaur or princess.

This month saw the murder of yet another Sikh man in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. News of the latest murder came when Police in Elk Grove, California, announced they were looking for possible links between temple shooting and murder of two elderly Sikhs last year. There is hope on the horizon: members of the US House of Representatives introduced a resolution condemning hate crimes against Sikh Americans, supporting the community's demand that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) track such crimes. Sikhs worldwide were encouraged when the Whitehouse lowered its flag half-mast. In another unprecedented development the First Lady Michelle Obama visited families of Sikh worshippers who were killed or injured.

While Sikhs remember those slain in Wisconsin, there is a need for the community to look outward, not just inward. It’s incumbent to reach out to the families of those murdered and injured in the ‘Batman’ Colorado shooting spree and more recently, victims in New York. In Oak Creek a single bullet hole remains in the temple. Whilst reminding us of those murdered, the sign below it equally epitomizes Sikh teachings “we are all one.”

Hardeep Singh is a freelance journalist and broadcaster, Press Secretary for the Network of Sikh Organisations

[the article was originally published in the Sikh Messenger]