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