SGPC to clear doubts on authenticity of Guru Gobind Singh Kalgi

source: http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/17503/38/
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/25671-sgpc-clear-doubts-authenticity-guru-gobind.html

SGPC to clear doubts on authenticity of Guru Gobind Singh plume

RAVINDER SINGH ROBIN
Wednesday, 01 July 2009


AMRITSAR: The doubts have been raised about the authenticity of the Plume (Kalgi) of Guru Gobind Singh brought to Golden Temple.

Sikhs' apex body Shiromani Gurdawara Parbhandak Committee (SGPC) has decided to perform carbon dating of the plume of their tenth Guru (spiritual leader), Guru Gobind Singh, brought home from Britain, to establish its authenticity.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25671

The plume, known as Kalgi in Punjabi language and believed to be belonging to Guru Gobind Singh, was brought back to India on Tuesday (June 30) from Britain after nearly a century.

Members of SGPC on Wednesday said that they would take the help of carbon dating to verify if the relic actually belongs to Guru Gobind Singh.

"I do not think it is right to presume that this plume is authentic on the basis of history. Today we have scientific methods available through which dating of the plume is possible it," Kiranjot Kaur, an SGPC member said in northern Amritsar, home to the Sikhs' holiest shrine, the Golden Temple.

The committee officials said they did not mind employing reliable scientific methods to subside any doubts in the minds of devotees.

"The members of the SGPC are satisfied about the relic but we don't want the devotees to have any doubts in their minds, so we will do that," said SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar.

The Kalgi has been placed at the Akal Takht in the Golden Temple complex for the time being.

In the Indian subcontinent, the rulers of yore often wore a Kalgi or plume (a jewelled ornament with one or more feathers) in the front of their turbans.

Among the Sikh Gurus, Guru Gobind Singh, born December 22, 1666 and left his physical body on October 7, 1708, in particular is usually depicted sporting a plume.

Sikhs form about two per cent of India's over one billion population and are largely concentrated in the northern Indian state of Punjab and national capital New Delhi.

 
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Thank you for this information in particular

"I do not think it is right to presume that this plume is authentic on the basis of history. Today we have scientific methods available through which dating of the plume is possible it," Kiranjot Kaur, an SGPC member said in northern Amritsar, home to the Sikhs' holiest shrine, the Golden Temple.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25671

The committee officials said they did not mind employing reliable scientific methods to subside any doubts in the minds of devotees.

"The members of the SGPC are satisfied about the relic but we don't want the devotees to have any doubts in their minds, so we will do that," said SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar.


The matter of carbon dating has arisen in one of the debates recently.

Sadh Sangat,

Our only relic is Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Our Gurus were visionaries not to name anything of their own as precious, whether they wore simple clothes or the regal kinds. They knew that if they did that then, Sikhs would become idol worshippers of these mundane things rather than seeking Ik Ong Kaar through Gurbani.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25671
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25671

So let us delve into our only relic, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and enrichen ourselves with the gems of treasure left for us by our Gurus.

Tejwant Singh

WELL SAID Tejwant Singh Ji. absolutely correct observation.

In a Gurdwara of Guru hargobind Ji..they have a pair of His shoes..which they Carry on their heads and chaur waved..just EXACTLY like they carry the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji...with chaur waved.

and the story attached..is utterly ridiculous too. It seems that Guru Ji was Riding a Horse while his devoted servant was walking BAREFOOT. Guru Ji saw the feet of his servant getting all bloodies up due to throns etc and gave him HIS OWN SHOES TO WEAR..but the SIKH refused and instead carried Guru Jis Shoes on his HEAD. The REFUSAL to listen to Guru Jis Command to wear the shoes and continue barefoot while carrying the shoes on head is the origin of this legend...and practise today in that Gurdawra...

Now to this Klagi...SO MUCH "mystery" surrounds it. First it was announced that its Maharaja Ranjit Singhs Klagi...then overnight story was amended that it is Guru Jis Klagi that was in posession of Maharja and paassed to the British when Dalhousie took away most of the maharjas Toshakhan items to England...and IT has been in the King Alberts Musueum all this while..BUT Last Yera Akal takaht jathdear JS VEDANTI, took along his ENTIRE FAMILY on an all expenses paid FREE TRIP (SGPC PAID) to CANADA..ostensibly to ..."looking for Guru jis Kalgi.." How this Klagi got out of the King Albert Musueum and went hopping to Canada is anybodys guess...anyway after a Good free Holiday, Vedanti and Family came back to Amrtisar emptyhanded...and the story died down...
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25671
Now so amny questions:
1. How did the British Authorites..the Museum give back this article..and to WHOM ?
2.Why no Offcial statement from the Buckingham Palace..Britsh Govt..Museum authorities
3. Why the LOCAL BRITISH SIKHS were kept OUT/in the DARK ?? NOT INVOLVED ??
4. WHY no important personality accompanied the kalgi..no one went to welcome it..at the airport..and ????
5. IF its Maharaja kalgi..why place it at Akal Takhat ?
IS this also going to be a huge MONEY MILKER like the Ganga sagar unveiled during the 400th anniversary....Who IDs it as Original..Guru Ji artifact...Just RECENTLY all the Hoo haa about guru Jis Armour etc was proved false..it wasnt Guru Jis at all...

Are the Authorities serious about propgating GURMATT and Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji as the ONE and ONLY KHAZANAH the GURUS left us in WIRASAT......instead of chasing these items ?? which provide avenues for just annhee shardha and matha teking..and NO GYAAN.

Gyani ji,

Guru Fateh.

What a waste of beautiful MANN!

Tejwant Singh

Amritsar, July 6
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25671
Even as the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Gurbachan Singh, has convened a meeting of Sikh clergy on July 8 here, the SGPC president directed Dalmegh Singh, secretary of the committee, to convene an emergency meeting of the five-member fact-finding committee to check the authenticity of the Kalgi brought by two-member research committee here on June 30 in a “hush-hush manner”.

An unsavoury situation has been created in the Panthic circles due to the diametrically opposite stands taken by both the SGPC president and the Jathedar of Akal Takht. The SGPC president told The Tribune that being a supreme Sikh body, it was the fundamental duty of the committee to get the authenticity of Kalgi checked.

He alleged that Kamaljit Singh Boparai, one of the two members of the research committee, was in the office of the committee on June 26, but he did not inform him that he was bringing the relic in a chartered plane from New Delhi on June 30. However, the Jathedar claimed that the Kalgi was genuine and anybody could check its record available with him.

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha member Tarlochan Singh, who had visited England in 1975 in search of the Kalgi worn by Guru Gobind Singh, alleged that the relic brought on June 30 did not seem genuine.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25671

The Rajya Sabha member said it was on April 6, 1849, that Punjab was annexed and Maharaja Dilip Singh was deposed. Dr John Logan was appointed Superintendent and Lady Logan was to look after Maharaja Dilip Singh. A list of the artifacts lying in Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s Toshakhana was prepared in Persian language by Misr. The English translation of the list was done by Dr Logan. The Kalgi, Kach (the plume of Guru Gobind Singh) figured in the list. All artifacts were taken to Kolkata and then to London.

In 1965, Dr WC Archer found the holy weapons of Guru Gobind Singh, which were also taken from Toshakhana and these weapons were purchased by the Indian government and were brought to India. These are at present preserved in Anandpur Sahib. He said he had visited London in 1975 and met Kunwar Natwar Singh, who was Deputy High Commissioner.

Natwar Singh introduced him to Dr WC Archer and both had dinner at his home with Lady Archer who was in charge of India Office Library. I discussed with Dr Archer about the trace of the Kalgi. Tarlochan Singh claimed that during his visit he met Dr Robert Skeleton, Head of Asia Section of Queen Albert and Victoria Museum.

“Later on, Dr Archer informed me that he met everyone connected with the Lord Dalhousie family and all British families but failed to get any clue about the Kalgi. He was very emphatic that the word Kalgi, Kach could not be retranslated since it was very well examined in 1849 by both Punjabi and English officers.”

Maybe my comments will come as a surprise. However, the authenticity depends on an unbroken chain of custody, to establish the provenance of the artifact. From the little posted here it seems that care was taken to establish that chain.

Of course there are always opportunities for malfeasance on the part of vested interests. So access over time plays a role in understanding authenticity.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25671

And in my opinion:We want to remember that we have devotion for Shabad Guru, thus, no matter the outcome of the authenticity of the relic and though the relic may be an historic treasure, it is not an object of worship.

Dear all,
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25671

waheguru ji ka khalsa, waheguru ji ki fateh.

I am really delighted to note that there are Sikhs even now who do care for the supremecy of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji over any other thing and our only source of workship is Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and the focus of worship is Akal Purakh. This is a statement which cannot be altered as it is the theme of Sikh philosophy. The Sikh ethos say" Puja Akal Ki, Parcha Shabad ( Guru Granth Sahib Ji) and Didar Khalsa ( Sikh Congregation).

Having said the above, I would like to stress that the History has to be safeguarded. Anything told to us as belonging to our Sikh Gurus or Sikh Heros cannot be taken on face value and need to be thoroughly investigated before adoption, because there has been much gap in custody of the articles of Sikh History. As such there is no harm in checking the authenticity of such articles before they are enshrined in the Sikh Museum. Surely, such articles cannot become the source of worship. Moreover, the Kalgi even if it is certified and proven to be of Guru Gobind Singh cannot be allowed to be placed at Sri Akal Takhat. Only Shastars (weapons) of Sikh Gurus and Sikh Heros are placed at the Akal Takhat. At present it has swords of Miri Piri belonging to Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji,Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Maharaja Ranjit Siingh, Akali Baba Phoola Singh Ji, Baba Deep Singh Ji shaheed's khanda ( 18 seer weight) besides other weapons.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25671


With regards,

Tejinder Singh delhi.