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Heritage Mahan Kosh Sheds Light On Passing Of Sikh Gurus' Relics To Nabha Royals

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'Mahaan Kosh' sheds light on passing of Sikh gurus' relics to Nabha royals


Amaninder Pal Sharma

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...lics-to-Nabha-royals/articleshow/22530345.cms


PATIALA: While Punjab government is planning to shift relics of Guru Gobind Singh to the museum of Takht Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib, it has remained unknown to public as to how these relics found their way to the Nabha royals. If one goes by the entries listed in Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha's " Mahaan Kosh", which is considered as the most authentic encyclopedia of Sikh history, at least four of these relics were handed over by the descendents of Peer Budhu Shah to Maharaja Bharpur Singh during his rule from 1847 to 1863.

The entry claimed that in return of precious gifts and big land holdings, Budhu Shah's descendents had handed over a turban, a comb with hairs, a 3-inch-long knife and a Hukamnama to Maharaja Bharpur.

The book also revealed that a 300-page manuscript, which is part of the set of relics to be shifted to Takht Kesgarh Sahib, was purchased by the maharaja from a poet named Tara Singh. "Tara Singh told the maharaja that the book had been written by Kalgidhar Patshah (Guru Gobind Singh). Raja Bharpur had purchased it for Rs 2,000 and awarded the poet an annual salary of Rs 200," reads an entry in the "Mahaan Kosh". First published in 1930, the encyclopedia also revealed that besides those of the 10th Guru, the Nabha royals also had two relics of the sixth Sikh Guru Hargobind, including a long sword.

Another sword of the 10th Guru, which was gifted to him by one Kalha Rai, was handed over by Nawab of Malerkotla to Maharaja Jaswant Singh, who ruled Nabha state from 1790 to 1840. Originally comprising over 3,300 pages, "Mahaan Kosh", publication of which was sponsored by the erstwhile Patiala state, also claimed that Nabha royals did possess the part of an arrow used by Guru Gobind Singh near Anandpur Sahib. It claimed that the arrowhead remained embedded on a tree, which the Guru used for to shoot arrows while practicing archery.
 

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spnadmin

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Background story on the transfer of the relics from Sikh Nugget

http://www.sikhnugget.com/2013/08/relics-of-guru-gobind-singh-to-be.html



Relics of Guru Gobind Singh to be placed at Takht Keshgarh Sahib

Sunday, August 11, 2013

PATIALA: More than 300 years after the passing away of Guru Gobind Singh into eternity, the general public would be able to see some of his relics, which have so far remained either with the royals or locked at Patiala fort.

The department of culture, archeology and museums of Punjab has finally decided to hand over the relics -- a turban, three swords, a cloak, hair with comb and a manuscript -- to the museum of Takht Kesgarh Sahib at Anandpur Sahib.Kesgarh Sahib is one of the five temporal seats of Sikhism where the 10th Guru founded the Khalsa in 1699.

The relics were in the possession of New Delhi-based descendents of the royal family of erstwhile princely state of Nabha, before the Punjab and Haryana high court ordered to bring them back to Punjab in 2008.
The Nabha family descendents had then admitted in the court that they did possess the relics of the 10th Guru and also wished to hand them over to the state.

"After the court judgment, the state authorities had taken possession of the relics. However, since then, the relics, which are under the possession of the department, have been lying locked in the Patiala fort - popularly known as Qila Mubarak," said a senior officer of the department.

According to the Encyclopedia of Sikhism, some of these relics were with Peer Budhu Shah, a Sufi saint, whose sons and hundreds of disciples fought under the command of 10th Guru against hill chieftains. Legend has it that years after Budhu Shah's death, some of these relics eventually found their way to the family of maharaja of Nabha. During their rule, the relics were kept at Hira Mahal, the royal palace of Nabha.

Confirming the decision, N P S Randhawa, director of the department, said, "These are the same relics, which were handed over by the descendents of Nabha royals to the state government, after the high court decision. We plan to shift them to the museum established in Gurdwara Kesgarh Sahib. As of now, they are safely kept in the Patiala fort."

Asked about the delay of four years, Randhawa added, "Earlier, the plan was to shift the relics to Khalsa Heritage Museum at Anandpur Sahib. But since the relics are not only of historic but also of religious importance, the authorities decided to shift them to Gurudwara museum."

Randhawa, however, refused to comment on how and when the relics had gone into the possession of the Nabha royal family.
 

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