AKAL TAKHT JATHEDAR LEADS PARKASH PURB CELEBRATIONS

AMRITSAR : Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh led the celebrations to mark the installation day of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book, in the holy city on Monday.

The ‘nagar kirtan’ (religious procession) started at the Gurdwara Ramsar Sahib at around 7am and culminated at the Golden Temple. Other religious functions were also held at the Golden Temple to mark the day.

The Golden Temple complex was decked with flowers. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) officebearers said around 100 quintal flowers were used to adorn the shrine complex.

Flowers were even brought from Australia, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia for the purpose. Thousands of devotees paid obeisance at the Golden Temple and listened to hymns.

The jathedar appeared in public after remaining incommunicado for nearly two weeks amid demands for his resignation over pardoning of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a blasphemy row and for taking other controversial decisions.

His phone was switched off since August 28.

Former SGP president Avtar Singh Makkar had said the Panthic crisis had emerged in the wake of the controversial decision of pardoning the Sirsa dera chief and the jathedar should quit immediately.

SAD Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa had sought his resignation as the Takht jathedar, holding him fully responsible for exonerating Gurmeet Ram Rahim.