AFTER ROW, PLAN TO LIGHT 4 LAKH LAMPS CANCELLED

The SGPC on Friday cancelled its plan to light 4 lakh earthen lamps on one side of the sarovar (holy tank) at the Golden Temple on Parkash Gurpurb (birth anniversary) of fourth Sikh master and Amritsar’s founder Guru Ram Das on October 26 after facing opposition from the Akal Takht and others.

SGPC president Gobind Singh Longowal said giving due respect to the sentiments of the sangat, they have decided to remove the 12-foot wide temporary iron structure on the sarovar’s western side to light the lamps. He said the lighting will be held as per tradition. “The SGPC has always considered the sangat as supreme”, he added.

Keeping in view the objections raised by the sangat, a sub-committee comprising SGPC members Bhagwant Singh Sialka, Surjit Singh Bhittewad and others was constituted on Thursday to review the decision. On its recommendations, the SGPC chief cancelled the plan.

Notably, the Akal Takht on Thursday insisted that no one had the right to alter or distort the Guru’s creation on pretext of enhancing its beauty and the move will spoil the holiness of the sarovar and cause inconvenience to devotees.

Also, it will spoil the original look of the shrine, it had said .The plan to light earthen lamps, to be donated by the devotees, was part of the large-scale celebrations by the apex gurdwara body.