War heroes, freedom fighters, Sikh militants share space at Golden Temple museum
AMRITSAR : From Sikh militants to war heroes and freedom fighters, all share space on the walls of the Central Sikh Museum in the Golden Temple here, which for over six decades now has been a big attraction for devotees and lovers of the Sikh history.
Established in 1958, it is housed on the first floor of the halls situated along the parikrama of the Golden Temple. It is divided into different sections based on Sikh history, with each housing artifacts from the corresponding period.
The museum grabbed the headlines after the portrait of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh’s assassin Dilawar Singh was unveiled here on Tuesday.
In the portrait’s caption, Dilawar Singh — a cop who joined the militant outfit Babbar Khalsa International and became a suicide bomber to assassinate the CM on August 31, 1995 — has been described as the one “who attained martyrdom while putting an end to the state atrocities”. The blast at the secretariat complex in Chandigarh had also claimed 16 other lives.
SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami had said, “Dilawar Singh had put an end to the atrocities and gross human rights violations committed against the Sikhs. The decision of sacrificing self is not possible without the Guru’s blessings and whenever atrocities were committed on the community, Sikhs have always made history by making sacrifices.”
Real gems: The artifacts
The museum’s collection is enriched by many old manuscripts, including the one with the signature of Guru Hargobind in the form of ‘mool mantra’.
It also houses the wood comb of Sri Guru Gobind Singh, kamar kasa (a cloth to tie around the waist), gatra (sword belt), dumala’s chakar (turban ring) of Baba Deep Singh, sword of Bhai Mehtab Singh which he used to behead Massa Rangarh, sword
of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s kamar kasa which he used during the battle of Kasur, other historical arms, small portraits, coins used during the Sikh rule, and the old instruments of gurmat sangeet (Sikh Music).
Tear gas shells used by the Punjab police against the Akalis during Punjabi Suba Movement in 1955 inside the shrine complex are also on display, besides long guns used by the Sikh warriors
in old times.
Portraits and paintings
The painting on display that depict the glorious Sikh history, are created by eminent artists, including Sobha Singh, Kirpal Singh, Master Gurdit Singh, Thakur Singh, Bodh Raj, Amar Singh and Mehar Singh. As per Golden Temple manager Sulakhan Singh Bhangali, there are around 700 portraits in the museum.
“These portraits depict the bravery of Sikhs, their tolerance, Sikh history, culture, traditions and their sacrifices made for the country’s independence. Thus, the museum describes great Sikh history in the form of these pictures,” he said.
“To promote the pictorial art, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Maharaja Sher Singh, Maharaja Dalip Singh made contributions. The art of painting developed in the other Sikh states also. Maharaja Narinder Singh Walia of Patiala Kalan was a keen observer of pictorial art and in his time (1846-1862), the art of painting was at its peak. The Sikh Guru’s portraits show the skills of artists at the time. Their coloured paintings are displayed in the museum,” he added.
A must-see hall and its walls
On one side of the hall, there are portraits of many Sikh militants besides that of former prime minister Indira Gandhi’s bodyguards-turned-assassins Satwant Singh and Beant Singh.
The portraits include those of Sikh militant preacher Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Amrik Singh and General Shabeg Singh, who were killed in the Operation Bluestar, and Sukhdev Singh Sukha and Harjinder Singh Jinda, who assassinated General AS Vaidya to avenge the military action at the Golden Temple. Congress and some other groups had opposed installation of Bhindranwale’s portrait in the museum in 2007.
On other sides, there are portraits of Sikh war heroes, including Gen Jagjit Singh Arora, Lt Gen Harbaksh Singh, Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, Gen Bikram Singh.
Portraits of freedom fighters, including Bhagat Singh, Kartar
Singh Sarabha and Udham Singh are also on display at the museum. It also has portraits of former SAD president Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, who was assassinated by militants. “There is an 8-member committee which decides about the installation of portraits here. It is headed by Akal Takht jathedar. It sends its recommendation to the executive committee of the SGPC, which takes the final call about it,” said Mangal Singh, one of the employees working at the museum.
ESTABLISHED IN 1958, THE MUSEUM IS DIVIDED INTO DIFFERENT SECTIONS BASED ON SIKH HISTORY
Museum revamp in limbo
In 2017, SGPC resolved to revamp this museum. It had advertised to seek consultancy services from reputed international and national firms in the fields of museum planning, design, architecture and interiors. However, the project of giving it a facelift is in limbo. Besides revamping the museum, the SGPC also worked on expanding it. Presently, the museum spreads in an area of 6,000 square feet.