Giani Ranjit Singh appointed Takht Patna Sahib jathedar
NEW ROLE Had been serving as officiating jathedar after removal of Giani Iqbal Singh
AMRITSAR : Sikh preacher Giani Ranjit Singh Gauhar-e-maskeen was appointed jathedar of Takht Patna Sahib, one of the five temporal seats of Sikhism, on Monday.
Giani Ranjit Singh belongs to Gurdaspur and is currently residing in Ludhiana.
After the Takht Patna Sahib Management Board removed controversial Giani Iqbal Singh from the post following complaints received by Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of the Sikhs, against him on March 5 this year, Giani Rajinder Singh had been serving as officiating jathedar.
On March 9, Akal Takht acting jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh had constituted a panel to appoint the Takht Patna Sahib. After six months, board’s office-bearers and members led by president Avtar Singh Hit chose Giani Ranjit Singh, a student of legendry preacher late Giani Sant Singh Maskeen, for the coveted post.
Apart from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gobind Singh Longowal, Takht Kesgarh Sahib (Anandpur Sahib) jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, Akal Takht head granthi Giani Malkit Singh, Takht Hazur Sahib Management Board president Bhupinder Singh Minhas, Surinder Singh from Chief Khalsa Diwan and Jaspal Singh, personal assistant to Akal Takht acting jathedar were present for the “dastarbandi” (tradition of coronation as per Sikh tenets under which turban was presented and wrapped by various personalities) of Gaini Ranjit Singh.
Congratulating the new jathedar, Longowal said Panth has assigned big responsibility to him with the grace of the Guru. “He has been contributing for preaching Sikh religion and is following in the footsteps of Maskeen,” he said.
Speaking to HT over phone, Giani Rajinder Singh said: “I was on a visit to the UK when I got a call from Akal Takht secretariat that I have been appointed as the jathedar of Takht Patna Sahib. I reached Patna Sahib from UK today.” 50-year-old
Giani Rajinder Singh was awarded ‘Shiromani Sikh Parcharak’ by Takht Patna Sahib in 2012 for his services to Panth and preaching across the world. “I first met with Maskeen ji in 1982 and I became his permanent student in 1987. It was great honour for me to have been appointed as general secretary of Vishav Parcharak Sikh Sanstha by Akal Takht,” he added.