In news– Recently, Delhi Assembly has passed an amendment Bill to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1971, recognising Takht Damdama Sahib as the fifth Takht of Sikhs.
About Takht system-
- A Takht, which means a throne, is a seat of temporal authority for Sikhs.
- The Takhts are known to issue hukamnama from time to time on issues that concern the Sikh community.
- This amendment adds one more ex officio member in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) house and it will increase members of DSGMC from 55 to 56.
- There are five Sikh Takhts, three in Punjab and one each in Maharashtra and Bihar.
- Akal Takht:
- Located in Amritsar, it is the oldest of the Takhts, and considered supreme among the five.
- It was set up in 1606 by Guru Hargobind, whose succession as the sixth Guru after the execution of his father, Guru Arjan Dev, is considered a turning point in Sikh history.
- The Akal Takht, a raised platform that he built in front of the causeway leading to the sanctum sanctorum of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), symbolised the coming together of the temporal authority and the political sovereignty of the Sikh community (miri) with the spiritual authority (piri).
- It is a five-storey building where the first storey houses the Guru Granth Sahib.
- Any edict or order concerning the entire community is issued only from Akal Takht.
The other four Takhts are linked to Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru.
- Takht Keshgarh Sahib: Located in Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, it was here that Guru Gobind Singh raised Khalsa, the initiated Sikh warriors, in 1699.
- Takht Patna Sahib: Guru Gobind Singh was born here in 1666.
- Takht Hazur Sahib: In Nanded, where Guru Gobind Singh spent time and where he was cremated in 1708.
- Takht Damdama Sahib:
- It is in Talwandi Sabo of Bathinda.
- After his fiercest battle with the Mughals at Anandpur Sahib, Chamkaur Sahib and Muktsar, Guru Gobind Singh retired to the jungle of Malwa.
- He relaxed and took a rest (Dam) at Talwandi Sabo and hence its name Damdama Sahib.
- The Guru stayed here nine months and nine days and made the place a Centre for spreading his mission and hence its name Guru-ki- Kanshi.
- He re-dictated Adi-Granth here and called the place as Khalse Da Takhat.
- Prior to this, Takht Damdama Sahib was recognised as the fifth Sikh Takht in 1999 by the Union Home Ministry, which included it as such in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925.
- It was also declared as the fifth Takht of Sikhs back in November 1966 after Punjab was carved out as a separate state.
- A seal believed to have been used by Guru Gobind Singh for his edicts is preserved at Damdama Sahib.
- The three Takhts in Punjab are directly controlled by the Sikh Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), while the two Takhts outside Punjab have their own trusts and boards.
Source: The Indian Express
