M A I N   N E W S

Special to the tribune
Rare Sikh memorabilia dazzle London
Shyam Bhatia in London

A painting of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his General Hari Singh Nalwa put up at Golden Temple exhibition in London.

Davinder Singh Toor’s moment of revelation came back in 1999 when he was apprenticed as a tour guide to the Victoria and Albert Museum exhibition in London called, ‘The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms’.

“For me it was a revelation”, says Davinder, a 33-year-old London-based optometrist. “It suddenly became real. I was brought up reading stories about the Gurus and things like this, but there was always something mythical about it and because of the myth there was a bit of a disconnect. This was different. Now I had the artefacts that proved the existence of these people to me.”

A battle shield on display at the exhibition. — Photos by writer

The son of a Ludhiana-born engineer who emigrated to the UK in 1962, Davinder soon discovered he had a passion for finding out more about his heritage. His father was a clean shaven Sikh, but Davinder started wearing a turban at the age of 14. By the time he was a second year student at the University of Aston in Birmingham, he was an avid collector of Sikh memorabilia.

The first artefact he ever collected was an early 20th century dagger made of jade and brass and produced in Lahore. Davinder bought it from a London dealer with £60 borrowed from his elder brother.

Today he is part of a group of UK-based Sikhs who have come together under the aegis of the UK Punjab Heritage Association to promote a stunning exhibition about the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

For public eye n A vast Perspex model of the Golden Temple as it once stood in the 19th century is on display at Brunei Gallery at the London’s School of Oriental and African Studies n The exhibition reminds visitors about Sikhism, its history and traditions, including the arts that flourished under the patronage of Maharaja Ranjit Singh n Re-creation of what a Sikh warrior looked like over 100 years ago. Mannequin dressed in its original helmet and weaponry is one of the most impressive items on display

They include author/historian Parmjit Singh, public relations expert Harbaksh Singh Grewal and exhibition designer Juga Singh. Judging from the comments in the visitors’ book, the exhibition so far has been an unqualified success and is a tribute to the group’s dedication and perseverance.

Polite and attentive, members of the group emphasise the inclusiveness of their faith and how it drew followers from all religions, whether Hindus, Muslims or Sikhs.

Parmjit Singh, the exhibition curator, is quoted as saying: “When it was at its peak, the temple was not only recognised as a centre of devotion for pilgrims of many other faiths, it was also a centre of learning,”

Although their immediate aim is to draw attention to the Golden Temple, how and why it was built and the devotees it serves, the exhibition serves a much larger purpose by reminding visitors about Sikhism, its history and traditions, including the arts that flourished under the patronage of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the first half of the 19th century.

A vast Perspex model of the Golden Temple itself as it once stood in the 19th century is on display on the lower ground floor of the Brunei Gallery at the London’s School of Oriental and African Studies.

One floor up is the hugely impressive re-creation of what a Sikh warrior looked like more than 100 years ago. This full-sized mannequin dressed in its original helmet, armour and weaponry is one of the most impressive items on display.

Like 80 per cent of the exhibits, it belongs to Davinder who admits to buying it from a dealer in London’s Notting Hill. He will not say how much he paid for it, but he does explain that it is insured for £100,000.

Also on display is a replica of the Kohinoor diamond and a receipt for its transfer to the British authorities.

For the devout one of the most important exhibits is the ground floor painting done in gouache of Guru Nanak meeting the yogis, an early original miniature dating back to the early 19th century. Another painting of Guru Arjun overseeing the construction of the Golden Temple is also made from gouache which Davinder explains is a type of water colour made with the powder of crushed precious and semi precious stones.

Another painting depicts Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Hari Singh Nalwa seated together. Hari Singh, born in the same village as Ranjit Singh, was a famous general often described as the terror of the Afghans. He hardly ever came to the Punjab because he was mostly on the North West Frontier among the hill tribes. The setting of this painting is at the Rambagh Palace in Amritsar.

Elsewhere on the ground floor room are ear-rings that once belonged to Maharani Jindan Kaur, the mother of Maharaja Dalip Singh. Next to them is a 19th century necklace with an image behind the rock crystal face of Guru Nanak flanked by his Hindu and Muslim companions, including Bhai Mardana.

Still another painting, and one that is considered controversial, shows a group of Sikhs being entertained by courtesans. This rare picture from the Awadh School of painting dates back to 1770, a full 30 years before the formal start of the Sikh period of art.

“It’s amazing to see how long it survived”, comments Davinder. “The pigment, so long as it kept at the correct temperature, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t survive…

“For me as a collector, I really believe that the renaissance of Sikh art is beginning and its going to come from the West. Not one of the pieces you see on show was bought in India. Firstly, India, although there may be things that survive there, there are very strict export laws.

“If you buy anything in India, you have to keep it in India. You can’t take anything out that’s over 100-year-old. And, more importantly, the best stuff is out of India because of the nature of the (British) empire. That’s why these objects exist outside India.