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Walking with the Sikh Gurus:
Historical Gurdwaras of Punjab
Books
on Sikhism abound, and the swelling literature on the
subject today makes an impressive exhibition of talent, erudition,
scholarship and vision. We now have several authoritative translations
of the Adi Granth. Sikhism, which is just a little over 500 years old,
has drawn the critical and reverential attention of renowned
writers. This rapid march of Sikhism with a tempestuous background
continues to be noticed universally. No wonder, Chairs of Sikh Studies
have been established in Indian British, Canadian and American
universities, and Sikh seminaries, schools of theologies, too, have come
to occupy an honoured place. When, therefore, such a massive amount of
published material is readily available at affordable prices, it's
almost a wonder that Walking with the Gurus is yet the only volume of
its kind, which captures succinctly and tastefully nearly all genres of
the Sikh literature and art, with striking, rare and celebrated
reproductions of paintings, murals and pictures. The volume is, at the
same time a handy Baedeker or travel guide-book that carries, at the
end, 24 pages of Practical Information, which includes maps,
places of tourist interest; routes; ideal times to visit India; air,
train, bus, hotel facilities; costs; visa offices; curio and antique
centres for buying souvenirs, replicas; nearby hospitals; insurance
offices; credit-card centres; and foreign-exchange agencies—a generous
spread. You may not find all this anywhere else in such manner and
style. The chapters written by a select group of Sikh scholars are March
of History, Words of Wisdom, Artist's Impressions, The Golden Temple,
The Holy Takhats, Sikh Pilgrimages, and The Sikh Diaspora. It's a
tract for your money. Produced in Eicher Goodearth's World Heritage
series with six volumes already in existence, and more on the way, or
under print, Walking with the Gurus, the latest, is sponsored by
the Patiala Heritage Society in collaboration with INTACH and supported
by the Punjab Government. The team of editors itself comprises experts
in various disciplines, and accordingly, high standards of composition,
language and idiom have been maintained. The writers—all Sikh
scholars-and the editorial team (all who have written the introductory
chapter—March of History) are being listed. The Sikh scholars
are: Jasjit Mansingh, T. S. Randhawa, Mohinder Singh, Gurpreet Maini and
Shinder S. Thandi. No biographical note on these writers is in the book,
though each has made his or her mark in the area of their
discipline. The introductory chapter, March of History is
fascinating, and catches in an effective felicitous manner the great
saga of the Sikh Gurus, martyrs, painters, architects, cartographers,
etc. A knowledgeable team has risen fully to the occasion, treating the
subject with care, circumspection and reverence. No polemical theme or
argument or controversy is permitted to raise unnecessary heat and dust
amongst a very sensitive community. The fabled Punjab of yore has been
fully evoked, and its ambience preserved. The life-sketch of each of the
10 Sikh Gurus comes with a panorama of suitable paintings and pictures
taken specially by a team of photographers. Of course, Guru Nanak Dev
and Guru Gobind Singh occupy more space in this volume. The paintings
reproduced are also many. Besides, the editors have not forgotten to
touch upon the rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the scenes of his
court, splendid and glorious in nearly all aspects. The write-up is a
beautiful piece of writing—we are shown a panel of paintings with the
Maharaja in full pride and strength. The court scenes done by the
Western masters and by the Indians (combining the Kangra-Guler,
Rajput-Pahari styles) are eye-catching. We also see, inter alia, the
fort of the House of Bagrian. Each Guru's achievements are fully
demonstrated both in ink and colour-Guru Nanak's epiphanic moment after
his long stay in the Bein, and his four travels; Guru Angad Dev's
standardisation of the Gurmukhi script and the initiation of langar
(community kitchen); Guru Arjan Dev's compilation of the Adi Granth;
Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom; and Guru Gobind Singh's life-long war
with the Moguls are all there in full glory. The five Takhts are evoked
in spirit, and the imagination of reverence is in full play. The volume
is a fine example of creative writing, a piece of lucid prose, flowing
and yet flexible. Among other things, it shows the catholicity of
Sikhism, its visionary worldview.
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