Akal Takht Jathedar cautions devotees against offering substandard ‘rumalas’

GS Paul

Amritsar, May 15

Akal Takht has taken cognisance of substandard ‘rumalas’ being offered in markets near the Golden Temple, Amritsar.

Normally, rumala is meant for the purpose of covering Sri Guru Granth Sahib. At the Golden Temple, high-quality designed rumalas of requisite dimension cover the holy scripture, yet the ones offered by the visiting devotees are accepted but kept aside after getting it touched with the holy scripture enshrined in the sanctum santorum of the shrine.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh said that complaints had been received that on many occasions, low-quality, dirty and stinking rumalas were being sold at a stretch from the Saragarhi Parking to the Ghanta Ghar Chowk and Mai Sewa Bazar side too.

Jathedar directed the SGPC to initiate steps to curb this practice.

“It was observed that only five per cent rumalas offered at the Golden Temple were found to be in order whereas the 95 per cent were of inferior quality wrapped in stinking packing of old stock. In a hurry, the sangat too seldom opens it to check and offer it at the shrine as it is. On many occasions, when these rumalas were opened, it emanated a very foul smell, I was told. Sometimes, even the non-Sikh migrants from other states were spotted selling rumalas in their makeshift shops or rehris. They are under suspicion as they might be habitual of consuming tobacco or other forbidden products,” he said.

The devotees from all over the globe pay obeisance at the Golden Temple. They offer rumalas to express their faith and devotion.

“But, the devotees, especially the non-Sikhs from outside the state, were being fleeced by these rumala sellers giving them an impression that their trip would be successful only after offering these at the Golden Temple, which is also a myth. So, out of ignorance, the devotees become their targets,” Jathedar said while appealing devotees to utilise their money in other services.

Jathedar said that a complete set of rumalas with ‘palkan’, devoid of any religious symbol or Guru’s picture, have to be made up of high-quality clothing, neatly embroidered, with specific dimensions. “These could be procured only from the shops who stock them neatly keeping in view the sanctity of this pious practice. Similarly, there is a prescribed practice to disposing them by the SGPC or other Sikh bodies,” he said.