Gurbani live-streaming from Golden Temple on YouTube begins on Monday

GS Paul

Amritsar, July 22

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) is all prepared to launch its YouTube channel tomorrow. The live-streaming of the Gurbani kirtan from the Golden Temple, however, will be available from the wee hours of July 24.

A New Delhi-based firm, which has been hired to provide technical knowhow and equipment for Rs 12 lakh per month, has been assisting the SGPC in the process. An off-air trial has already been done, said SGPC general secretary Gurcharan Singh Grewal. He said the firm would also guide the SGPC in establishing its own satellite channel.

SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami would launch the channel at Gurdwara Manji Sahib Diwan Hall in the Golden Temple complex. Till the SGPC begins its own satellite channel, G Next Media Private Limited, which owns PTC channels, has been requested to continue telecasting Gurbani kirtan beyond the 11-year agreement that expires on July 23.

Meanwhile, CM Bhagwant Mann said that instead of ensuring free-to-air telecast of Gurbani kirtan, the SGPC took a U-turn just to ensure that the rights remain in the hands of one channel associated with an influential political family. He reiterated that if given a chance, the state government could make the arrangements of live and free-to-air telecast within 24 hours.

He said that a former Jathedar of Akal Takht had a year ago batted for the launch of SGPC’s own channel, but the SGPC had been dilly-dallying. He pointed out that even the existing Jathedar of Akal Takht had issued directions for hiring of any satellite channel to telecast Gurbani as scores of devotees might not have access to the Internet, smart TVs and phones to access YouTube. “But the SGPC has asked the same channel to continue just to appease its masters,” he said.

He also bemoaned the delay in approval of the Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2023 by the Governor.