SIKH TAKHT
Takht Damdama Sahib
CONTEXT
The bill declares the “Takht Damdama Sahib” to be the Sikhs’ fifth Takht. It also gives the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) one more ex officio member. Previously, four ex officio members served as chiefs (Jathedar) of the other four Sikh Takhts. Following the passage of the bill, the chief of Takht Damdama Sahib would become an ex officio member of the DSGMC house.
About Sikh Takhts
A Takht, which means a throne, is a seat of temporal authority for Sikhs. There are five Sikh Takhts, three in Punjab and one each in Maharashtra and Bihar.
AKAL TAKHT– It is the oldest of the Takhts and the most powerful of the five. It is located in Amritsar. It was founded in 1606 by Guru Hargobind, whose ascension as the sixth Guru after his father, Guru Arjan Dev, was a watershed moment in Sikh history. The Akal Takht, a raised platform built in front of the causeway leading to the sanctum sanctorum of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), symbolized the coming together of the temporal and political authority of the Sikh community (Miri) with the spiritual authority of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) (Piri). It is considered the first manifestation of Sikh nationalism.
Other Four Takht
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 Hazur Sahib- It is located in Nanded. Guru Gobind Singh spent time and was cremated here in 1708.
Takht Damdama Sahib- In Talwandi Sabo of Bathinda. Guru Gobind Singh spent several months here .
Takht Patna Sahib – In 1666, Guru Gobind Singh was born here .
BACKGROUND
Amendment to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act simply adds one more ex officio member in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) house. Earlier, there were four ex officio members in the house — the chiefs (Jathedar) of the other four Sikh Takhts.
Previously, the DSGMC house had 55 members: 46 elected, two co-opted, two chosen by lottery from among the Gurdwara Singh Sabhas, one nominated by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and four Sikh Takht Jathedar’s. If the Delhi Lieutenant Governor signs the amending Bill and it becomes law, the chief of the Takht Damdama Sahib will also become an ex officio member of the DSGMC house, bringing the total number of members to 56. Ex officio members do not have the right to vote in the house.
ROLE OF SIKH TAKHTS
The Takhts are known to issue hukumnamas on topics that affect the Sikh community from time to time. According to Sikh academics, Akal Takht is the most important of them all because it is the oldest and was built by a Sikh Guru himself. Only Akal Takht can make any edict or order that affects the entire community. Sikhs who are discovered to be breaching the Sikh doctrine and code of conduct are given religious penalty (called tankhaiya) and even excommunication from Akal Takht, depending on the severity of the infraction and failing to follow the orders of the Sikhs’ highest temporal seat.
Scholars say the first hukamnama was issued by Guru Hargobind from Akal Takht. Today, the Akal Takht Jathedar issues edicts for the community after deliberations with the chiefs of the other Takhts. A seal believed to have been used by Guru Gobind Singh for his edicts is preserved at Damdama Sahib.
Who appoints the Jathedar of the Takhts?
The three Takhts in Punjab are directly controlled by the SGPC, which appoints the Jathedars. The SGPC is dominated by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) members. It is widely understood that SAD puts the final seal on the appointment of these three Jathedar’s. The two Takhts outside Punjab have their own trusts and boards.
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