Amid controversies related to their origin,the centuries old and huge gates at Darshani Deori,which serve as entrance to the sanctum sanctorum of Golden Temple,were removed on Sunday for preservation. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) decided to remove the gates as they were in need of immediate repairs. The sandalwood base had started crumbling and the ivory carving and golden screws on the doors had suffered damage after weathering the vagaries of time. Since their installation in 1800 AD by Maharaja Ranjit Singh,this was for the first time that the gates were unhooked. While these traditionally-decorated doors have been at the Golden Temple for the last 210 years,historians believe the gates were originally from Gujarats Somnath temple,which were looted by Afghan invaders in the 12th century but later Sikhs snatched them from the Afghans. Some Sikh circles have raised suspicion that the doors are being removed to be sent back to Somnath under pressure from the BJP,which shares power with the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal in Punjab. They say the Sikh warriors,after possessing the precious gates from the Afghans,had offered them to Hindus but the Somnath management had refused to accept the doors,terming them impure as the doors were with looked by the Afghans. Among those protesting the SGPC move is SAD (Amritsar) chief Simranjit Singh Mann,who is against the removal or any tampering with the gates. He is supported by several radical Sikh bodies,leading to a new row. SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar,and the five Sikh high priests,including Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh,have rubbished the theories. The doors are sacred and need immediate repair,which will be carried out by experts and craftsmen,being requisitioned from all over the world. The work will be carried out inside the Golden Temple premises and the gates will not be taken out of the complex, said Makkar. After their removal,the doors were taken to safe enclosures. Makkar said he did not want to comment anything on the origin of the gates. We do not want to get into any controversy. The gates need repair and we are duty bound to do restore them to their traditional pristine glory, said Makkar. He chided members of the Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Committee who were sitting outside the complex to see that the gates were not taken out. The gates will not leave the Golden Temple complex, he reiterated,adding that political leaders and some religious pundits were making misleading statements but the gates were now properties of the Panth. Accompanied by Damdami Taksal Chief Harnam Singh Khalsa,Makkar said kar sewa for the repair work would be carried out under the supervision of Baba Kashmira Singh Bhuriwale. A five-member committee headed by Golden Temple head priest Jaswinder Singh will overview the repair work.
