Religious News

Nanakshahi Calendar released by Giani Gurbachan Singh; Discord in Pak & US remains

February 9, 2013 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau

Amritsar/Ludhiana, Punjab (February 8, 2013): It is learnt that Akal Takhat Sahib Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh released the amended Nanakshahi Calendar for the New Year on February 08, 2013. He reportedly claimed that Sikhs had widely accepted amended version of the Calendar. 

“The Jathedar also claimed that the Sikh Sangat had given its verdict against the Sarna group, which had not adopted the amended calendar completely in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC)” reads a Tribune News Service “TNS” report. 

“The Jathedar said the newly elected DSGMC members had already announced that they will fully implement the amended calendar just like the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)”, the TNS has reported further. 

He reportedly said the DSGMC had earlier partially implemented the amended form of the calendar, which had created confusion among the community members in the national capital. He appealed to Sikhs across the globe to observe ‘gurpurbs’ and ‘sangrands’ as per the amended calendar.

As per TNS news report: When asked why the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee were not following it, he said, “I will urge them to follow it and if they have any objections, they can send in their suggestions, which will be taken up for discussion.”

On the lack of unanimity among the jathedars of all five Takhts over the issue, he claimed that there was no disagreement and that all of them had given their approval to the amended calendar.

Asked why Takht Shri Damdama Sahib Jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh had divergent views on the calendar, he maintained, “Nandgarh has also approved the amended calendar.”

The occasion also brought to the fore the fact that the SGPC continues to grapple with getting the amended calendar implemented among all Sikh organisations across the world even three years after it was introduced.

While the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee are following the original calendar, the Sikhs are a divided house over the issue in Europe and Canada. Pakistan had even denied visas to Sikh pilgrims who were a part of an SGPC jatha for celebrating ‘gurpurb’ there more than once in the past, contending that the PSGPC was celebrating the event on a different date.

It is notable that Nanakshahi calendar know as the Sikh Calendar was introduced and implemented by SGPC in 2003. This calendar was major departure from traditional calendar that was prevalent earlier, whic was generally associated with the Hindus. 

In 2010 the calendar was amended by SGPC and many Sikh circles had refused to accept the amended version of the calendar. The dissenting circles believe that the 2010 amendment has destroyed the distinctive features of the Sikh calendar and ammended version is nothing more than a copy of hindu calendar. 

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Related Topics: Akal Takht Sahib, DSGMC, Giani Gurbachan Singh, Nanakshahi Calendar, SGPC

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