by: Patwant Singh (Photographs by Gurmeet Thukral) ‘New Delhi, Himalayan Books, 213pp, $90.00 Reviewed by: Dr. I.J. Singh, New York University, & G.S. Mann, Columbia University
The Sikhs have produced a very rich and extensive tradition of art and architecture; some of their more Significant work speaks of the time when their survival hung in the balance and they lived like nomads, Except for very brief periods, they have had little peace and leisure, (This is not to diminish Ranjit Singh’s patronage of Sikh art and architecture when he ruled Punjab.) The down side is that until now there have been limited attempts to Catalogue, preserve and analyze the milestones of their heritage.
It is a task that Patwant Singh has taken up and for which he deserves our gratitude,
Patwant is a Delhi based writer with an abiding interest in architectural design and well respected in such circles, though he is also a political commentator of no mean repute, In 1988, he produced a book on the Golden Temple, lavishly embellished with exquisite photographs, some rare, that vividly brought out the rich artistry, intricate craftsmanship and glorious history that went into each piece of the edifice. This is a fitting companion to the earlier book and presents most historical gurdwaras whether in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh. A second part presents photographs and background of some of the gurdwaras across the world, in countries of every continent. The accompanying commentary in both English and Punjabi is graceful, precise and informative. The photographs by Gurmeet Thukral and others are superb and remain the central focus of the book. The disceming eye of the photographer is well coupled with the critical judgment of the editor to produce a fascinating visual treat that captures the depth of Sikh religious life in all of its finer nuances.
From the narration and photographs of the historical gurdwaras the whole panorama of Sikh history comes alive. The photographs neatly evoke the historical aspira tions of the Sikhs. The Akal Takht, and its phoenix like rise from the ashes of “Operation Blue Star” in 1984 remains the core symbol of Sikh psyche, Sikh his destroy included many tense battles and painful memories, like that of the younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh at Sirhmd, These memories and the monuments to them go side by side with the grandeur of the Golden Temple and Kesgarh Sahib. The community service whether in the community kitchen or in cleaning of the physical facility are an integral part of the Sikh way of life and are vividly brought out. Even the most mundane activities like counting the offerings of money are not forgotten, for the Sikh doctrine presents an all-encompassing view of human life. Most historical gurdwaras are very well covered, though an accompanying map would have been useful, in the rich collage that emerges, a significant unit, Kartarpur where Guru Nanak founded the Sikh community, and Goindwal the next major historical landmark deserved more prominence. Captions to photo graphs, with few exceptions, do not include information on the custodianship of many historical artifacts and the source of some of the rare documents shown. Such details would have enhanced the value of the presentation.
Nevertheless, no Sikh can read it and remain unmoved, The second part of the book continues with pictures of gurdwaras overseas; these mark a major development in the history of the community of the twentieth century and indicate that the following of Guru Nanak is no longer limited to the Punjab, but is to be found all over the globe. Sikh parades with all cultural and traditional splendor are seen in numerous cities of the western world. Many gurdwaras in north America are shown including ones in Los Angeles and Phoenix founded by Sikh converts of western origin a development for which Harbhajan Singh Yogi is single handedly responsible. How these communities will affect the way Sikhs understand themselves remains to be seen in the decades to come.
This part however, which lists gurdwaras around the world cannot possibly be complete with new ones opening every day. To call it a directory of gurdwaras abroad is misleading. For instance, in the United States just about every state has one, many have more. There are seven gurdwaras within com muting distance of New York City although only one is mentioned, several from California are listed. None is shown from the Washing ton D.C. area though there are several in or near the capital of the country.
For this section we need a listing, periodically updated, of the gurdwaras with addresses, phone numbers and services, much like the directory of recommended inns and motels published by the American Automobile Association, A brief note on each gurdwara abroad would be welcome; form stance, the first one in North America was reportedly established around the tum of the century in Golden British Columbia. But all that does not seem to be Patwant’s primary purpose in this part of the book. He has set out to provide us a flavor of the world wide diaspora of the Sikhs, what they have built and how they have treasured and preserved their tradition and heritage. And in that he is eminently successful.
As an aside, we noticed that the older gurdwaras outside India often call their facility a “temple,” the newer ones routinely name it a “gurdwara.” We welcome that trend. A church or a synagogue retains that appellation in other languages and it is time for the word “gurdwara™ to enter the lexicon describing places of worship.
A view of the gurdwaras around the globe leave one with a great deal of reverence for the way the Sikhs have remained true to their traditions under the most trying conditions. The Sikhs’ affinity for their gurdwaras comes through very clearly. Wherever they put down roots they build one. The gurdwara becomes the pivot of Sikh community life, much as the Golden Temple was envisioned by Guru Arjun, In a gurdwara the abstractions of Sikh philosophic teachings quickly find a practical form with consequences for the daily life of the people. This book reminded one of an off told parable wherein Guru Nanak once blessed the noble people of a hamlet by saying “May you be scattered.” The intent was that in dispersing, they will carry their goodness to the four comers of the globe. In writing the moo! mantra (frontispiece), the calligrapher has taken such liberties with the script that, at first glance, the reader is liable to think that he is looking at Hindi (Kashmiri? characters. Also, Patwant opines that Guru Nanak did not intend to start a new religion. This kind of generalization is often made regarding all prophets and may even be generally true, but not in the case of Nanak. Patwant is merely echoing the inexact sentiment which has also found an important place in the writings of many. But a serious perusal of Sikh history would not agree, Nanak clearly intended to Start anew order free of both Hindu and Muslim rituals. It seems quite apparent that Guru Nanak planted the seed of a tree which fully bloomed under the care of Guru Gobind Singh. It is true that during Guru Nanak’s lifetime the community center was called adharamsala and acquired the name gurdwara much later when the identity of the new community became further clarified. Undoubtedly many such centers had been established, including the most important one at Amritsar prior to Guru Hargobind. The photographs from around the world clearly show an enduring Sikh style of architecture, and sometimes the amalgamation of local forms and techniques with it, as seen for example, in the very attractive Ross street gurdwara in Vancouver, British Columbia. The dome or cupola found in the traditional design of the gurdwara resembles but is not exactly like the one that came to India from Samarkand via the Muslims; the Sikh design is less an onion and more like an inverted lotus, in keeping with their philosophy, The Hindu pyramid is not used by the Sikhs. One can discern consider able Muslim (Mughal) influence in the inlaid work and the choice of geometric shapes particularly in the arches and the mosaics, but one can also see some Hindu designs in the flowers and the animal figures in the carvings, Fundamental to Sikh belief is the formless nature of the divinity; therefore, human and animal figures are rare in Sikh architecture, very Common in Hindu temples, The prominence of the sword in Sikh devotional life manifests the emphasis on divnejusuce in Sikh theology. The gurdwaras of the Indian subcontinent, but not the ones abroad, often have a pool and invariably also a plaza which historically has been used for free ranging discussions on any topic impacting on the community, be it political or religious. The design of the gurdwara at Hemkunt depans dramatically from the traditional architecture. Besides the pictures, I wish Parwant had provided a fuller, Critical analysis of the art and architecture, and particularly how the Sikhs incorporated existing styles and evolved their own.
The music, literature, history, art and architecture of the Sikhs represent a very fertile tradition. Much of it was scattered during the partition of India in 1947, a consider able amount lost or damaged since 1984 when the Indian army attacked the Golden Temple and burnt the Sikh Reference Library. It is imperative that we try to preserve, Catalogue and study what we can. Patwant, with this book on gurdwaras and the earlier one on the Golden Temple, has rendered a unique service in defining both our inheritance and our legacy to the future,
This book is a labor of love, The art work is exquisite, the photo graphs and the writing well worth the $90.00. But at that tab the book is priced outside the range of Sikhs in India; ten se living abroad might be hesitant to splurge though heaven knows they should, would be a pity if they don’t for this book belongs in homes and not just in libraries.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 2, 1993
