dithe sabhey thav nahi(n) tudh jaeha

Of all the places I have seen, there is none like you!

[GGS:1362]

These lines best describe the most sacred place in Sikhdom - the Harmandar Sahib, also known as the Darbar Sahib or the Golden Temple of Amritsar - which sees an endless stream of devotees and visitors from around the world each day.

For most people who visit here, the sheer presence at the holy site is a deeply moving experience.

But few linger to reflect upon the beauty of the exquisite surface decorations within the complex. But Dr. Simrita Singh, an assistant Professor of Art and Design and Head of the Fashion Design Department at The Northern India Institute of Fashion Technology (NIIFT), Mohali, Punjab, is one among them.

Having grown up in Amritsar, the city of the Golden Temple, Simrita has not only been a devotee, but also an ardent admirer of the artwork on the glittering marble and gold edifice. Be it the delicate lacy creepers in gach and kach work (gold and mirror work) or the intricate designs of posies and wild creatures in pietra dura and frescoes or even the resplendent gold work of the chhattris, and the dome - nothing misses her keen roving eye.

It was a conversation on the subject with her teacher-turned-mentor, Dr. Alka Pande, former Director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Panjab University, Chandigarh, a few years ago, and a visit to London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, that took Simrita back to the Darbar Sahib with a mission - to study and document the surface decorations in the complex. 

“[The Darbar Sahib] represents Sikh architecture in all its distinctive features. It testifies to the fact that Sikhs had acquired enough skills [by the 16th century] to be able to adopt patterns and motifs suiting their own taste, philosophy and way of living. The upper half of the building’s exterior is covered with golden plates and the lower half is sheathed in marble, while the interiors are profusely decorated with fresco paintings and filigree embellishments. This place is without doubt, the acme of Sikh architecture,” says Simrita Singh.

She feels that the gurdwara is also a perfect example of religious tolerance.

“During his reign, Maharaja Ranjit Singh had created an atmosphere of religious tolerance wherein Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, even the French and British, were appointed to high offices. No wonder then that the artists and craftsmen who worked on the Golden Temple building were also drawn from all these communities,” she explains.

[Courtesy: Indian Express]

July 19, 2011