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2 Bungas along the parikarma in this 19th–century photograph by Fred Bremne; also seen are the Darshani Deori and Akal Takht. Photo courtesy: Toor Collection
Gurmeet Sangha Rai & Amanpreet Singh Gill
The accidental unearthing of a basement of Burj Giania (Tower of Scholars) on the periphery of the Harmandir Sahib complex in the course of the ongoing construction activity has once again brought to the forefront the intrinsic link between tangible and intangible heritage of the Sikh community. The excavated basement is that of a building typology known as a bunga (fortified dwelling place) immortalised in the daily Sikh prayer (Jhande Bunge Jugo Jug Atal). These buildings have collective memories of the Sikh sacred space embedded in them and are rare to find. Giani Gian Singh listed 69 bungas which existed around Harmandir Sahib till the early 20th century, of which only Bunga Ramgarhia and Bunga Sher Singh survive.
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2 Work in progress at the construction site where some old structures were unearthed while digging on the periphery of the Harmandir Sahib complex. Photo: PTI
Roopinder Singh
One of the enduring images in my mind is of people from Amritsar and beyond performing kar sewa at Harmandir Sahib in 1973. Many were dressed up in their finery for the occasion and would patiently wait for the fellow sewadars to put in the mud from the sarovar and carry it away, often by placing the tasla, the shallow iron container, on their heads.
The desilting was an affirmation of the inclusive tradition of sewa, in which all who took part felt honoured to have done so. There was no hurry. It was participative and involved people at large. Mechanical means were eschewed for the privilege of performing physical sewa, even by those whose socio-economic status virtually ensured that this was the only time they would be doing such work personally. Indeed, there are pictures of bejewelled maharajas
Tribune correspondent Manmeet Singh Gill and photo journalist Sunil Kumar take you to the holy land of Tarn Taran, which was chosen by Guru Arjan Dev due to its proximity to the Grand Trunk Road built