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Ancient Sikh Armor on Auction by Sotheby's
London, UK (KP) - Recent news from the United Kingdom has caught the interest of the Sikh community, worldwide. Reports and rumours spread that a piece of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s body armor was going to auction, until the air was cleared by the auctioneer, Sotheby's. In the meantime the the Sikh community and leadership reacted sharply to the ongoing auction buzz.
Although the catalog of Sotheby’s, world's second oldest international auction house founded in 1744, does not explicitly arbitrate the armor as a belonging of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, certain aspects however, closely hint at it being either a replica of the original or there being a possibility that Guru Sahib commissioned more than one set. The catalog however firmly acknowledges that the armor dates back to the 18th century.
The opening verse of “Akal Ustat” (second composition of Dasam Granth Sahib) is the prominent fact that has brought the attention of Sikh masses towards this auction. The same verse: “ਅਕਾਲ ਪੁਰਖ ਕੀ ਰਛਾ ਹਮਨੈ ॥ ਸਰਬ ਲੋਹ ਕੀ ਰਛਿਆ ਹਮਨੈ ॥ ਸਰਬ ਕਾਲ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਰਛਿਆ ਹਮਨੈ ॥ ਸਰਬ ਲੋਹ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਸਦਾ ਰਛਿਆ ਹਮਨੈ ॥” appears on the actual genuine armor of Guru Gobind Singh Ji that is in the possession of Captain Amarinder Singh’s family, the royal family of Patiala.
Original Armor (Kavauch) of Guru Gobind Singh Ji with the Patiala Family
It has been customary for the Sikhs of the 18th century to embellish their weapons with verses of the Dasam Granth Sahib, which is a considered a ‘Yudh-Maae’ (martial) scripture. It is mainly because of these facts that Sikhs have protested against the auction. For the Sikhs, along with the armor, it is the bani of their tenth Guru’s scripture that is being auctioned. Although the authenticity of the armor cannot be judged by merely visually inspecting it, it bears a close resemblance to many of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s personal artifacts and weapons which are also embedded with verses from the Dasam Granth Sahib.
| "Parneet Kaur...affirmed that the original armor of Guru Sahib is kept safe at the Gurdwara Sahib in the New Moti Bagh palace of the royal family" |
The website PunjabHeritage.org was the first to bring the attention of the Sikh Nation towards the auction of the armor. Following a news release on the website, Sikh masses looked towards the Royal Patiala Family for explanation as the original armor was always believed to have been in their custody. In response, Parneet Kaur, wife of Capt. Amarinder Singh, affirmed that the original armor of Guru Sahib is kept safe at the Gurdwara Sahib in the New Moti Bagh palace of the royal family.
During a press statement Kirpan Singh Badungar, former SGPC President, alleged that the armor in possession of the London based auction house was not genuine. He however appealed to the SGPC and other Sikh authorities to take appropriate steps to safeguard the relic. According to suggestions made by the former SGPC President, Sikh bodies must ensure they place the highest bid and then place the armor at a Sikh museum.
Avtar Singh Makkar, current President of the SGPC, has also expressed his concerns towards the auction but has not commented on whether the SGPC will initiate efforts to bid in the auction. On the other side, former DSGMC President Harwinder S. Sarna announced that the DSGMC will leave no stone unturned in bringing back the armor after its authenticity was fully established.
Makkar explained that he has communicated the concerns of the Sikh community to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who in turn was suggested to raise talks with UK authorities to stop the auction. The Deputy High Commissioner of British High Commission – Creon Butler has already explained his silent stance on the issue and asked the people in Punjab to take up the efforts if the issue is important to them.
Editors can be reached at editors@panthic.org
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