By Karminder Singh Dhillon, Ph.D (Boston) Kuala Lumpur.

Gurpurab[1] is the term Sikhs use to celebrate events relating to our Guru. The Gurpurab of the highest significance relates to our present Guru – Guru Granth Sahib Ji.  Sikhs celebrate two purabs relating to the Guru Granth Sahib – Pehla Parkash Dihara and Gurgadee Dihara.

The Parkash Dihara (literally installation day) refers to the incident when the Pothee Sahib (as the Granth Sahib was called then) was completed by Guru Arjun Dev Ji at Ramsar and installed for the first time at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Baba Budha Ji was installed the first Granthee (minister of the Granth). Guru Arjun Dev paid obeisance (matha tekna) and the Pothee became a permanent feature of Sikh diwans from then on.

The Gurgadee Dihara refers to the incident of Guru Gobind Singh re-compiling, at Sabo Ki Talwandee,  the Pothee Sahib (by adding the Banee of Guru Teg Bahadur) and installing it at Nader Sahib. The tenth Guru paid obeisance, installed Bhai Mani Singh as the Granthee, and declared that from then on, the Guru of the Sikhs would be in the form of the Shabad within the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. 

The months of September and October saw Sikhs all over the world celebrate these two Diharas. This article is written in the celebratory mood of these Diharas – particularly Gurgadee Dihara which sees its three hundred and fifth year in 2013 – with a view of providing a brief overview relating to Gurbanee and the Granth Sahib.

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Commentary by Karminder Singh Dhillon, PhD (Boston).

The SGPC and the Akaal Takhat have argued that Harinder Singh Sikka’s biggest bungle is that Nanak Shah Faqir violates the Sikh tenet of never portraying the character of Guru Nanak though an actor – something Sikka was aware of as he has openly claimed that computer animation and not an actor was used for Guru Nanak’s role.  

One could argue that portraying the character of the Guru is the least of Sikka’s bungles. The more serious botches are elements of his endeavour that appear manifestly anti-thesis to the principles of Guru Nanak – the very philosophy that his movie is attempting to portray.

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