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Interior of a Sikh Temple at Umritzir - reading the Grunt'h, 1858. Creator: Unknown
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Interior of a Sikh Temple at Umritzir - reading the Grunt'h, 1858. Creator: Unknown
Interior of a Sikh Temple at Umritzir [in India] - reading the Grunt'h - from a drawing by W. Carpenter, Jun. 1858. The Gooroos are the spiritual guides of the Sikhs. Arjoon, fourth Gooroo, arranged the various writings of his predecessors. Namuk and Unggud added to them the best known or the most suitable compositions of some other religious reformers, and, completing the whole with a prayer and some exhortations of his own, he declared the compilation to be pre-eminently the "Grunt'h, " or book...The Gooroo is sitting before the Grunt'h, which lies open on a stool before him, covered with a brocaded cloth, with a chowree lying across it (the tail of the Thibet ox, used as a flyflap)...and above it is suspended a canopy of crimson velvet embroidered with gold. On the floor is a heap of offerings of the faithful, being swept up by an attendant, not, as in the palmy days of the Sikh power, gold mohurs, jewels, bracelets, &c. but copper pice and cowries. The women, as they make a circuit of the building, receive flowers which have been blessed by the priest. Music of a most excruciating character is kept up without intermission on tomtoms, banjos, &c. assisted by a chorus of human voices scarcely more tuneable'. From "Illustrated London News", 1858
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Amritsar India Canopy Carpenter William Carpenter William Hookham Cloth Cross Legged Drum Drumming Fly Swish Fly Whisk Golden Temple Hand Held Handheld Holy Book In Prayer Instrument Instruments Legs Crossed Material Musicians Percussion Instrument Prayer Prayers Praying Priest Scripture Sikh Sikhism Sikhs Sri Harmandir Sahib W Carpenter Jun William Carpenter William Carpenter Junior William Hookham Carpenter Gurdwara Hindoostan Playing An Instrument Posture Tabla
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this evocative image from 1858, we witness the interior of a Sikh Temple at Umritzir in India, where a Gooroo, the spiritual guide of the Sikhs, is engrossed in reading the Gruntah, the sacred scripture of the Sikh faith. The Gooroo is seated before the Gruntah, which lies open on a stool, covered with a brocaded cloth and adorned with a crimson velvet canopy embroidered with gold. A chowree, or the tail of a Tibetan ox, is used as a flyswatter above the scripture. The scene is far removed from the opulence of the temple's past, as offerings of the faithful now consist of copper pice and cowries, rather than gold mohurs, jewels, and bracelets. In the foreground, an attendant sweeps up the offerings, while women make their way around the temple, receiving blessed flowers. The atmosphere is filled with the music of traditional instruments, such as tom-toms and banjos, accompanied by a chorus of human voices. The music, though excruciating to some, adds to the devotional ambiance of the temple. This image, from a drawing by W. Carpenter, offers a glimpse into the spiritual practices and traditions of the Sikh community during the mid-19th century. The Gooroo's dedication to the Gruntah serves as a reminder of the enduring significance of the scripture in Sikhism and the unwavering faith of the community.
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