NEW DELHI: An advisory from Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra's Nanded - one of the five 'takhts' recognised as the spiritual and temporal centre of Sikhism-sets out a
dress code
for brides who are urged to wear '
salwar-kameez
and chunni' instead of voluminous and heavy
lehengas
during
Anand Karaj
(wedding ceremonies) held in gurudwaras. It also says that wedding cards must include the suffixes - /Singh' and 'Kaur' for the groom and bride.
The 'Gurmat' (advisory) which is expected to be implemented by local gurudwaras in Nanded on the lines of a code of conduct was announced by the Takht's Jathedar Kulwant Singh and his associates on Friday.
The advisory elaborates that it has been observed these days that during weddings brides wear heavy and expansive lehengas which makes it difficult for them to sit on the ground, stand up and bend down to pay obesiance properly before the Granth Sahib during ceremony. Hence the traditional salwar-kameez symbolic of Sikh traditions is being cited as a panacea.
"The advisory also attempts to drive home the message to curtail unnecessary expenditure on extravagant weddings and maintain the sanctity associated with the ceremony. The Gurmat is like a code of conduct that local gurdwaras in Nanded will be expected to follow," said Vijay Satbir Singh, the administrator at Hazur Sahib in Nanded. The 'Gurmat' also creates room for adoption and implementation of the same by the remaining four Takhts including the Akal Takht- the top most authority in Amritsar.
In fact, the Akal Takht came out with an order (hukumnama) in October against taking the Guru Granth Sahib to destination weddings in resorts, farm houses and beaches for Anand Karaj. They made it clear that the sacred book cannot be moved around and therefore the traditional Sikh ceremony must take place only in gurudwaras where the couple take their vows while circumambulating the Guru Granth Sahib. .
Now this latest advisory from 'Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib' in Nanded highlights that it has been seen that on wedding cards 'Singh' and 'Kaur' is done away with and only the first names of the groom and bride are mentioned. The 'Gurmat' now calls for including these as suffixes as mandated by the teachings of Sikhism. Besides setting out a dress code for the bride, they have taken exception to the use of a 'chhatra' (cover held up over the head) of flowers or a duppata carried by relatives over the bride's head while she walks into the gurudwara for the ceremony. It is pointed that since the gurudwara is a space where the sacred book is supreme and under a 'chhatra' no one else can walk in under a 'chhatra'.
At present Sikhs recognise five places as takhts. Three are in Punjab -Akal Takht (Amritsar); Takht Keshgarh Sahib (Anandpur Sahib); Takht Damdama Sahib (Talwandi Sabo) - and the other two are Takht Patna Sahib (Bihar) and Takht Hazur Sahib (Nanded, Maharashtra).
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