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Ten years long wait for `Akhand Path’ at `Dukh
Bhanjani Beri’ at Golden Temple
 AMRITSAR:
Want to book an `Akhand Path’ at Dukh Bhanjani Beri, one of the most sacred
places at Golden Temple here. You will have to wait till 2021. So long is the
`wish list’ that all dates for the `Path’ at this revered place have been booked
for the next ten years. And in the long wait are commoners and mighty, including
NRIs Sant Singh Chhatwal, actor Akshay Kumar and CM Parkash Singh Badal.
Amongst those who recently had `communion with God’ through path were Bollywood
super star Amitabh Bachan and his family members including wife Jaya, son
Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachan apart from his daughter
Shaweta Nanda. They got their turn after long wait, last year. Actors including
Rishi Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Ambani brothers of Reliance, Bharti Mittals of
Airtel, had already sought `blessings’ through path.
The family members of late Harbhajjan Singh Yogi, who is known world wide for
converting Americans to Sikhism in USA recently had their `date with God’.
Similarly, Chhatwal family too waited for long and their turn recently came. BJP
MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa, businessman Harpal Singh
from Delhi will have to wait for long before their turn comes here and they in
line with thousands would be getting prayers organized in the next a few years.
The Path at Dukh Bhanjani Beri is considered most pious, apart from three other
places at Golden Temple including Har-Ki Pauri, Gumbad Path and at the Akal
Takht. The wait for Path at these three places however is short and it is booked
for the next two years but at Dukh Banjani Beri, one has to wait for one decade
to `invoke best of the blessings’ as the sacred place existed even before
Harmandar Sahib came into being in 16th century.
``The belief is that prayers here are most pious, thus long wait’’, says Dalmegh
Singh, Secretary, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). ``All rich and
poor, powerful and commoner are in the queue here’’, he adds, saying further
that they may be influential and use easier passages elsewhere, but not here as
they will have to go as per the booking order that is registered in their
records.
These high profile people, `demigods of the society’ approach the organizers and
settle for the date that is given and the record is maintained in registers,
which are likely to be computerized soon. And what if one does not live that
long and Dalmegh says the path would be held even if some one fails to arrive at
the given date and the blessings for him and his family would be sought through
the `special prayers’.
``There are many Army Generals, Admirals and Air Chiefs, CM’s, Ministers, rich
Businessmen in the line. Usually they do not give their designation when they
book the Path. Recently Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) PS Gill
organized the Path and it was booked in the name of one PS Gill. There are many
others by the same name. We came to know that he is DGP when he arrived for the
same’’, said Manager, Golden Temple, HS Malhi.
The `bheta’ (offering) of Rs. 4100 is taken for the Path, that goes on for 48
hours and the Bhog is organized on third day by the SGPC Granthis and staff
members. ``For this coveted ritual, the price is a peanut and people pay the
same with happiness’’, said Malhi. Even if blessing seekers fails to arrive, the
prayers are held by Granthis (priests) in the name who booked the path.
There are of influential persons booking path through back door entries. The
SGPC admitted that sometimes `pressure’ are exerted and they have to ask someone
if he or she wants date extended and thus the `VVIPs’ are accommodated as
happened with current Army Chief VK Singh recently but that is possible at
places other than Dukh Bhanjani Beri.
*Dharmendra Rataul is Deputy Director, Public Relation Department, Khalsa
College Governing Council, Amritsar
Source:
Punjab
Newsline Network
Thursday, 29 September 2011
By DHARMENDRA RATAUL |
