Stamped notes distributed as blessing at Amritsar’s Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj

Amritsar: A controversial practice has come to light at Amritsar's Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj (Chatiwind Chowk), where currency notes stamped with the name of a religious organisation—"Sevak Jatha Ishnan"—were reportedly distributed among devotees as a form of blessing for ‘Gur ghar dian khusian' (the happiness or blessings of the Guru's house).Devotees receiving these notes reportedly also touched them to their foreheads or held them close as a ritual act to receive the Guru's blessings.
Sikh scholar Sarchand Singh informed on Tuesday that this practice was ongoing at the shrine of 18th century Sikh warrior Baba Deep Singh, where certain persons or organisations circulated stamped currency notes among devotees. Jatinder Singh, manager of Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj, acknowledged the issue. "The management took steps to prevent this practice," he said, adding that similar incidents occurred earlier at Chote Shaheed Sahib, Luxmansar Chowk, where devotees also distributed stamped notes.Experts noted that banks officially rejected stamped currency notes, although some smaller denominations or lower-quality bills might pass through common currency-counting machines. Acceptance largely depended on the alertness of bank staff, who were instructed to reject such notes immediately. High-quality bank currency-counting machines typically detected and rejected these stamped notes automatically.Sarchand said the true ‘treasure (khazana) of Naam' was attained through Gurbani, Simran, selfless service, and righteous conduct—not by stamping Indian currency and treating it as a talisman to carry in pockets or purses.