Monument of faith

Its central iconic cupola bathed in white marble, with its gold steeple reaching out to the skies, speaks volumes of the spectacular monument erected by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the year 1839 in remembrance of the birthplace of the tenth Guru of the Sikhs and the founder of the Khalsa Panth, Guru Gobind Singh, who was born at that exact spot in Patna on December 22, 1666.
Of the five Takhts bestowed with Sikh temporal authority, the Takht Shri Harmandir Saheb is one, as it is here that the tenth Guru was born. The other four Takhts are the Akal Takht in the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Takht Kesgarh Saheb in Anandpur, Punjab, where the Khalsa Panth was founded by Guru Gobind Singh on March 30, 1699, Takht Damdama Saheb in Bhatinda district of Punjab, and Takht Sachkhand Saheb where Guru Gobind Singh breathed his last at age 42.
The glistening, huge marble edifice of the Takht Shri Harmandir Saheb in the Patna City area, with its smaller domes with gold spires encircling the huge central cupola, and two tall staff called the 'nishan saheb' tied with saffron cloth with the Sikh symbol, the 'khanda', at the two corners outside the main structure, draws thousands of devotees to its fold daily. The magnificent monument suffered damages in the 1934 earthquake that shook Bihar. Reconstruction was started in 1954 and continued for the next three years.
Today, as soon as one enters the huge, main hall of this monument of faith, the site of the exact birthplace of the tenth Guru enfolds with devotees sitting cross-legged on the floor listening with rapt attention to the kirtan, "Mitar pyare nu hal murida da kehna" (the Guru's own words while at war in which he calls God a 'mitr' and tells him of his plight) being sung by three sevaks of the Harmandir Saheb. An original photograph of Guru Gobind Singh with strings of pearls adorning his neck is placed in front of the copy of the holy Guru Granth Sahib. On the right side is placed the scripture of the Adi Granth, the teachings of the five Gurus, and on the right is the Dasham Granth, the teaching of Guru Gobind Singh. A chaur-bearer continuously fans the Guru Granth Sahib, his head bowed in devotion.
Thousands of devotees visiting the Takht Shri Harmandir Saheb for 'darshan', also visit the covered well adjacent to the sanctum sanctorum from where the Guru drank water during childhood before circumambulating the pious area. Devotees also get a view of the 'shastra' used by the Guru in childhood and early boyhood including sword, four arrows, kirpan, two chakras, kangha and gulel. Guru Gobind Singh, even in childhood, wore the iron chakra on his pagri with the khanda tucked in the centre. Some relics of the tenth Guru are also preserved in Patna Saheb. Among them is a pangura (cradle) with four stands covered with gold plates. Guru Gobind Singh slept in this cradle. The Hukamnamas of Guru Gobind Singh and Guru Tegh Bahadur contained in a book are also kept here.
A pair of Guru Tegh Bahadur's 'kharaon' made of red sandalwood with the edges embossed in gold and a pair of the young Guru Gobind Singh's made of ivory and also embossed in gold (kept in a glass case) are displayed here.
Mahendra Singh Sachdeva, a kar sevak at the Takht says, "Over 2,000 devotees comprising Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims come daily to the holy birthplace of Guru, open for darshan from 3 am to 9 pm throughout the year. All devotees visiting the sanctum sanctorum are served with 'karah parshad' made in equal proportions of flour, sugar and ghee. Almost all devotees coming to pay obeisance here eat at the langar where lentils, roti, rice, vegetables and pickles are served twice a day. It is estimated that over 2,500 eat at the langar daily. Everything that is cooked in the langar comes as part of contributions or 'daan' offered by devotees yearly. "Wheat comes to us chiefly from Punjab and Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh," said an office-bearer of the Takht committee.
Visitors religiously visit the museum within the precincts of the Harmandir Saheb where rare photographs pertaining to the history of the Sikhs are housed. Some war materials, covered in glass panes, are also housed here. Its library is a repository of a rich collection of books and manuscripts related to the history of the Sikhs.
The 15-member Takht Shri Harmandir Saheb Prabhandak Committee looks after the affairs of the huge, sprawling area, cares for the devotees who stay within its precincts et al. Says the secretary of the Takht Shri Harmandir Saheb Prabhandak Committee, S Raja Singh, "The committee ensures the smooth running of the huge Harmandir Saheb, charitable work done under its head like efficient running of four schools - two high schools and two middle schools - and other development-related work like appointment of pujaris and kirtan singers. Of the two middle schools, one is exclusively for girls, and the other is co-educational. Similarly, of the two high schools, one is for girls while one is co-ed." All the four schools run outside the precincts of the Takht Harmandir Saheb. The Dashmesh Parivar Seva Society sub-committee ensures the uninterrupted supply of utensils and bedding to the devotees who come to visit the Takht Harmandir Saheb. Devotees are taken around the city for darshan to the gurdwaras dotting Patna and other parts of Bihar in the six buses owned by the society.
It was here in the quietude of the dharamshala of Salis Rai flowing along the Ganga that on December 22, 1666, when Gujri Devi, gave birth to her only son, Guru Gobind Rai, in her 42nd year watched over by her mother-in-law Nankee Devi. He left his childhood place at age 7, never to come back. Each year Sikhs celebrate the day as Prakash Utsav. On December 22, 2011, on the 346th year of his birth, Sikhs across the world celebrated the day with pomp and gaiety. A procession of the Punj Pyare, dressed in the traditional regalia, is taken around the city and sweets and parshad distributed.