Amritsar, June 11 (ANI): The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) displayed rare items dating back to the fifteenth to eighteenth century inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple to mark the Guru Gaddi Nashini of Guru Hargobind, the sixth spiritual master of the Sikhs.Thousands of devotees thronged the Golden Temple to have a glimpse of these rare invaluable historical items.All the valuable articles belonging to the Golden Temple were kept for display in the “Toshakhana” (treasury) on the first floor of ‘Darshani Deori’ (entrance gate to golden temple).
The display of rare items, called as Jlau, has its own pristine grandeur. ‘JLAU’ literally means a rare glitter that fazes the eyes on its first sight. The Toshakhana is attached by four golden doors. One door has artistic work of flowers, while the remaining three depict different aspects from the lives of the Great Sikh Gurus.
The doors were presented by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.It was said each gold door was made at a cost Rs.3000.
There is one Canopy of gold weighing twenty pounds. On top of the canopy, a peacock having its neck made of pure Sapphire in a single piece is sitting. According to the estimates of a jeweller, only this piece of Sapphire costs sround four million rupees.The stone is without any blemish. In the eyes of peacock there are diamonds. Overall, this canopy is studded with 3600 diamond stones and 101 big pearls. Just under it, there is a diamonds headband with strings of pearls. Jewelers of Lahore prepared this headband on the occasion of marriage of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s first son Naunihal Singh.
Impressed by its art and the beauty, Maharaja presented this band as offerings to Golden Temple. Its cost came around Rs nine lakhs at that time.
Apart from this, there is one sword of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Its hilt is of pure gold studded with pearls and emeralds. The showcase lying in the Toshakhana is displaying five spades having silver handles and gold blades.
In 1973, the Punjab and Sind Bank presented the temple with one golden spade and five silver bowls. At that time Sant Kundan Singh from Jagron presented the temple with one silver spade, one sword with silver hilt and Sikh emblem of gold with silver stand.
According to SGPC, there are five necklaces, one small Canopy and one ring with a Sapphire in middle and eight diamonds around, which were presented by Princess Bamba granddaughter of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, daughter of PrinceDaleep Singh.
Besides, there are also jewels in the Toshakhana from the house of General Dhana Singh Malwai, a General in the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.In the early nineties, an American Sikh, who came here to pay obeisance presented a pearl necklace of three strings and three diamonds.
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with thanks : source : ANI & ThaIndian
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