Sikh News

Jathedars announce 18 member committee on Nankshahi Calendar issue

March 9, 2015 | By Sikh Siyasat Bureau

Amritsar: Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh today announced to form an eighteen member committee to find solution of Nanakshahi Calendar issue. The decision reportedly taken in a meeting of five Sikh Jathedars.

While announcing the decision Giani Gurbachan Singh said that number of committee members may be increased also. He said that the names of the members of the committee will be announced soon.

He said that the decision to form the committee was taken to find a suitable solution for Nanakshahi Calendar.

Nanakshahi Calendar Issue:

The Nanakshahi Calendar is a Sikh Calendar which was prepared by Sikh scholar Pal Singh Purewal. It was adopted for the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee after approval of Akal Takht Sahib in 2003. The calendar was widely accepted by the global Sikh community. Only few seminaries such as the Sant Samaj had expressed reservation over the calendar. As the Nanakshahi Calendar was considered to be a symbol of separate Sikh identity. Hindutva bodies such as RSS were also trying to dilute the significance of the Sikh Calendar.

Under pressure from the Sant Samaj, Hindutva forces and as per the directions of the it’s controlling party – Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal), the SGPC drastically amended the Nanakshahi Calendar in 2010.

But a large section of the Sikhs, especially the Sikh diaspora, refused to accept the amended version. Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee and American Sikh Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee were two prominent Sikh bodies who declared to follow the original Sikh calendar.

The original Nanakshahi Calendar was based on solar calculations whereas the amended version is based on lunar calculations. After the 2010 the dates of various important events started to change ever year.

2010 Amended – a source of confusion:

According to amended version of the Nanakshahi Calendar the Parkash Gurpurb of Guru Gobind Singh Ji arrived on 28 December this year which coincides the last day of Fatehgarh Sahib Shaheedi Sabha that is observed in the memory of martyrdom of younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

Recently Akal Takht Jathedar change the date of Gurpurb to 7 January. As per original Nanakshahi Calendar the Parkash Gurpurb of Guru Gobind Singh Ji falls on 5 January every year.

The demand of restoration of original Nanakshahi Calendar is growing stronger.

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Related Topics: Giani Gurbachan Singh, Nanakshahi Calendar

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