SGPC museum committee holds meeting on photo gallery

Amritsar, Punjab: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) is contemplating having a separate photo gallery for displaying photographs or portraits of SGPC members, who are no more.

The thought has been prompted by the lack of space at the Central Sikh museum atop the Clock Tower entrance to the Harmandar Sahib.

Only portraits of prominent SGPC leaders, which may include its office bearers will be displayed on the walls inside the museum, which is visited by a large number of devotees that come to pay obeisance at the shrine. Till now, the practice has been to display photographs of all dead SGPC members in the museum.

Over the years, this has led to a shortage of space and the photographs of a large number of SGPC leaders who have passed away, are yet to grace the walls. A separate gallery is thus contemplated. The two could be linked by a passageway.

The issue came up for discussion at a meeting of the SGPC museum committee held here on Thursday.

The meeting chaired by Akal Takht jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh was attended by Harmandir Sahib head granthi, Giani Mal Singh, SGPC executive member Rajinder Singh Mehta and secretary, Roop Singh. The attendees felt that a overhaul of the museum was needed and more facilities were needed for the visitors. The meeting discussed a report submitted by a Delhi-based organisation which deals with artefacts. Experts from this organisation had recently visited the museum and submitted a report to the SGPC.

It has been decided to change the frames of a majority of the photographs and portraits as suggested by the experts. The meeting decided to procure showcases made of chrome in the museum. The meeting also acknowledged the fact that the staircase leading to the museum was narrow and needed to be widened. The suggestion to have a lift or a elevator for the aged was also considered.

Source: The Tribune