Faith preserved, Guru Hargobind's sacred robe restored
Chola
Sahib, the 400-year-old sacred robe that sixth Sikh Guru wore on the
first Bandi Chhor Diwas in October 1619, has been restored close to
another Diwali.
Guru Hargobind wore the 52-tailed cloak on
the day when he liberated 52 Hindu kings along with self from the
Gwalior prison of Mughal emperor Jahangir and returned to Amritsar on
Diwali, which Sikhs celebrate since as Bandi Chhor Diwas (day of
liberation). Preserved at Ghudani Kalan, in Ludhiana, the
relic was restored by the team of conservators headed by Namita
Jaspal.
“This fabric of faith dates back to the early 17th
century and the villagers are attached to it emotionally. It is a
gift from the Guru for their hospitality once. It was a tradition
with the Sikh Gurus to leave their belongings to their hosts, and the
cloak is a symbol of that,” said Namita, professional conservator
since 1995.
About the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee
(SGPC) view on the authenticity of the robe as Guru’s relic, she
said: “I’m sure they know, since they once took it, but the
villagers fought for it and got it back. Since then, they want to
keep the SGPC away from it.”
In 2011, the villagers
approached Namita because the fabric had aged, weakened, and lost
flexibility. They requested her to visit the village for saving it.
“Historians don’t know if it is authentic but going by the old
references and people’s strong belief, it should be the same
chola,” said BS Dhillon, head of the department of Guru Granth
Sahib studies at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.
“History
does state that the chola that the sixth Guru wore on the day of the
release from the Mughal prison had 52 corners, and the one on display
at the village has this characteristic,” said Sikh historian
Simarjeet Singh, adding: “People who believe in history do
recognise it as Guru’s relic.”
Conservator’s
challenges
Conservator
Namita Jaspal working on the Chola.
There are always more than
the usual challenges involved working on historical objects that have
religious sentiments attached. “All I knew was that the faith of
the community had to be preserved,” said conservator Namita, who
has also guided the restoration of the wall paintings at Harmandir
Sahib in Amritsar.
Fungus had eaten the robe, and it had lost
fabric at many places, because of not only ageing but also vandalism.
Over the years, in different times, the torn areas had been sewn,
which had helped limit the damage. Namita had to wear gloves to touch
the revered Chola Sahib.
“I told the villagers I
couldn’t do my work without touching it. Even then, the frowning
sewadars would watch over me. Within a month, I restored their
faith,” she said.
Usmeet Kaur, Hindustan Times Amritsar,
October 21, 2014