Books
The Golden Journey
PARUL
THE GOLDEN TEMPLE OF AMRITSAR, REFLECTIONS OF THE PAST (1808-1959), Edited by Amandeep Singh Madra and Parmjit Singh, Contribution by Juga Singh, Kashi House, United Kingdom, 2011. Hardcover, English, pp 303, colour. ISBN-10: 0956016812, ISBN-13: 978-0956016812.
A shrine, a monument and a space of faith, the Golden Temple in Amritsar is one of the world’s most popular heritage sites, with over five million pilgrims and tourists visiting it every year.
Capturing the timeless spirituality and beauty of the Golden Temple through the centuries is The Golden Temple of Amritsar, Reflections of the Past (1808-1959), which was released at the Capitol Book Depot last Friday (November 16, 2012).
The 303-page coffee table book has been put together by Amandeep Singh Madra and his co-author Parmjit Singh. Published by Kashi House, the publishing wing of the UK Punjab Heritage Association, it explores the gurdwara's journey of peace, prosperity and patronage and captures the richness and unique nature of the Sikh spiritual and cultural inheritance.
For this book, designed in the colours white and gold, the authors have unearthed hundreds of the rarest, earliest and stunning images of the shrine, city and inhabitants of Amritsar and combined them with two centuries of eyewitness accounts and travellers’ tales from the past.
The book, which was ten years in the making, focuses on the rich cultural heritage of the Sikhs and Punjab and includes nearly 500 artists’ and photographers’ impressions, including the earliest known painting -- a miniature dated 1825 -- and photograph (dated 1856) of the shrine.
The vast collection of paintings, sketches, lithographs and photographs have been painstakingly unearthed by the authors from archives around the world. The book gives readers a rare chance to look at one of the most recognised buildings in the world, from its origins in the 16th century until now. There are revealing insights into the iconic building and its rich history, as well as the majestic palaces and gardens of Amritsar.
The images are complemented by intriguing excerpts from 70 written accounts, ranging from the earliest discovered, from 1808 by a one-legged British spy, right up to the Hollywood heartthrob Lew Ayres, in search of the exotic and esoteric in 1959.
Starting with a detailed introduction that records pre-Sikh mythology, including tracing the gurdwara’s history, there are stories of the Pandavas and the visit of Buddha. The past acts of destruction by foreign invaders, re-building of the gurdwara, quotes from the Gurus and observations of visitors, makes it a visual and wordy treat.
The gurdwara’s story is also inextricably linked to the rise of Sikh power and turning of the tide on successive Mughal, Afghan and British incursions on the holy shrine, which the authors brilliantly chronicle.
Amongst many remarkable stories from its history, the book highlights the shocking story of an aborted attempt by the British to auction the gurdwara buildings in 1877.
The unique volume highlights the gurdwara’s beauty, architecture and changing fortunes and according to Amandeep Singh, the gurdwara encapsulates every aspect of Sikh heritage including art, architecture, history, literature, music, spiritual philosophy and the saint-warrior tradition, all of which are represented in the book.
The book is available online from kashihouse.com or from all good bookshops in major cities including:
Amritsar: Singh Brothers (exclusive distributor)
Chandigarh: Capital Book Depot (Sector 17)
Delhi: Timeless Books
For UK, America, Canada and the rest of the world, order securely with international shipping via kashihouse.com.
[Article, courtesy: Indian Express. Edited for sikhchic.com]
November 22, 2012
Conversation about this article
1: Baldev Singh (Bradford, United Kingdom), November 22, 2012, 12:07 PM.
Was lucky enough to to be shown this beautiful book by Parmjit Singh, one of the books' editors, recently. It is much more than a mere coffee-table book! It is a comprehensive and detailed historic account of the extraordinary edifice.