INSIDE THE GURU'S GATE - Anpere

Gurus and weapons that have belonged to some devotee of the past and now are “in
service“ (hazuri) of the Guru. In the modern gurdwara hall of Gurubagh the bedroom
for texts of the Guru Granth Sahib has been constructed on the second floor on the
right side of the scriptural throne downstairs. The older structure of Nichibagh
Gurdwara holds two bedrooms: one on the upper floor for old handwritten gutkas
and manuscripts, whereas a recessed chamber in the bottom right-hand corner of the
gurdwara hall on the first floor is utilized for custody of printed scriptures in daily
use. According to the local lore this chamber points out the exact spot on which Guru
Tegh Bahadur did meditation ‒ tapashya ‒ for seven months and thirteen days on his
visit in Varanasi.
The term sachkhand also signifies the specific room for performances of unbroken
readings (Akhand path) of the scripture in the gurdwara. Both gurdwaras of Gurubagh
and Nichibagh hold these recitation rooms, which are well-separated spaces
reserved on the left flank on the second floor to not disturb reciters or interrupt the
daily programs. Similar to the throne in center of the gurdwaras, scriptures installed
for readings in this room should be placed on a palanquin (palki) or a wooden stand
underneath a canopy to be in a higher position than the reciter who sits on the floor.
Since people visit the room to pay respect and offer monetary gifts to ongoing readings
of the Guru-scripture, a large piece of cotton cloth and a donation box is usually
placed in front of the throne. Unlike the customary adornment of scriptural spaces
the recitation room is devoid of incense, swords, flowers or other symbols. Only fans
and flashlights are kept in the otherwise bare rooms to prevent heat and frequent
power cuts from interrupting readings. The lack of symbols is said to signify a space
of tranquility and peace. For visitors sachkhand should provide a place where sensory
impressions are restricted in favor of the sound of the divine words. Immediately
outside the room cloths or straw mattresses are sometimes spread for those who want
to squat down and listen to an ongoing recitation.
The symbolism of sachkhand is subject to diverse interpretations: it occurs in
Guru Nanak’s composition JapJi Sahib, in which he describes the five realms or abodes
of humans’ spiritual development towards God. 335 Truth (sach) is both the epithet and
characteristics of God. In line with a popular interpretation of this textual reference,
sachkhand represents the last and final abode in which the guru-oriented person will
ultimately unite with the divine and become god-like. It is a widespread belief that
the Sikh Gurus, Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh in particular, had reached
sachkhand and were released from the bounds of rebirths prior to their entrances in
the world. Occasionally the notion of sachkhand also signifies the space wherein the
congregation of true devotees (sadh sangat) gathers to recite and praise God. Within
the gurdwaras, the physical place where scriptures are put to rest and unbroken readings
of Guru Granth Sahib are conducted have been assigned similar religious meanings.
In a symbolic sense the rooms represent worldly models of the idealized realm
of truth, as both the means and end of spiritual progress; they provide pure and sac-
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Published on www.anpere.net in May 2008