INSIDE THE GURU'S GATE - Anpere

lieved to make his performances more effective. When I asked an elderly Sikh man
about the reason for committing readings of the Ardas to the granthi, he replied:
Any person can do Ardas, but we get it done by the Granthi because he
is the minister (vazir) of Guru Granth Sahib ji. When Ardas is done by
Granthi ji it is more important. He takes care of Guru Granth Sahib ji
and he is doing readings of bani. He is much more pure (shuddh). His
Ardas is listened to quickly.
Far from all Sikhs would agree with this statement and promptly claim that any person
performing prayers and recitations from a sincere heart will undoubtedly achieve
the same results as those who rely on the granthi. No intermediaries are required for
establishing devotional links to the Guru and God. But it still remains that people do
depend on the granthi for prayers because he knows the sacred texts and the proper
ritual conducts, which together with his moral and spiritual disposition make his
readings more shuddh ‒ correct and pure.
2.4. THE LIFE OF GURU GRANTH SAHIB
In the Sikh community today there are a set of ceremonies that aim to mark the integration
and separation of Guru Granth Sahib in the socio-religious life of human
disciples. Traditionally scholars in anthropology and religious studies have used the
analytical typology “life-cycle rites” for ritual activities linked to biological or social
transfers in the order of human life, however have not extended the term to encompass
ritually marked passages in the “life” of objects that are attributed sacred status
and even perceived and treated as animated things. 377 Considering the ways in which
adherents of various religious traditions handle their sacred texts with the outmost
care, scholars have paid surprisingly little attention to the ritual procedures by which
religious people ascribe new or renovated texts with social agency and enliven them
within the community of humans, or how they give obsolete texts a symbolic treatment
similar to an honored guest or family member. Ethnographic notes from different
parts of the world seem to suggest that rituals of consecration and the disposal of
sacred texts ‒ handwritten and printed ‒ are a crucial aspect of the religious life of
people. The design of the rituals directed towards texts will display cultural and
historical variations that are dependent on local conceptions of the texts, accessibility
of copies, attitudes towards the activity of writing, print technology, and now the
existence of virtual publications on the Internet. 378 In a South Asian context, for in-
377
For introductory overview of studies on life-cycle rites, consult Bell 1997: 94 ‒ 102.
378
In the Abrahamic religions, the ritual disposal of manuscripts appears to be a major concern.
If the Jewish people in ancient times destroyed or hid damaged handwritten manuscripts to
avoid faults in readings, contemporary Jews would most probably bury an aged Torah scroll in
a separate grave at the cemetery. Many Muslims on the Indian subcontinent dispose of outworn
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Published on www.anpere.net in May 2008