The Vital Anjan: Congratulations on launching Virasati Asthan Seva. Your website describes the project as “a charity dedicated to the preservation and conservation of sites of historical and architectural importance associated with the Sikh tradition”. What convinced you this work is necessary and viable?
Jasdip Singh Dhillon: For a number of years, I have helped run a charity, Pothi Seva, which is focused on the care of texts in the Gurmukhi script and about the GurSikh tradition. Primarily, our work involves the care of Pothī Sāhibs. The majority of historic Pothī Sāhibs which exist in the GurSikh Panth today were uprooted from their historic Asthāns, and this makes it difficult to properly appreciate or understand them. There are a variety of reasons for this, ranging from the theft of manuscripts by colonial officials during the Anglo-Sikh Wars to the instability of the Gurdwara Reform Movement, and—more recently—the undocumented, international trade in manuscripts. At Pothi Seva, alongside rebuilding the physical structure of historic Pothīs, we also seek to rebuild an understanding of their context. My involvement in Virasati Asthan Seva has grown directly out of this interest. In order to correctly situate and contextualise Pothī Sāhibs, we must ensure the Asthāns where they originally lived continue to function in their intended manner.
Resham Singh Matharu: Having been born and raised in London, one is surrounded by a city whose history spans a millennium: the White Tower, part of the Tower of London, has been standing since 1097. That is almost a thousand years. Gurū Nanak was born in 1469, yet I have been unable to find as clear a trail of heritage in the land of our Gurūs. Most of the sites associated with our tradition appear to be no more than fifty to one hundred years old, and they are rather homogeneous in appearance. After reading through old reference books for some years, I came to understand how the diversity of our built heritage has been narrowed over time. Yet there are still quite a few sites of significance that remain in virtually their original state; if approached sensitively, they could be restored and help to restore the diversity of our built heritage.
For me, the words of Bābā Sham Singh (1803-1926)—the celebrated Kīrtaniā and SevāPaṃthī of Amritsar—summarise the GurSikh viewpoint towards Asthān Sevā:
‘Sevā of Srī Granth Sāhib jī is the Sevā of the SatiGurū’s’s heart. Sevā of the Gurū’s Asthāns is the Sevā of the SatiGurū’s body.’
The question now is how we conduct this Sevā, which is what Virasati Asthan Seva seeks to address. In terms of viability, there has been a palpable, global resurgence within the community of interest in all aspects of our heritage. With this understanding, I am confident that the Sikh community will positively embrace this effort.
TVA: The philosophy (ਸਿਧਾਂਤ) page conceptualises an Asthān as the “place, building, relics, memories and code of conduct” through whose combined power a related GurSikh “historical figure or event comes to mind”. How does this understanding—rather than through concepts such as ‘pilgrimage’ and ‘tourism’—inform your approach?
JSD & RSM: This definition was adopted to understand the term Asthān in a broader sense. In common parlance, ‘Asthān’ usually denotes a physical building, or even just a physical location. But we wished to highlight that the Asthān isn’t just the building that serves as a commemoration. An Asthān is a combination of various tangible and intangible forms of virsā, or heritage.
Many Asthāns have non-material aspects which preserve GurSikh tradition, as through relics, rites, and ceremonies like the liturgy of Ćaupeharā at Bābā Deep Singh Gurdwara and the intricate Sukhāsan rites of Srī Gurū Granth Sāhib jī at Srī Harmandir Sāhib. These rites are specific and deeply rooted in the history of GurSikh tradition. They further help to give definition to the broader understanding of ‘Asthān’ that we are adopting. In practice, this broader understanding means that we try to document and preserve all aspects that contribute to the historical narrative and importance which characterises each particular Asthān.
Pilgrimage tends to be a loaded term among the Sikhs. The traditional understanding of pilgrimage among other faith traditions tends to be one where a person must visit a consecrated site in order to satisfy the conditions of the faith and thereby receives an associated reward. In some traditions, this pilgrimage is in and of itself considered a means to liberation or salvation. There is a view that GurSikh tradition does not give much importance to pilgrimage in this sense. And we believe that this is correct on the understanding just sketched. Yet the concept of pilgrimage does exist in GurSikhī exist as per this principle:
‘Bābāṇīā Kahāṇīā Puta Saputa Kareni’.
The Asthān is a living and breathing manifestation of Gurmat. It is not a relic of a bygone era. Each Asthān still fulfills its core purpose of invoking some element of the GurSikh ethos. For example, there is a Hukamnāmā of Srī Gurū Gobind Singh jī that was discovered by Giānī Thakur Singh—author of Srī Gurduāre Darśan—in the collection of the Sodhis of Anandpur. It commands Bābā Banda Singh Bahadar to erect a ‘Yādgār dā Asthān’ or a memorial place for the Choṭe Sāhibzāde in Sirhind. So Gurū Sāhib established this Asthān as a place that safeguards Gurmat. How so? Because it serves as the home of the SatSangat, where Nām pervades. It stands as a perpetual source of inspiration for how Gurmat is to be implemented in our lives by commemorating the great deeds in GurSikh history that occasioned its construction.
We can already see that in the Sikh psyche, even ordinary dwellings such as havelīs—or even prisons associated with a Gursikh—become places of significance through association with a person held in high esteem as a Gursikh.
With regards to the tourism style approach, our aim is not to attract crowds or to beautify; it is to preserve the natural character of the Asthān as they are. This can reveal how our forefathers understood the translation of Gurmat into this physical realm. At a basic level, we find symbology in GurSikh architecture, which draws direct inspiration from the core philosophy of GurSikhī. For example, the four doors of Srī Harmandir Sāhib convey openness to all. Likewise, the orientation of Srī Akāl Takht stands in direct opposition to Delhi, conveying its sovereignty and the ultimate sovereignty of the One who made everything. This is still an understudied area, and we hope to enrich our understanding as future projects unfurl.
Our aim is to continue the education of our Panth towards GurSikh tradition with the reverence that comes from understanding the deep history of our faith. We would like more Sangat to visit these Asthāns in the same manner that they visit other Asthāns: in a spirit of wonder and gratitude.
TVA: Relatedly, do you find that conceptualising your organisation’s work as ‘sevā’ adds considerations beyond those of other non-profits or charities?
RSM: Sevā is usually translated as ‘selfless service’—to serve without any thought of reward or personal benefit. Why have we conceptualised this work as Sevā? Because we see this work as directly stemming from the GurSikh tradition of Sevā Saṃbhāl. This terminology is drawn directly from the GurSikh Ardās: ‘Sevā Saṃbhāl Dā Dān Khālsā Jī Nūṃ Bakaśo’. We beseech the Gurū to bless the Khālsā with Sevā (selfless service) and Saṃbhāl (caretaking). And so the upkeep and preservation of Asthāns is at the very core of GurSikh activity.
A non-profit or charity is established and approved by the government if it is satisfied that the charity exists for the public benefit. This is a very broad definition in some ways. But by viewing our work as Sevā, our efforts go beyond this, since they are for the sake of the Gurū’s Saṃgat. How we make decisions, spend the donated money, and conceptualise the projects to be undertaken, must all be guided by Gurmat principles. We argue that this sets the standard of accountability even higher.
How does this differ from general notions of Sevā? When we think of Sevā at an individual level, we might think of Laṃgar Sevā or cleaning the Saṃgat’s shoes. Historically, Kār Sevā (constructing or repairing buildings) was done out of devotion from the heart by the Saṃgat. For example, we can see in the past how the Saṃgat at large participated in the cleaning of Srī Amritsar Sarovar at Harmandir Sahib many times without any specialised training. Yet for our projects, we have to seek the input of experts to guide and implement the work since it requires specialist expertise. Such experts, in turn, require payment.There is precedent for this in the Sevā of Bābā Sham Singh. He would take sarūps of Srī Gurū Granth Sāhib that required specialist intervention to bookbinders of Muslim heritage, for they possessed the requisite knowledge needed to carry out the necessary restoration work.
TVA: Given the inherent fragility of the asthāns you work with, what are your guiding principles in selecting and conserving heritage sites?
JSD: Over the past century, the majority of GurSikh Asthāns in East Panjab have been lost or damaged. One of the primary reasons for this is a breakdown in the transmission of traditional construction methods. In order to effectively repair fragile historic buildings in any cultural setting, it is essential to understand that appropriate methods and materials are required. These methods and materials are generally derived from historical construction techniques, but have been adjusted in order to make them suitable for performing repairs. Our professional partners working on the ground have decades of experience in combining traditional methods and materials with technological expertise, and they have been acknowledged internationally for their expertise and track record of projects successfully completed.
RSM: Jasdip Singh Dhillon has shed some light on our approach to conervation. Regarding project selection, we have so far pursued projects where the custodians of the Asthān have an appreciation for the role of conservation and significant interest in restoring these Asthāns for both the benefit of the Saṃgat and for preservation of our cultural heritage. The sites themselves must have credible narratives that help establish their historical significance within GurSikh tradition.
TVA: The project video for Gudwara Bābā Bikram Singh Bedi depicts a qilā or fort of Bābā Sahib Singh that was “demolished by British colonial forces.” As a registered charity in England and Wales with many of your team members based in the United Kingdom, how do you reflect on the entwined history and future of British-GurSikh relations?
RSM: British-Gursikh relations are extremely complex and dynamic. Many of us, growing up here, have adopted British norms to varying degrees. Yet many of us also have a tremendous interest in understanding and interacting with our ancestral tradition of GurSikhī. In addition to various exhibitions that have taken place, several nascent organisations are working to shed light on the impact of the British colonial regime in GurSikh and Panjabi history. There is irony and poignance in the fact that due to both the depredations and meticulous cataloguing of the British, we Sikhs here in the United Kingdom are able to access and engage with a broad range of heritage assets seized from our homeland. And from a conservation viewpoint, these assets have been excellently preserved. Some may argue that in some respects, we have greater access in the United Kingdom than we do in Panjab. As far as Virasati Asthan Seva is concerned, it is almost poetic that we utilise the advances of certain western approaches alongside our indigenous traditional practices to restore that which was lost for a time due to British incursion.
TVA: What relationship do you envision between the conservation of Asthāns, intangible cultural heritage, and the environment?
RSM: We perceive the intangible aspects of cultural heritage to make up the very fabric of an Asthān. By approaching Asthān Sevā in this holistic manner, we hope to preserve a richer historical and living experiential understanding of each Asthān. With regards to the environment, by restoring Asthāns utilising traditional methods and materials, we maintain the Asthāns in a state that is natural to the environments in which they are situated. Traditional materials tend to be more environmentally friendly, and so our works will also be more sustainable.
TVA: How might Virasati Asthan Seva’s current and upcoming projects enrich our broader understanding of and engagement with GurSikhī?
RSM: Our current projects are focusing on Asthāns associated with two eminent GurSikh personalities who may nonetheless be less well known within the wider community: Kavī Santokh Singh and Bābā Bikrama Singh Bedi. By focusing on Asthāns that are not so well known, we hope to renew the Saṃgat’s knowledge of and engagement with the extraordinary lives of the GurSikhs they celebrate, thereby inspiring renewed research, artistic expression, and spiritual endeavour.
