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Harpreet Singh | |
---|---|
Jathedar of the Akal Takht | |
In office 22 October 2018 –16 June 2023 | |
Preceded by | Gurbachan Singh |
Succeeded by | Raghbir Singh |
Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib | |
Assumed office 21 April 2017 | |
Preceded by | Gurmukh Singh (acting) [1] |
Personal details | |
Born | Harpreet Singh May 1972 (age 52) Gidderbaha,Punjab,India |
Education | Master's degree (religious studies) |
Alma mater | Guru Kashi Gurmat Institute Punjabi University |
Giani Harpreet Singh (born May 1972) is a Sikh preacher who served as the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee-appointed acting jathedar of the Akal Takht from October 2018 to June 2023. [2] [3] He has also served as the Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib since April 2017. [1]
Harpreet Singh was born to Dalit Sikh family in Gidderbaha in May 1972. His father was a village granthi. [3] [4] After completing his schooling,he graduated from Guru Kashi Gurmat Institute where he received religious education. [4] [5] In 1997 he joined the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) as a "pracharak" (preacher) and was appointed as head granthi of Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Muktsar in 1999. [6]
He completed a one-year diploma course in divinity from Punjabi University and also completed a master's degree in religious studies from the same university. [5] Along with Mohammad Habib he translated the Quran into the Punjabi language. [6] In April 2017 he was appointed as the acting jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib,replacing Gurmukh Singh who was removed by the SGPC. [1] In October 2018 he was appointed as the acting Jathedar of Akal Takht by the SGPC after the resignation of Gurbachan Singh. [2]
Harpreet Singh resigned as the acting Jathedar of Akal Takht on 16 June 2023,being replaced by Raghbir Singh,the jathedar of Takht Kesgarh Sahib. His resignation came after controversy was created over him attending the engagement of Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha with Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra in May 2023. [7]
Giani Harpreet Singh resigned from the position of Jathedar due to allegedly receiving threats from former Akali leader Virsa Singh Valtoha. Harpreet Singh accused Valtoha of threatening him and his family [8] and raising casteist remarks against him for being a Dalit Sikh. [9]
His resignation was not accepted by SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami,who praised Giani Harpreet Singh for his commendable service towards the Sikh religion as Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib and acting jathedar of Akal Takht. [10] Harpreet Singh continues to serve as the Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib.
Panth Rattan Shiri Gurcharan Singh Tohra was a president of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), a Sikh body in charge of controlling Gurdwara. He died of a heart attack in New Delhi on 1 April 2004 at the age of 79. He remained the head of the SGPC for a record 27 years, and was one of the most influential and controversial Sikh leaders of the 20th century.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee is an organization in India responsible for the management of gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship, in the states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and the union territory of Chandigarh. SGPC also administers Darbar Sahib in Amritsar.
The Damdamī Ṭaksāl, Jatha Bhindra(n), or Sampardai Bhindra(n) is an orthodox Khalsa Sikh cultural and educational organization, based in India. They are known for their teachings of vidya as well as gurbanisanthiya. Its headquarters are located in the town of Mehta Chowk, approximately 40 km north of the city of Amritsar. It has been described as a seminary or “moving university” of the Sikh countryside.
The Akal Takht is one of five takhts of the Sikhs. It is located in the Darbar Sahib complex in Amritsar, Punjab, India. The Akal Takht was built by Guru Hargobind as a place of justice and consideration of temporal issues; the highest seat of earthly authority of the Khalsa and the place of the Jathedar, the highest spokesman of the Sikhs.
The Takht Sri Darbar Sahib Damdama Sahib, is one of the five takhts or Seat of Temporal Authority of Sikhism, located in Talwandi Sabo, near the city of Bathinda in Bathinda district of Punjab, India. At this place Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, prepared the full version of the Sikh scriptures called Sri Guru Granth Sahib in 1705. The other four Takhts are the Akal Takht, Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib, Takht Sri Patna Sahib and Takht Sri Hazur Sahib.
Takht Sri Patna Sahib also known as Takhat Sri Harimandir Ji, Patna Sahib, is one of the five takhts of the Sikhs, located in Patna, Bihar, India.
The Nanakshahi calendar(Gurmukhi: ਨਾਨਕਸ਼ਾਹੀ, romanized: Nānakshāhī) is a tropical solar calendar used in Sikhism. It is based on the "Barah Maha", a composition composed by the Sikh gurus reflecting the changes in nature conveyed in the twelve-month cycle of the year. The year begins with the month of Chet, with 1 Chet corresponding to 14 March. The reference epoch of the Nanakshahi calendar is the birth of Guru Nanak Dev, corresponding to the year 1469 CE.
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A gyani or giani is an honorific Sikh title used by someone learned in Sikhism and who often leads the congregation in prayers, such as Ardas, or in singing (kirtan). The word gyan means "knowledge" in Punjabi, being a derivative of the Sanskrit word jnana. So a "gyani" is one who has spiritual and religious knowledge and can help the congregation the Sadh Sangat in understanding the Sacred Texts and the history of the religion.
Teja Singh Akarpuri was an Indian and Sikh politician who served as the 11th Jathedar of Akal Takht from 1921 to 1923 and 1926 to 1930. He was the First MP from Gurdaspur constituency In Lok Sabha from 1952 to 1957 and was succeeded by Diwan Chand Sharma.
A jathedar is a leader of high regard chosen to head and ensure discipline within a jatha, a troop of Sikhs.
Jagtar Singh Hawara is a high level member of Babbar Khalsa who is currently serving life imprisonment at Tihar Jail. He was convicted as a conspirator in the assassination of 12th Chief Minister of Punjab, Beant Singh.
A takht, or taḵẖat, literally means a throne or seat of authority and is a spiritual and temporal centre of Sikhism. There are five takhts, which are five gurudwaras that have a very special significance for the Sikh community. Three are located in Punjab whilst the remaining two are located outside of it.
Virsa Singh Valtoha is a former militant and Indian politician and belongs to Shiromani Akali Dal party. He is a former member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly who represented Khem Karan. He was former Chief spokesperson of Shiromani Akali Dal and also served as District President of the party.On 15 of October 2024 jathedaar of akaal takt given order to expel him from party for putting wrong elegations on jathedaar for being connected to center party.
Giani Gurbachan Singh is a Sikh preacher who served as the jathedar of the Akal Takht from 2008 to 2018.
The Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, also known as the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC), is an organization responsible for the upkeep of Sikh gurdwaras in the Indian state of Haryana. It was formed on 11 July 2014 by a Haryana Legislative Assembly bill. Before this, the gurdwaras of Haryana were officially under Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). HSGPC is headquartered at Kurukshetra.
Balwant Singh Nandgarh was an Indian Sikh politician and Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, one of five seats of temporal authority of Sikhism.
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