ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>TAKHT</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279TA<u>KH</u>T, Persian word meaning a throne or royal seat, has, besides its common literal use, other connotations in the Sikh tradition. In Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, the Sikh Scripture, phrases such as <i>sachch&#257 ta<u>kh</u>t</i> (true throne) and <i>p&#363r&#257 ta<u>kh</u>t</i> (perfect throne) have been used to signify God's seat of divine justice. Gur&#363 N&#257nak in <i>V&#257r M&#257l&#257r K&#299</i> alludes to the created universe as His <i>sach&#257 ta<u>kh</u>t</i> (GG, 907), but also qualifies that "His is the <i>sach&#257</i> or everlasting <i>ta<u>kh</u>t</i> while all else comes and goes" (GG,1279). God in Sikh metaphysics is described as Formless but to make Him intelligible to the lay man. He is sometimes personified and referred to as <i>s&#257ch&#257 sah, sult&#257n, p&#257ts&#257h</i> meaning the true king or sovereign. As such his seat is appropriately referred to a <i>sachch&#257 ta<u>kh</u>t</i> sitting on which he dispenses <i>sachch&#257 ni&#257o&#7749</i>, true justice. Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s (d. 1636), poet and exegete, also describes <i>s&#257dh sa&#7749gat</i>, holy fellowship, as God's <i>ta<u>kh</u>t (Var&#257&#7749</i>, XI.5).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gur&#363 in Sikhism is believed to be one with God, and it became common among the Sikhs, at least by the time of Gur&#363 Arjan (1563-1606), to refer to the Gur&#363s too as <i>sachch&#257 patsh&#257h</i> and to their <i>gadd&#299</i> or spiritual seat as <i>ta<u>kh</u>t</i>. The bards Balva&#7751&#7693, Nalya and Mathur&#257, in their verses included in the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, use <i>ta<u>kh</u>t</i> in this sense.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gur&#363 Hargobind (1595-1644) in fact adopted a princely style. He constructed a high platform opposite Harimandar, the Golden Temple of modern day, for his investiture as Gur&#363, in 1606. It was named Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t, the Throne of the Timeless One. Subsequently a building, Ak&#257l Bu&#7749g&#257, was raised over it so that the Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t continues to be its popular name. Here the Gur&#363 conducted the secular affairs of the community. Sitting on high ta<u>kh</u>t he held his court, received offerings, heard the bards recite heroic poetry, and issued <i>hukamn&#257mahs</i> or edicts to Sikhs and distant <i>sa&#7749gats</i>. In the open space between the Harimandar and the Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t were held tournaments of physical feats in the afternoons. The Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t became for the Sikhs the highest seat of temporal as well as spiritual authority. The Sikhs recognize four other holy places as <i>ta<u>kh</u>ts</i>. They are connected with Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh (1666-1708) ---Ta<u>kh</u>t Sr&#299 Harimandar S&#257hib, Pa&#7789n&#257, where he was born; Ta<u>kh</u>t Sr&#299 Kesga&#7771h S&#257hib, Anandpur, where he created the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257; Ta<u>kh</u>t Sachkha&#7751&#7693 Sr&#299 Haz&#363r S&#257hib, Abchalnagar, N&#257nde&#7693, in Mah&#257r&#257sh&#7789ra, where he passed away; and Ta<u>kh</u>t Sr&#299 Damdam&#257 S&#257hib, Talva&#7751&#7693&#299 S&#257bo, where he stayed for several months in 1706. While the other Ta<u>kh</u>ts were recognized as such in the Sikh Gurdw&#257r&#257s Act, 1925, the one at Talva&#7751&#7693&#299 S&#257bo was officially declared a Ta<u>kh</u>t by Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee at its general meeting held on 18 November 1966.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ta<u>kh</u>ts are equally regarded as high seats of religious authority, but the Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t at Amritsar enjoys a special status as the religious capital of the Sikhs.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For example, meetings of the Sarbatt <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 or a general assembly representative of the entire <i>panth</i>, can be summoned only by the Jathed&#257r of Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t and it is only there that cases connected with serious religious offences committed by prominent Sikhs are heard and penalties imposed where necessary. Important <i>hukamn&#257mahs</i>, edicts or proclamations on behalf of the Panth, issued by the Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t have precedence over those issued by other Ta<u>kh</u>ts. According to conventions evolved over the centuries, the Ta<u>kh</u>ts as a matter of policy have refrained from entering political controversies or administrative questions unless a question also touches matters of religious faith or doctrine. Although ever since the rise of the Ak&#257l&#299 movement religious and political <i>morch&#257s</i> (agitations) were generally conducted from the Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t, administration of religious places is vested in a statutory representative body, the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee of which Jathed&#257rs of all the five Ta<u>kh</u>ts are ex-officio members, and political affairs of the <i>panth</i> are handled by the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Ak&#257l&#299 Dal.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Tej&#257 Si&#7749gh, <i>Sikhism; Its Ideals and Institutions</i>. Bombay, 1937<BR> <li class="C1"> Dilgeer, Harjinder Si&#7749gh, <i>The Akal Takht</i>., Jalandhar,1980<BR> <li class="C1"> Sukhdi&#257l Si&#7749gh, <i>Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t S&#257hib</i>. Patiala, 1984<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Harcharan Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>