BHOG SRI SEHJ PAAT SAHIB FOR 11 SAROOP OF GURU MAHARAJ JI
Bow Gurdwara Tragedy
“All of you Sikhs, living in the villages and the cities, youngsters, those who call themselves Sikhs, why have you fallen asleep? If someone has set fire to our beloved Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and his son just talks and doesn’t do anything, does he have the right to call himself a son of that Guru?” - Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhinderawale
The Tragedy
- On Monday 16th of March 2009 there was a women’s congregation at Gurdwara Sikh Sangat, Harley Grove in Bow (East London).
- One woman noticed someone enter the Gurdwara Sahib.
- Then a fire broke out in the Sachkhand room.
- Over 10 fire engines and 50 firefighters battled for over 6 hours to bring the fire under control.
- The fire destroyed over 75% of the Gurdwara Sahib complex; the Gurdwara’s roof completely caved in.
- 11 blessed Saroops of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji were burnt due to the fire.
- Sevadars from across the country worked day and night on the daunting Seva of preparing Satguru Ji’s saroops for the Sanskaar (cremation) ceremony.
- It brought tears to the eyes of all to see how the Angs (limbs) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji were burnt and blackened because of the fire, and dripping wet and ice cold due to the water damage.
- Under the guidance of Akaal Takhat Sahib an Akhand Paath was carried out and the Sanskaar Seva took place at Guru Gobind Singh Khalsa College Chigwell.
- Sangat from across the country came to pay their respects and witness Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji’s Sanskaar.
- Sadly out of 750,000 Sikhs that live across the UK, only 1,000 – 2,000 people gathered for the Sanskaar.
