Braving summer heat, thousands throng religious yatra in Punjab

Braving the blazing 42 degrees Celsius plus temperature, thousands of devotees thronged the Takht Damdama Sahib in this Sikh religious town on Saturday to offer prayers at the 'Dharmik Darshan Yatra' which is carrying the relics of three Sikh gurus.

The yatra was received by thousands of devotees as it arrived here on Saturday. These included scores of youth on 800 motorcycles.

The religious tour, organised by the Punjab government and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, is being undertaken in a specially designed vehicle worth over Rs.2.25 crore.

The relics of the Sikh gurus, including their clothes and weapons, are being taken around Punjab. The tour will carry the relics of 6th guru Hargobind Singh, 9th guru Tegh Bahadur and 10th guru Gobind Singh.

The procession, which started from Patiala on May 6, will culminate at Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib town on May 20.

The holy relics of Guru Gobind Singh include three swords, a set of hair with comb, a turban, one chola (robe), a whip, five arrows, one 'Siri Sahib' (small three inch kirpan), a wooden spear, a small plain steel spear, one big sword and a sword with the words 'Sat Sri Akal Guru Teg Bahadur' the 1713 Samvat (1656) inscribed on the blade.

Of particular interest to the devotees and scholars is a manuscript written in Guru Gobind Singh's own hand.