Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: IE
Context: The Punjab Assembly has amended the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925 to allow the broadcast of Gurbani (sacred hymns) from Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) to be accessible to all media outlets free of cost.
This move aims to break the alleged monopoly of PTC, a television channel associated with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) party.
The decision has sparked controversy, with the opposition party questioning the Punjab Assembly’s authority to amend the Gurdwaras Act without the consent of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).
About SGPC:
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (est. 1920; HQ: Amritsar) 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.
About Golden Temple
The Golden Temple (completed 1589) is a gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab. It is the preeminent spiritual site of Sikhism. It is one of the holiest sites in Sikhism, alongside the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Kartarpur, and Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib.
- The man-made poolon the site of the temple was completed by the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das, in 1577.
- In 1604, Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru, placed a copy of the Adi Granth in Harmandir Sahib and is the prominent figure in the development of gurudwara who built it in the 16th Century
- Maharaja Ranjit Singh, after founding the Sikh Empire, rebuilt it in marble and copperin 1809, and overlaid the sanctum with gold leaf in 1830.
- It became a centre of the Singh Sabha Movementbetween 1883 and 1920s, and the Punjabi Suba movement between 1947 and 1966.
