| Sikh board appeals to PM to do the needful for Dhubri gurudwara | ||
Dhubri, May 25 : The steady stream of tourists to Dhubri Gurudwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Saheb Ji has prompted the Sikh Pratinidhi Board, Eastern Zone, make a strong case for its inclusion in the national tourist circuit. The board, an apex body that manages the affairs of this oldest Sikh shrine in the eastern region built by Guru Tegh Bahadur in the 17th century, contends that the shrine could become a sought-after religious destination like the Golden Temple in Amritsar and Ajmer Sharif. It is hopeful that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s second term in office could help solve the problems of poor connectivity and lack of accommodation. Singh is a Rajya Sabha MP from Assam. The gurudwara, the Northeast’s most revered pilgrimage for the Sikhs, finds a very special place in the hearts of the community as Guru Nanak visited this place before Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru, laid its foundation in 1666. The board has appealed to the Centre and the state government to accord due priority to the development of the gurudwara as a religious tourist destination given its potential to benefit the local economy, among others. Board sources said that besides Sikhs from the country flocking the gurudwara to observe Martyrdom Day of Guru Tegh Bahadur, members of the community settled abroad have also started visiting the shrine, more so after the launch of a website on the Dhubri Gurudwara last year. Even the number of non-Sikhs visiting the shrine is increasing. “In a congratulatory message to him (Manmohan Singh) we have renewed our invitation to him to visit Dhubri Saheb. He could not visit the Dhubri gurudwara last year despite his keenness because of his busy schedule and ill health,” a senior board member said. Board president Sardar Satnam Singh Khalsa said over 50,000 devotees visit the gurudwara during Sohidi Divas every year in the winter. | ||
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Call for shrine on tourist map
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