Authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir - Global Sikh Studies
Authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir - Global Sikh Studies
Authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir - Global Sikh Studies
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62<br />
stood converted to 5 in a black shade <strong>of</strong> ink and the figure<br />
below was neither 1648, nor 169, but, it was 1699, the same<br />
having the kind <strong>of</strong> reddish shade <strong>of</strong> ink as the rest <strong>of</strong> the<br />
writing and figures on the page. In 1969 or near about Harnam<br />
Dass also saw this Banno <strong>Bir</strong> with this over-written figure 1659.<br />
His guess was that though the present figure 1659 was no doubt<br />
there over-written, the figure below was really 1669 and not<br />
any other.88 Both the team <strong>of</strong> the University scholars and<br />
Pritam Singh who went with a purpose closely to examine the<br />
<strong>Bir</strong> have concluded that the original year was 1699 but the<br />
present over-written figure is 1659. Principal Harbhajan Singh.<br />
<strong>Sikh</strong> Missionary College, Amritsar, also went in 1978 with the<br />
specific object <strong>of</strong> examining <strong>Bir</strong> and found that the year <strong>of</strong><br />
production was Samat 1699 which had been altered to 1659<br />
by over-writing. Further, he found that the <strong>Bir</strong> was well. written<br />
and copied by one hand. The conclusion, thus, is plain that<br />
the Granth G.B. Singh. Gurdit Singh. Mahan Singh, Harnam<br />
Dass, the University team, Harbhajan Singh and Pritam Singh<br />
saw is the same as has the over- written year 1659. But, whereas<br />
the conclusion <strong>of</strong> Mahan Singh, the University scholars<br />
Harbhajan Singh and Pritam Singh on physical examination is<br />
unanimous that the figure under 1659 was 1699, the eyes <strong>of</strong><br />
G.B. Singh. Gurdit Singh and Harnam Dass read it to be 1648,<br />
169 and 1669 respectively. And now defying all physical<br />
perceptions, Pritam Singh sees behind this Banno <strong>Bir</strong>, the<br />
illusion <strong>of</strong> an old Banno <strong>Bir</strong> <strong>of</strong> the time <strong>of</strong> the fifth Guru. This<br />
phantom has been raised by him on the basis <strong>of</strong> the perfunctory<br />
finding <strong>of</strong> G.B. Singh that he saw in 1944 a Banno <strong>Bir</strong> with<br />
1648 as the year <strong>of</strong> its production, little realising that what<br />
G,B. Singh saw in 1944 or so is the same <strong>Bir</strong> with the overwritten<br />
year 1659 as he saw in 1981 or so.<br />
Apart from other facts reported by Pritam Singh<br />
himself, one fact alone is enough to demolish his inference <strong>of</strong><br />
there being a Banno <strong>Bir</strong> (Bl) which is not available now.