Authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir - Global Sikh Studies

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the Banno Bir he saw been a copy all the death-dates would
have been in one hand and shade.
In short, the conclusion of Pritam Singh about an
original Banno Bir of 1648 or some other year is without any
basis and no sound reasoning, much less facts, can sustain it.
In the face of the examination of Giani Mahan Singh, the
University scholars, Harbhajan Singh and his own, to have
resort to far-fetched and groundless assumptions is like building
on sand, especially when he makes G. B. Singh’s superficial
examination to be the basis of the real Banno Bir. or Bl as he
calls it.
It was only in the present century that critical
scholarship started the scrutiny of the Banno story and the
Bir. And, as we have stated, it is this scrutiny that has led to
the various findings mentioned earlier. In fact, the Banno family
have, in support of their story even produced a book called
Banno Parkash which, like the Bhagatmala, is a narration of
various miracles attributed to Bhai Banno and how the ; present
Banno Bir was copied by him. Shamsher Singh, the Research
Scholar of the Shiromni Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee,
who had examined the Banno Bir has categorically rejected the
claims of its authenticity advanced by the members of the
Banno family in support of their story.
A very vague suggestion has been made by Pritam
Singh that, whereas no time had been indicated, it was
suggested to him that once the gilded cover of the Bir had
been stolen but the Bir was left behind intact. Pritam Singh’s
suggestion, based on the above unconfirmed story for the first
time given to him since 1642, is that this story is false but the
real Banno Bir was lost but recreated in the form of the present
Bir. 90 Let us examine this suggestion. No one has ever suggested
that the present Banno Bir is a copy of the old Banno Bir and
that the same was lost or stolen. There is not the least inkling
in this regard, nor is there any tradition, nor any supportive
oral or written statement. Even the