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E W S April 13, 2003
The Guru Granth Sahib, In the Realm of Beauty
Part of her lecture focused on the Darbar Sahib. Its architecture shows how the sacred words are translated into the visual space. In Sikh sacred spaces, we do not have images. The Darbar Sahib is really like a lotus flower. It is within this world, within the pool of water, and yet, it does not sink. It stays afloat. That is the intellectual ideal taught by the Gurus. And that is how we are. We are in this world, and yet, we are totally afloat. We do not get immersed into the murkiness of the world; we don't get obsessed with the goals and aspirations of material existence. The ultimate reality, the Divine, is seen to be like the lotus. Four doors represent the universality of Sikhism where all four castes were welcome. And the approach to Darbar Sahib is by steps coming down to it, a symbol of humility. Most of the Guru Granth Sahib, except for a small portion, is in musical measure, the raag system. Guru Arjan used patterns which harmonized the words with the natural rhythm of days, seasons, regions, and emotions, connecting humans with space and time. They are not confined to the classical raag system either. There are folk musical patterns with elemental beat as well as regional Bhagti and Kaffi forms with their own primal rhythms and musical measures, extending all the way from Afghanistan to the southern Indian peninsula. The Life of Guru Nanak? Shivi Singh made a presentation on the Janamsakhi painted on the walls inside Baba Attal's Havali. It is a pictorial depiction of the life of Guru Nanak. The life of Guru Nanak was passed on in the older tradition and embellished with fantastical events culminating in a text called the Janam Sakhi, the life story. "They are important because of the influence they have had in the development of the religion," says Singh. Most of the written Janam Sakhis have been studied extensively by the Sikhs. The subject of this talk was that of a lesser known one: the Janam Sakhi of Baba Attal's Havali. It is the only place where a Janam Sakhi is depicted on the walls, in its complete form. The construction of building was started by Jassa Singh in 1778 and completed by Ranjit Singh in 1881. The havali is known at "the policeman of Amritsar" because the entire city can be seen from the top of the tower. Most of the paintings are on the first floor of the building. And most of the scenes show spiritual themes and ideas which Guru Nanak completely rejected and are contrary to his teachings. The birth of Guru Nanak is depicted as a momentous occasion with Hindu gods surrounding and awaiting his arrival. "Hindu ways were accepted at this time, so much so that they were put in places of Sikh worship," says Singh. Even angels are depicted as shouting blessings from the heavens for the birth of Guru Nanak. Gods and goddesses are prevalent in many of the paintings depicting his early life. Many of the sakhis are also painted on the walls. One of nine-year-old Guru Nanak is shown during a Hindu ceremony, rejecting the Brahmin thread. The sakhi of the cobra shading Guru Nanak is also there. Guru Nanak's wedding ceremony paintings shows the bride with purdha, although Guru Nanak rejected the covering of the face. Hindu gods are shown as witness to the union. Guru Nanak's revelation is depicted with him being taken by the gods to the heavens and given enlightenment. He then emerges from the river and utters the words, "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim, all are children of God." The walls are also covered with tall tales. One painting shows how Guru Nanak saved Mardana from a demon by using sacred oil. Another shows Guru Nanak bringing sheep back to life for a farmer. Another shows Guru Nanak saving a city from a demon by making an appearance there. Another story shows a woman crying over the birth of a daughter to Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak then pours water on the girl and she is turns into a boy. The Young Warrior Ranjit Singh Manveet Kaur is preparing a life-size portrait of Ranjit Singh, the first of Sikh historical subjects in her repertoire. Her style is that of artists from the West such as Rubins and Rembrandt. In studying the life of Ranjit Singh, Kaur described him as a great leader and a strong, cunning warrior. For her research she traveled to London's Victoria & Albert Museum to photograph his artifacts such as swords and shields, a suit of armor and his golden throne. But Kaur isn't just using photos, she is replicating those items. She hired a woodworker and an armorer to recreate the throne and costume. She will then hire a Sikh model to pose in the costume, sitting in the throne, for the painting. The painting is expected to be completed by next year. Dark and Mystical
Cour's paintings are in a modern-style and give the feeling of sorrow. The paintings use vibrant colors on a dark background. Her work is full of symbolism. Water is a predominant theme in her work and so is an electric plug. The women in her paintings are usually a self-portrait. A series of paintings were shown on the massacre of 1984; deserving a sorrowful topic. Cour also has a series on Guru Nanak which are less than enlightening. Some of the paintings of Guru Nanak are infused with non-Sikh themes with angels and monkeys. One showed Guru Nanak as a Gandhi-like figure, hunched over and walking with a stick. A set of these Guru Nanak paintings show a foot print, to represent his travels. But Guru Nanak is painted inside the large footprint. The presenter made a note that the footprint paintings were not allowed in some Sikh exhibits. Past-Modern
The twins also have a series of paintings on Sikh themes. As with mixing of cultures, they also mix religions. One, of the revelation of Guru Nanak when he emerged from the river and uttered his famous words, "there is no Hindu, there is not Muslim, all are children of God," is painted with images of angels. Angels and Hindu gods are also creap into another painting of two of the Gurus, along with imagery from the Guru Granth Sahib.
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Seminar on Sikh Arts was hosted by the Sikh Foundation on April 5, 2003,
as part of the celebrations for the opening of the first permanent Sikh
gallery in the United States. A panel of Sikh women - a Chair of Sikh
studies, a historian, and several artists - made presentations to a mixed
audience of about 100 people.
Nikky-Guninder
Kaur talked about the artistry of the Guru Granth Sahib. She explained
the art, rhythm, and momentum in the revealed word. It is the bani that
forms the matrix for Sikh art. The verbal images are translated into the
visual ones. "The language and verse of the Guru Granth Sahib does
something to us," she says. 
Arpana
Cour was born in 1954 and is a self-taught artist. Her works have been
displayed in India, London, Copenhagen and New York. She was commissioned
by the Museum of Peace in Hiroshima, Japan, to create painting about violence.
The
Singh Twins made a slide presentation of their paintings which are in
the Indian miniature style - two-dimensional and intricate with a lot
of color and detail. Many of the paintings were of a cultural theme with
Sikh culture mixing blending British culture, such as the paintings in
their children's book Bindu's Wedding. 
Another
series focuses on making a political statement. One shows the massacre
of 1984 at the Darbar Sahib in all the gruesome details to reflect the
reality of what happened. Another portrays Indira Gandhi as a multi-headed
demon with her head along side those of Hitler, Thatcher, and Clinton.
The most dramatic of these was the one of Bill Clinton as the Devil. A
very hellish figure of Clinton as a red devil with two horns sticking
out of his head is also shown with multiple heads - of Hitler, Gandhi,
and Thatcher - on either side.