Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people on Wednesday to have a “darshan” (glimpse) of the “Jore Sahib” as the “Guru Charan Yatra” traverses through Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and makes its way to the Takht Patna Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh guru.
“May the Guru Charan Yatra deepen our connect with the noble ideals of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji and Mata Sahib Kaur Ji. I urge people in the areas this yatra will cover to come and have Darshan of the holy ‘Jore Sahib’,” Modi said in a post on X.
The holy relics have been in the custody of Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s family for more than 300 years.
A special “Kirtan Samagam” was held at the Gurdwara Moti Bagh here on Wednesday, where the devotees had a “darshan” of the holy relics.
“Today, I feel humbled that my family will hand over the custody of the holy relics to Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee,” Puri said in a post on X.He said the holy “Jore Sahib” will be taken in the “Guru Charan Yatra” and permanently placed at the birthplace of the “Dasam Pita” in the Takht Sri Patna Sahib, where the devout will be able to pay their obeisance and perform “darshan”.”The Guru Charan Yatra will begin on October 23 from Gurdwara Moti Bagh and reach Faridabad by night,” Puri said.
He said on October 24, the holy relics will travel from Faridabad to Agra, then to Bareilly (October 25), Mahangapur (October 26), Lucknow (October 27), Kanpur (October 28) and Prayagraj (October 29).
The holy relics will be taken through Varanasi to Sasaram and will reach the Gurdwara Guru Ka Bagh, Patna Sahib, on October 30.
The “Jore Sahib” will be brought to the Takht Sri Patna Sahib on November 1, marking the conclusion of the yatra.
One of Puri’s ancestors, who served Guru Govind Singh, was granted the footwear in appreciation of his “seva” (service). Legend has it that when instructed by the guru to ask for a reward, he requested and was granted permission to keep the sacred “Jore Sahib”, with the aim of carrying the guru’s and mata’s blessings into future generations.
The last custodian of the “Jore Sahib” was the minister’s late cousin, Jasmeet Singh Puri, who lived in Delhi’s Karol Bagh on a street that was subsequently named Guru Gobind Singh Marg to honour the sanctity of the precious holy relics.