ਪੋਥੀ ਪਰਮੇਸਰ ਕਾ ਥਾਨੁ ॥
Pothī parmesar kā thān.
The Aad Granth is the home of the Transcendent Lord God.
(Guru Arjan Dev Ji - Raag Sarang Ang 1226)
To mark the ‘Pehla Parkash’ of Sahib Sri Aad Granth Sahib enjoy the ‘darshan’ of exceptionally beautiful Saroops of Guru Sahib with wonderful calligraphy.
Pictures 1 & 2: Saroop from Guru Ka Bagh, Banaras, now housed at Bhai Gurdas Library GNDU. The beautiful letters and rounded vowel sounds indicate the Saroop is an early puratan manuscript.
(Japji Sahib & Ang 689
ਪਿਰ ਸੰਗਿ ਮੂਠੜੀਏ ਖਬਰਿ ਨ ਪਾਈਆ ਜੀਉ ॥ )
Picture 3: This Saroop, housed at Gurdwara Charan Paduka Sahib, Nizamabad. UP has clear, flowing and slightly slanted exquisite calligraphy with wonderful elongated vowel sounds and ੧ਓ written with a cloud like flourish.
(Raagmala & extra Text ‘Hakikat rah mukam...)
Picture 4: Showing the superb skill of the scribe this Saroop opens with the bani contained in an undrawn circular boundary. (Sardar Bahadar Mohan Singh, Rawalpindi Collection) (Japji Sahib)
Picture 5: Bhai Boota Singh, Bhai Rupa. Collection.
(Ang 696
ਮੇਰੈ ਹੀਅਰੈ ਰਤਨੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਹਰਿ ਬਸਿਆ ਗੁਰਿ ਹਾਥੁ ਧਰਿਓ ਮੇਰੈ ਮਾਥਾ ਬਸਿਆ ॥ )
Picture 6: Pothi prepared by Bhai Bidhi Chand under the guidance of Guru Hargobind Sahib (SurSinghWala Collection)
(Ang 151 ਡਰਿ ਘਰੁ ਘਰਿ ਡਰੁ ਡਰਿ ਡਰੁ ਜਾਇ ॥)
Picture 7: Sri Sukhmani Sahib from the illuminated Saroop housed at Burhanpur, MP. Exceptionally clear & fine calligraphy with flowing flourishes.
Pictures 8 & 9: Saroop housed at Sri Patna Sahib with Nisan of Guru Gobind Singh. Sri Japji Sahib opens with Mool Mantar illuminated in gold.
Picture 10: Saroop dated 1879 BS (1822 CE) Japji Sahib with Phulkari like coloured borders. (Sri Patna Sahib)
Pictures 11 & 12: Saroop dated 1780 BS (1723 CE) housed at the AC Joshi Library PU Chandigarh. This Saroop has 2 portraits, one of Guru Nanak & Mardana and another of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, it also contains extra text ‘Ratanmala’
Pictures 13 & 14: Glorious calligraphy & gold ‘Kangra’ decoration with floral borders and swirling paisleys, in this Saroop housed at Punjabi University, Patiala (Japji Sahib & ‘Shahi Ki Bidhi)
Picture 15: Wonderfully formed letters with exaggerated vowel sounds
(Sri Patna Sahib)
Pictures 16 & 17: Housed at Sri Kes Garh Sahib, Anandpur and dated 1803 (1746 CE) this Saroop is beautifully decorated with gold and floral arabesques. The calligraphy is sublime.
Pictures 18 & 19: Superb handwriting and expert gold illumination (Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar)
Picture 20: Puratan crisp calligraphy and vowel sounds (Bhai Gurdas Lib. GNDU) (Ang 488 Sheikh Fareed
ਦਿਲਹੁ ਮੁਹਬਤਿ ਜਿੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਸੇਈ ਸਚਿਆ ॥)
Pictures 21 & 22: Damdami Bir known as ‘Sunehri Bel Wali Bir’ (Golden Vine) The combination of exquisite calligraphy and intense floral decoration is hypnotic. (Darbar Sahib. Amritsar)
Pictures 23 & 24: A masterpiece of the calligraphy & manuscript illumination, the wide floral borders framing the gorgeous Gurmukhi letters are stunning.
(Central Library. Punjabi Univ. Patiala)
Pictures 25 to 30: Spectacular lavishly illustrated Saroop housed in the collection of the National Museum, N. Delhi. Damdami Bir dated 1896 BS (1839 CE)
Scribed by Misar Prakash of Katra Ganpatyar (Kashmir) and illustrated and illuminated by Miha Singh. Commissioned by Sodhi Bhan Singh (Descendant of the Guru Sahiban, Haranpur lineage)
The Saroop is sumptuously decorated in Kashmiri style, with intensely beautiful gold and floral decoration.
The illumination on the second pauri of Sri Japji Sahib is breathtaking. Taking the form of a ‘dvadashakamala’ the Bani is at the centre of a lotus with twelve petals,
each petal containing and image of the Guru Sahiban and Indic deities, it is mesmerising. The calligraphy in thick exquiste letters is equally mesmerising. The pinnacle of calligraphy & manuscript illumination.
(All pictures from Dr Mohinder Singh 2011)
#SriGuruGranthSahib
#PehlaParkash
#DhanGuruGranthSahibji
***correction Picture 20 is after picture 24 - little mix up in order
(Picture 20: Puratan crisp calligraphy and vowel sounds (Bhai Gurdas Lib. GNDU) (Ang 488 Sheikh Fareed
ਦਿਲਹੁ ਮੁਹਬਤਿ ਜਿੰਨ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਸੇਈ ਸਚਿਆ ॥)
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