The Only Children's Group To Have A Place On The Perkarma
The Only Children’s Group to Have a Place on the Perkarma
S.S. Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa, Phoenix AZ U.S.A.
As part of a tour celebrating the 50th year of Indian independence, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, and His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, visited the Golden Temple on October 15th. Since her visit coincided with the birthday of Guru Ram Das, it was part of a wonderful four-day celebration.
In the city of Amritsar, preparations were underway for several days before her arrival. At around 10 am on the day of the Queen’s visit, people began assembling on the perkarma. The official greeting parties lined the red carpet by the stairs leading down from the main entrance, where the Queen was to come after delivering her speech at Jalianwala Bagh. While most of the officials dressed in white kurtas, blue turbans, and black kirpan straps, they contrasted sharply with the more colorful Nihungs, in blue with gold sashes, bristling with weapons. I thought it interesting that so many spectators had weapons, there were no metal detectors in sight, and yet the Nihungs gave the feeling that they were there to guard and protect Her Majesty.
Everyone who was waiting on the perkarma was friendly and excited. There were also excellent displays of gold leaf work, marble inlay, and plaster molding, which highlighted the restoration work going on at the Golden Temple. We talked to a number of members of the Birmingham, U.K. sangat, which is funding the regilding of the Golden Temple. Theirs was an interesting perspective as Sikhs who also came from the same country as the Queen.
At 11 am, our children walked from Nanak Nivas entryway onto the perkarma. They made quite a thrilling sight: 100 children dressed in white bana with black kirpan straps walking in formation together. I thought to myself, "Oh when the saints come marching in." Miri Piri Academy was the only children’s group to have a place on the perkarma, between the entrances to the Golden Temple and the Akal Takht.
I wanted to observe how the Queen expressed her royalty and what qualities enabled her to be one of the wealthiest women in the world. After waiting in the sun for what seemed like a long time, there was a flurry of activity over by the entryway stairs, and then a small orange dot slowly descended the stairs, surrounded by a throng of people. "Perfect," I thought to myself. "She’s wearing orange, the color of the Khalsa." With measured steps, Her Majesty made her way along the red carpet, a small figure in a beautiful orange dress with matching hat, white gloves, and socks. She was surrounded by officials, yet it was she who stood out amongst the crowd. The impression I felt, more than anything else, was that she was self-contained, that she and her institution were one, that wherever she went, the crown went with her. It was that strength that has enabled her to carry on inspire of all the human tragedies of her life.
The causeway had been cleared for the Queen’s visit so it was easy to watch her moving toward the Temple at the head of the entourage. All the while beautiful kirtan echoed across the water. It was as if, just perhaps, we could give her a gift of pure spirit as a respite from all her worldly trials. She remained in the Temple briefly, then came back down the causeway, stopping for a moment to look at the carp in the water.
Her Majesty then went into the Akal Takht, which was gloriously shining gold and white. I noticed that she had been given an orange saropa; it matched the color of her dress. As she walked, she passed by our children, and moved on to look at the displays of the artisans. Then she walked back up the steps and was gone.
I thought how anyone of royal status, who earnestly represents the institution of monarchy, reminds us of the royal way of living. the Queen had come to the Court of the Guru dressed in golden orange. She held the wealth of the world, we held the wealth of the spirit reflected in the glorious gold and marble of the Golden Temple, and the shining crown of the Akal Takht. For a brief moment, as she walked down the long causeway, alone among the crowd, there was a sense that the gold of the world and the gold of the soul were merged in harmony.