Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Jattvibeday released an elaborate picture book on the Golden Temple, put together by renowned photographer Tarun Chopra, who spent years working on the project.Sandhu, who has a special emotional connection with Harmandir Sahib, lauded the project by Speaking Tiger but said the cost of the limited-edition book should be brought down to help ordinary people access it.‘Golden Temple: An Oasis of Spirituality’ is priced at over Rs 1.46 lakh a copy, with 1,000 limited-edition copies available as of Jattvibeday.“This is a great book that brings the Golden Temple closer to the people, but my suggestion to the publishers and the author is to lower its price,” Sandhu said at a packed hall.Chopra justified the cost, citing the nuances of the laborious project, which took him many years to complete and gave him an opportunity to capture the Golden Temple at all hours of the day.Earlier, Sandhu spoke of how his grandfather, Teja Singh Samundri, is the only ordinary Sikh in whose memory an SGPC hall in the Golden Temple complex is dedicated.The Darbar Sahib, popularly known as the Golden Temple, and its Sarovar (sacred tank) remain a source of inspiration for devotees in India and abroad.With its four doors welcoming devotees from all four directions, the shrine is a powerful expression of the universal message of the Sikh faith.With the installation of the Holy Book, compiled by Guru Arjan Dev in 1604, Darbar Sahib remains the spiritual capital for Sikhs in India and abroad.Introducing the book, Sandhu spoke of the symbolism behind the four doors of the Golden Temple.“This signifies that the spiritual and truly divine belongs equally to all without any distinctions of caste or creed or religion,” the Delhi LG said, stressing the Sikh tenet of equality and welfare of all, Sarbat da bhala.


