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Guru's murals at Baba Atal Sahib gurdwara
Gurudwara Baba Atal Sahib, located to
the south of the Golden Temple, is a cenotaph, enshrining the
remains of Atal Rai, a son of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru of the
Sikhs.
The interior walls of the first floor are adorned with murals.
Unfortunately, many of these have been'obliterated beyond
recognition and at present only 42 panels survive. A large series of
paintings unfold, stage by stage, the life of Guru Nanak. The first
painting in the series represents all the gods requesting the
Almighty to send a holy person to earth to relieve it of the burden
of Kali Yuga; and the last depicts Guru Nanak appointing Angad Dev
as his successor to the Guru gaddi. Another series represents Sikh
martyrs, including the four. sons of Guru Gobind Singh, who laid
down their lives for the cause of their faith.
Among the series of paintings pertaining to Guru Nanak, those
depicting scenes from his childhood are of special interest. One of
these, for instance, records a school scene, depicting Nanak, at the
age of seven, commencing his education. Nanak, along with his
father, Baba Kalu, is seated in front of the mullah, Kutbdin. Just
at the start of the first lesson, young Nanak is seen explaining the
meaning of the first letter to the mullah. Some of the pupils are
waiting to show their phatti to the mullah, while others are either
cleaning it or writing on it'.
Murals in a considerably damaged state are also to be seen at the
deorhi or the first entrance to the shrine. Large panels illustrate
scenes from the life of Baba Atal and Guru Nanak; and the various
stages of the battle of Muketsar. There are also two series of
paintings: one, presenting the ten Gurus; and, the other, depicting
members of the whole lineage of Baba Buddha Ji. Sri Chand and Lakhmi
Chand, two sons of Guru Nanak, are also portrayed. A few damaged
paintings are also to be seen on the front wall of tosha khana, the
treasury, located adjacent to the tower.
Michael Edwardes considers these murals to belong to the early
nineteenth century.' But there are two strong reasons that suggest a
later date. First, no reference to Pandit Brij Nath, who appears in
one of the paintings showing Guru Nanak being taught by him, is to
be found in Janam Sakhis written before the early nineteenth
century. Secondly, the calligraphic style of the Gurmukhi script
seen in these paintings evidently relates to a later period.
Therefore, these murals appear to have been executed in the last
decade of the nineteenth century. It is believed that the muralist
Mehtab Singh, born in 1871, executed these murals.'
Most of the personages portrayed in paintings, except Nanak, are
presented in profile. Indian red, ochre and other earth colours,
with frequent touches of gold, establishes the key to the colour
scheme. A sense of perspective and foreshortening, though not
perfect, gives the illusion of depth and volume. The figures are
projected with the help of light and shade.
14 March, 2007
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