The University of Manchester Library was invited to join the Sikh community in celebrating the 70th anniversary of the oldest Gurdwara in Manchester, on July 27, 2024.
The Rylands is working closely with the Sikh community in Manchester as part of the Sikh Digital Heritage Project, an initiative to connect members of the community with collections of significant cultural heritage.
This collaboration centres around the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Punjabi MS 5. Crucially not a book, this sacred historic text is considered by Sikhs to be the living embodiment of the Guru. Conservator Laura Snow and the wider Collection Care team at the Rylands have been caring for the Guru over the past few years, facilitating reunification with the community.
In April this year, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib left the library for the first time since 1901, forming part of a truly memorable Vaisakhi celebration at the Sri Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara in Whalley Range. This recent event in July marked the second grand outing of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, on this occasion to Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurdwara on Monton Street.
Greeted by drums, singing, and a shower of petals and confetti cannons, the community welcomed the Sri Guru Granth Sahib into the Gurdwara in style, kicking off a full weekend of anniversary celebrations.
It was a privilege to attend the event, which featured a wider collections encounter of material from the Rylands related to Sikh heritage and history. On display from the Library’s Special Collections were: a rare manuscript dating to around 1821 containing a history of the Phulkian family; a first-hand account of the court and camp of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, unifier of the Sikh Empire; and two translations of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib into English, Ernst Trumpp’s from 1877 and Max Arthur Macauliffe’s revised translation of 1909. Many of these items are set to appear in a future Manchester Digital Exhibition of Sikh collections at the Rylands.
From left to right: Gurtek Singh, John Hodgson, Hardev Singh, Laura Snow, Owen Mills, Maisie Proctor and Emily Tan
Accompanying the Rylands’ collections were modern collection items presented by staff from the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre.
From left to right: Hardev Singh, Harry Eyre and Maya Sharma
I was taken aback by the genuine excitement of the community and the level of engagement with the collections. The day flew by, with many meaningful interactions with members of the community, of all ages, quick to express their gratitude as they studied the collections up close. Their interest in Sikh history and the collections held at the Rylands and the wider University of Manchester Library was palpable, and I hope we welcome many of them as readers in the future.
A day of celebration, music and prayer ended with a stunning firework display, a fitting send off for the Sri Guru Granth Sahib on the way back to the Rylands.
I would like to extend a thank-you to everyone involved with the planning of the event, to our consultant Gurtek Singh for his continued invaluable support, and to the members of the Gurdwara and Sikh community, for welcoming us with open arms (and for the delicious langar).
The festivities were a timely reminder of the power and significance of our Special Collections. I look forward to continuing to work with the Sikh community to foster tangible connections and direct access to valuable items of cultural heritage at the Rylands and beyond.