Amritsar, Sep 28 (IANS) US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor on Monday visited the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh in Punjab’s Amritsar as part of a day-long visit to the holy city, leading a 28-member American delegation.
Gor paid obeisance at the Sri Harmandir Sahib, Sikhism’s holiest shrine that gets millions of visitors annually, where he was welcomed by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami and Acting Jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj.
With their heads covered, the delegation, comprising Senators, senior government officials and foreign policy scholars, bowed before the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy book that is considered as a living guru.
During his interaction with Sikh religious leaders, Gor discussed issues concerning the Sikh community, including the principle of human equality and matters relating to Sikhs in the United States.
Officials of the SGPC, the mini-Parliament of Sikh religious affairs that controls gurdwaras, including the Golden Temple, welcomed the US Ambassador and members of the delegation according to Sikh traditions.
Gor reportedly told Sikh leaders that it was his second visit to the shrine, having earlier visited it with his parents.
Following the visit to the Golden Temple, the delegation visited Jallianwala Bagh, the historic memorial commemorating the massacre of April 13, 1919, when British troops opened fire on a gathering of people.
The delegation’s itinerary also included the Partition Museum, which documents the human tragedy and experiences of people displaced during the 1947 Partition.
During Gor’s visit to the Golden Temple, a brief demonstration took place outside the shrine’s main entrance, where Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) Acting President Emaan Singh Mann and his supporters raised slogans, including “Khalistan Zindabad” and “God Bless America”.
Elaborate security arrangements were made by the local administration and police for the US Ambassador’s visit, with special arrangements for traffic management along the route connecting the city’s prominent religious and historical landmarks.
The visit provided an opportunity for the US delegation to engage with Sikh religious leadership and explore Amritsar’s religious, historical and cultural heritage.
Among the prominent world leaders who have visited the shrine are former US President Barack Obama, former UK Prime Minister David Cameron and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Cameron became the first British Prime Minister to visit the Golden Temple in February 2013.
In October 1997, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip also paid a visit to the Sikh shrine.
–IANS
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