Nishan Sahib Colors Change to Xanthic or Blue

On 26 Jul, the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee’s (SGPC) Dharam Prachar (religious preaching) Committee issued a circular regarding the colors of the Nishan Sahib. The circular says, Sikh community and institutions must remain cognisant about the Rehat Maryada (code of conduct) which mandates the color of the Nishan Sahib is either basanti (xanthic) or surmai (blue). The move comes in the wake of complaints received from Sikh organizations that in many Gurdwaras, the Nishan Sahib is kesari (saffron) instead of basanti. Saffron, according to the complainants, denotes the Hindu religion, and not Sikhi. Section 3 of Chapter 4 of the Rehat Maryada says, ‘At a high-level site in every Gurdwara should be installed the Nishan Sahib (Sikh flag). The cloth of the flag should be either of xanthic or of grayish blue color and on top of the flag post, there should either be a spearhead or a Khanda (a straight dagger with convex side edges leading to slanting top edges ending in a vertex).’ According to Sikh historical sources, the yellow Nishan Sahib was first unfurled by the 6th Sikh Sovereign, Guru Hargobind Singh, in 1606. Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Sovereign, instituted the Khalsa in 1699 and introduced the blue flag. Even the Calcutta Christian Observer, in its 4th volume published 1835, records the yellow Nishan Sahib at Darbar Sahib (Golden temple). Except the Damadami Taksal, a school of thought within the Sikhs, the community has accepted the move. On 4 Aug, the historic Ber Sahib Gurdwara in Sultanpur Lodhi was the first to adopt the new colors.