Sikh's chief religious authority Akal Takht bans destination weddings at beach & resort

The high priests of the Sikh community have decided to prohibit the installation of Guru Granth Sahib during destination weddings held at places like sea beaches and resorts. As per a TOI report, this decision was made during a meeting held at the Akal Takht secretariat on Monday. The priests have also disqualified the management of a gurdwara in Bathinda for conducting a same-sex marriage ceremony in the presence of the holy book.

The Akal Takht jathedar, Giani Raghbir Singh, stated that they had received multiple complaints regarding the solemnization of 'anand karaj' ceremonies at sea beaches and resorts, which goes against the Sikh code of religious conduct. As a result, the high priests have decided to impose a ban on such destination weddings.

Regarding the gurdwara in Bathinda, the high priests have taken a firm stand against its management for allowing a same-sex marriage ceremony to take place in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib. They have directed the congregation to elect a new management committee consisting of baptized individuals for the gurdwara. Furthermore, head granthi Hardev Singh, granthi Ajaib Singh, ragi Sikander Singh, and tabla player Satnam Singh have been blacklisted for a period of five years for violating the Sikh code of conduct. They are also banned from performing any religious duties in any gurdwara.


In recent news, we have also reported on the ban imposed by the high priests on the installation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib during destination weddings. We have also covered the disqualification of the management of a gurdwara in Bathinda for conducting a same-sex marriage ceremony in the presence of the holy book. Similar decisions have been made regarding gurdwaras in Indore and Hoshiarpur.