Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee

The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee () (also called the parliament of the Sikhs) is an organization in India responsible for the upkeep of gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship in three states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. SGPC also administers Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. Gurdwaras in Delhi are the administered by Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee. These committees comprise of officials elected in open conclaves held at Harmandir Sahib in which all Sikhs may participate.

The SGPC is governed by a chairman, a treasurer and a general secretary. The SGPC manages the security, financial, facility maintenance and religious aspects of Gurdwaras as well as keeping archeologically rare and sacred artifacts, including weapons, clothes, books and writings of the Sikh Gurus. SGPC also sponsors and manages various educational institutions, hospitals and charity organizations.

Bibi Jagir Kaur was the first woman to be elected as the president of the SGPC in September 2004. She had held the same post from March 1999 to November 2000. As of 2006, the chief of the Committee is Avtar Singh Makkar.

History

Initial formation

In 1920 the emerging Akali leadership summoned a general assembly of the Sikhs holding all shades of opinion on November 15, 1920 in vicinity of the Akal Takht in Amritsar. The purpose of this assembly was to elect a representative committee of the Sikhs to administer the Harimandir Sahib Complex and other important historical gurdwaras. Two...
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