Amritsar: A video showing a man rinsing his mouth in the sacred Sarovar of Golden Temple in Amritsar has sparked widespread outrage, with Sikh religious bodies calling the act a violation of ‘maryada’ (Sikh code of religious conduct).The 25-second video, which is going around social media, shows a man sitting with his feet immersed in the Sarovar, repeatedly rinsing his mouth and, at least once, spitting it back into the holy waters. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief secretary Kulwant Singh Mannan said the authenticity of the video would be investigated and, if found genuine, the role of on-duty sewadars would also be examined. Filming reels inside the Golden Temple complex is prohibited, and sewadars are deployed to enforce the ban, he said.SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami condemned the act, Golden Temple is the highest and holiest shrine of Sikhism, and incidents like these deeply hurt the religious sentiments of Sikhs. Golden Temple is a symbol of faith not just for Sikhs but for all humanity, and strict adherence to tradition, discipline, and rules is essential within its complex, he said.
