New Delhi: The sacred ‘Jore Sahib’—one footwear each of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and the last guru of the Sikhs, and his wife Mata Sahib Kaur—bestowed upon the ancestors of Union minister Hardeep Puri’s family over 300 years ago are now being moved thousands of kilometres to Takht Sri Harimandir Ji Sahib in Patna, Bihar.
The ’Jore Sahib’, carefully preserved by the Puri family so far, were handed over to the Sikh ‘Panth (community)’ by Hardeep Puri Wednesday at his residence in New Delhi, following a brief ceremony.
Speaking to ThePrint, Hardeep Puri said that the ‘Jore Sahib’ were bestowed “on the ancestors of my family in 1704 AD at Anandpur Sahib and has since remained in our family, kept in safe custody and venerated for generations”.
The ‘Jore Sahib’ and several other personal items used by the Sikh gurus are part of a collection of relics and artefacts that have survived centuries. ‘Jore’ refers to pair, and ‘sahib’ is used to lend respect, as the footwear belongs to Sikh gurus.
In the present case, the ‘Jore Sahib’ include the right foot sandal (size 11” by 3 ½”) of Guru Gobind Singh and the left foot sandal (size 9” by 3”) of Mata Sahib Kaur. Guru Gobind Singh founded the Khalsa in 1699, and Mata Sahib Kaur is revered as the “mother” of the Khalsa.
“As the holy ‘Jore Sahib’ are of immense reverential value to the Sikh community, it was felt that this holy relic should be kept at a gurdwara so that the Sikh ‘Sangat (congregation)’ could pay their obeisance in posterity,” Puri said Friday.
He added that a committee of eminent Sikhs recommended to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Bihar’s Takht Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib would be “an ideal place for the ‘Jore Sahib’, as Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj was born there”.
Explaining the significance of relics in Sikh history, Roopinder Singh, who authored ‘Sikh Heritage: Ethos and Relics’ along with Bhayee Sikandar Singh, told ThePrint that Sikh gurus are not mythological characters or flights of poetic imagination but real persons, who walked this earth, living the lives of ordinary people and fulfilling their social and familial responsibilities even as they performed extraordinary deeds.
“Some families are blessed because of their association with the gurus, which is recalled through oral tradition or recorded in contemporary texts. The tangible manifestations of this heritage are the articles bestowed upon them by the gurus; at times, things the gurus had personally used, which keep the ethos alive. Every relic, every article is a living symbol of ethos and a reminder of a living heritage which strengthens the community’s will and cause,” Roopinder Singh added.
“Though the exact number of relics which can be traced to the Sikh gurus is not known, it would be a fair guess that these would be a few hundred. These relics are spread all over. They are placed in ‘Takths (Sikh seats of authority)’, in historical gurdwaras, and some are with individuals. For our book, which came out in 2012, we focused on the relics owned by these individuals and their families,” added Roopinder Singh.
“The gifts of the Gurus, the artefacts associated with their lives, and their belongings are sacred for these families. The reverence with which they keep them vouches for their authenticity,” added Roopinder Singh.
A Nagar Kirtan Yatra commenced Thursday from Delhi with the ‘Jore Sahib’. It will culminate at Patna on 1 November, Hardeep Puri explained. As part of the Yatra, Puri said, the ‘Jore Sahib’ are being transported by road from Delhi to Patna, with overnight stops at nine locations in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
“The Sikh ‘Sangat’ and many others are coming out in huge numbers en route to pay their respects to these holy relics before their final consecration at the Takht Sri Harimandir Ji Sahib at Patna Sahib on 1 November,” the Union minister added.
The custodian
The last custodian of the ‘Jore Sahib’ was Sardar Jasmeet Singh Puri, who resided in Delhi’s Karol Bagh. Considering the sanctity of the place, the street leading to the house where the ‘Jore Sahib’ were kept was named Guru Gobind Singh Marg.
After the death of Sardar Jasmeet Singh Puri, his wife Manpreet Singh Puri requested Sardar Hardeep Singh Puri, as one of the eldest male members of the Puri family, to facilitate the safekeeping and display of the ‘Jore Sahib’ for public obeisance in posterity.
According to a senior government official, in an attempt to ascertain the authenticity of the ‘Jore Sahib’, Puri had requested the culture ministry to find relevant experts to examine it.
Later, a report by a Sikh scholar, working under the Union Ministry of Culture, concluded that it is indeed the ‘Jore Sahib’, which are mentioned in various historical documents and is genuine. The ‘Jore Sahib’ are also mentioned in the ‘Gurshabad Ratnakar—Mahan Kosh’, written in 1930 by Sikh scholar Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha Ji.
Later, carbon testing was also conducted by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) to establish the authenticity of the ‘Jore Sahib’. According to sources, carbon testing was conducted three times to ensure its authenticity.
“Puri ji had handed over the ‘Jore Sahib’ in the custody of the culture ministry, maintained by professionals,” said a source.
A committee was then constituted by Union minister Hardeep Puri, comprising eminent Sikhs, to recommend the right course of action on the ‘Jore Sahib’.
Another official pointed out that the committee deliberated at length and recommended placing the ‘Jore Sahib’ at the Patna gurudwara for public obeisance.
The procession
“The committee members prepared a report with their recommendations. They called on the Prime Minister on 16 September 2025 and presented their recommendations—also posted on social media, X, by his office,” said the official.
In pursuance of this, widespread consultations were held with stakeholders in the Sikh ‘Sangat’, the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee presided over by Sardar Harmeet Singh Kalka, and the Takht Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib presided over by Sardar Jagjot Singh Sohi.
They have, in turn, been in touch with all the concerned gurdwaras in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. Based on consultations with them, a Yatra was proposed to be carried out before the final resting of the ‘Jore Sahib’ for public obeisance at Takht Sri Harimandir Sahib Ji, Patna.
A ‘Nagar Kirtan (procession through a city)’ close to Gurdwara Moti Bagh Sahib, New Delhi, took place Thursday, following which the Yatra started from Delhi. It is traversing from Delhi to Patna via Haryana and Uttar Pradesh between 23 October and 1 November.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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