Nanded gurdwara has ‘enough funds’ to build 120-bed hospital, won’t need the donated gold

Recent reports suggested that Nanded gurdwara in Maharashtra was using gold donated to it over past 50 yrs to build hospitals. The gurdwara board has clarified that it has other resources.

The Gurudwara Takht Shri Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra’s Nanded district | Wikipedia Commons

Mumbai: The Gurdwara Takht Shri Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra’s Nanded is planning to build a 120-bed hospital in the district, but contrary to reports published last month, it does not have any immediate plans to use the gold donated to it by worshippers over the past 50 years to raise funds for it, ThePrint has learnt.

Bhupinder Singh Manhas, president of the gurdwara board, said the gurdwara has enough funds and eager donors to finance its social welfare projects. He, however, added that the board was open to using its gold reserves for such works whenever a need for it would be felt.

“The Sikh community is large-hearted and has the capacity to donate. There are people overseas, as well as within India, who are willing to donate for projects of public welfare. The gurdwara has a lot of land too, so that (funds for land) is not an issue either,” Manhas told ThePrint,

“But, if needed, we can also use gold that devotees have donated over the years,” he said.

Manhas, an industrialist, said the gurdwara plans to build a 120-bed hospital in the district. The board will discuss the plan for the hospital, as well as a long-term policy decision to use its gold for social welfare projects when needed, in its upcoming meeting on 13 June, he said.

Meanwhile, in view of the pandemic, the gurdwara has already converted its exiting hospital from an out-patient-only facility to in-patient unit with a total of 35 beds.

Last month, news reports and social media posts suggested that the gurdwara, revered as one of the five takhts of Sikhism, planned to donate gold received over five decades to build hospitals in Nanded, so people don’t have to travel as far as Mumbai and Hyderabad for medical treatment.

The Nanded gurdwara is governed under the Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Shri Hazur Apchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956, of the Maharashtra government.

‘News of using gold came from Nov 2020 sermon’

A gurdwara functionary, who did not wish to be named, said recent news reports about the gurdwara donating gold accumulated over 50 years to build hospitals were based on a video of a November 2020 sermon by the gurdwara’s high priest.

The high priest, Jathedar Baba Kulwanth Singhji, had advocated that the gurdwara should focus on building hospitals, educational institutions and so on.

“He (the high priest) had said people have donated a lot of gold over the years. We don’t need more gold, but we need hospitals, schools and so on. He had advised the board to consider proposals to build social welfare infrastructure. He had said that people should not have to go as far as Mumbai or Hyderabad for medical treatment,” said the functionary quoted above.

Propose to build a hospital, a medical college

Meanwhile, in view of the Covid pandemic, the gurdwara has converted its existing hospital with only out-patient services to an inpatient facility with a total of 35 beds — five dialysis beds, 10 intensive care unit beds and beds with oxygen support — with funds donated by board president Manhas.

According to the state health bulletin, the Nanded district had as of 10 June recorded 89,921 Covid cases, of which 1,468 were currently active.

“We hope the hospital will be of use during the pandemic. With the third wave likely to affect children, we will also have a paediatric facility here,” Manhas said.

In the new 120-bed hospital that the gurdwara proposes to build, there will be a dedicated floor for paediatrics, he added.

The gurdwara also wants to set up a medical college in the district and has started the application process with the Maharashtra government for the same, said Manhas.

(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)