This could be the last 'voluntary service' at temple

The California-based Tut family may go down in Sikh history as one that has ensured that Sikhs will not be seen roaming around corridors of the Golden Temple splashed in mud ever again.

For, they are sponsoring the entire cost, running close to Rs55 million, in installing an imported filtration plant that will keep cleaning water of the Amrit Sarovar that surrounds the Golden Temple.

Once nearly 32.146 million gallon water was pumped out from the huge 506 feet by 504 feet tank in order to install pipelines of the imported filtration plant, those responsible for upkeep of the shrine realised the tank's depth was only 16 feet, since at the bottom lied three feet of mud.


Within three days, volunteers cleaned every inch of the tank, carrying mud in anything they could put their hands on. The US consultant hired by Tut brothers had estimated that it may take upto two weeks to clean the tank with the help of machines.

This incidentally was the third such kar seva to clean the tank. The first such exercise was undertaken in 1923 and the last being in 1973. With hundreds of thousands who take dip in the pond on religious occasions, mud will never be allowed to settle down as the plants being installed have capacity of treating 25,000 litres of water every minute.

Ranjit Singh Tut, the youngest of the four California-based brothers, has been camping in Amritsar to oversee the whole work, from hiring of consultants to drawing of maps to installation of the filtration plant. The eldest of Tut brothers Amarjit migrated to the US in 1970, followed by Surjit in 1974. Preetam and Ranjit migrated in 1979. And today, they own 12,000 acres of farm land in California and have a fleet of 300 lorries, each having 70 wheels. Their annual turnover is in excess of $80 million.

"We may be well off and well settled there but our hearts are still in Punjab. We continue to be religious minded and have been contributing in our own ways over the years. It was last year when a religious leader visited us and talked about dirty water in the holy tank. We started wondering if we could do anything. We are happy we could.

The Amrit Sarovar will be full of water by April 14, the day Baishakhi festival is celebrated to mark end of harvesting season. And since these plants will last for over 100 years, I can say it for sure that this is the last kar seva to clean the tank," Ranjit Singh Tut told Gulf News.

The millionaire does not live in a comfortable hotel. Instead he has been putting up at one of those inns owned by the SPGC. And he adds that they are not going to stop at this. "Our next target is to install a similar filtration plant at Bangla Saheb Gurdwara of Delhi. In fact, we plan to have such filtration plants installed at all important Gurdwaras, one by one.