300-Year-Old Sikh Manuscript To Open For Devotees In Scotland. How Did It Get There?

Last Updated:June 30, 2026, 23:18 IST

In a statement on Tuesday, the Indian mission said the manuscript had undergone extensive restoration and preservation.

The Consulate General of India (CGI) in Scotland has announced plans to enable devotees to pay their respects to a 300-year-old handwritten manuscript of the Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji at the Central Gurdwara in Glasgow.

The announcement comes after a meeting involving officials from the CGI Scotland, representatives of gurdwaras in Edinburgh and Glasgow, the University of Edinburgh and Trishna Singh of Sikh Sanjog.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Indian mission said the manuscript had undergone extensive restoration and preservation.

“The sacred manuscript, once belonging to Maharaja Kharak Singh of Punjab, has undergone extensive restoration and preservation," the consulate said, calling the initiative as “a meaningful step in preserving and celebrating our shared heritage."

Believed to be the oldest handwritten Guru Granth Sahib in the UK, the manuscript is one of three Sikh scriptures preserved by the University of Edinburgh. It was rediscovered in the university’s archives in 2020, bringing to light a significant piece of Sikh history that had remained largely unknown for decades.

How the manuscript reached Scotland?

According to the University of Edinburgh, the handwritten scripture once belonged to Maharaja Kharak Singh, the second ruler of the Sikh Empire. It is believed to have been taken from the Fort at Dullewalla in Punjab after the fort was captured in 1848 during British colonial rule.

The manuscript later came into the possession of Sir John Spencer Login, the British administrator associated with transferring the Koh-i-Noor diamond from the Sikh Empire to Queen Victoria. It eventually became part of the University of Edinburgh’s collections.

The manuscript was identified in 2020 after Sikh researchers from England searching for Sikh artefacts found references to the scriptures on the university’s website.

Trishna Singh, who was serving as the university’s Honorary Sikh Chaplain, described seeing the manuscripts for the first time as a “mind-blowing experience". She also advised university staff on the religious protocols for handling Sikh scriptures, including wrapping them in a special cloth and storing them in an elevated place.

University archivist and Research Collections Manager Rachel Hosker said the discussions helped staff understand that the scriptures are not merely historical documents but are regarded by Sikhs as living embodiments of their faith.

Since then, the university’s Heritage Collections team has since been involved in conserving the scriptures, alongside an ongoing dialogue with the Sikh community in Scotland.

(With inputs from PTI)

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