“It feels like home here,” says Kunwar Abhyuday Pratap Singh Nabha. He is in the Hira Mahal, the ancestral property of Nabha’s former ruler, Maharaja Ripudaman Singh. Abhyuday is Ripudaman’s great-great-grandson.
Fresh from a ‘dastaarbandi‘ (turban-tying) ceremony, which marked the revival of a Sikh royal tradition after 124 years, the 13-year-old expresses himself clearly.
13 year old Kunwar revive legacy in Nabha after 124 years
“My grandmother (Rajmata Uma Singh Nabha) used to tell me stories about palaces, kings, and the olden days. I read and researched my lineage. I am proud of being a Sikh. We cannot let our history die,” Abhyuday says.
A day before, his ‘dastaar bandi‘ was solemnized with full religious respect and traditional rituals. Dressed in royal heirloom and jewels, Abhyuday also took an elephant ride as he bowed in front of Sri Guru Granth Sahib to embrace the “dastaar” (turban).
Beas head, politicians and others join ‘dastaar bandi’ event
The event had several notable attendees, including Radha Soami Satsang Beas head Gurinder Singh Dhillon, Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan, Punjab Cabinet Ministers Gurmeet Singh Khudian and Tarunpreet Singh Sond, SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, and taksaliAkali leader Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra, among others. On Tuesday, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, who is leading the BJP’s outreach in Punjab, also visited the palace in Nabha to meet the family.
According to the royal family, it was the first time in two generations that a Nabha royal decided to grow “kesh” (unshorn hair). Family insiders mentioned that after a gap of 124 years, an “akhand path” (recital of Gurbani for three consecutive days) took place at the palace for the ceremony.
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