Golden Temple to use phone jammers

[timesofindia.indiatimes.com]?

AMRITSAR: The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Sikhs' highest religious body, is preparing to install jammers inside the Golden Temple complex to stop the "menace of ringing mobile phones".

The Sikhs' holiest of holy shrine receives over 1 lakh people everyday and the entire complex literally remains abuzz with the sound of thousands of ringing cell phones.

Hundreds of devotees have complained to the SGPC and requested it to ensure that some kind of ban is imposed on the usage of cell phones within the temple premises.

SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar told TOI on Wednesday, "We have been getting complaints from devotees about the maddening tunes and beeps of mobile phones, which disturb them and create obstruction in worship."

The SGPC has set up a panel to recommend suggestions for keeping the phones out of the temple complex. "We are planning to install jammers as banning phones would not be an easy task." According to SGPC officials, it would be very difficult to take care of over a lakh phones everyday.

"Depositing and returning of mobile phones is a gigantic task as more than a lakh devotees pay obeisance at the Golden Temple everyday. The better option appears to be the installation of jammers," said Makkar.

The SGPC has already installed phone jammers near the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple.

"Being without a mobile phone in today's life is something unimaginable but it is a good idea to jam the mobile phone signals in holy places," said Ravinder Singh, a businessman from Ambala who was at the Golden Temple to pay respects along with his family members.


This menace along with people chatting loudly are my pet hates at any Guru Ghar. Its impossible to comprehend that even during the reading of a Vaak and Ardas ignorant people use mobile phones. I hope more Gurdwarey install this technology.

At least one GOOD move by the SGPC

I totally agree, their is a certain sanctity to Harmandar Sahib that needs to be maintained. In other Religions, the most sacred Shrines are always very protected from technology, and even things like pictures are not allowed to be taken. During hajj, phones and cameras are not allowed to be taken because it is seen to be a distraction from prayer.

Finally a good move on the part of SGPC. I remember once I saw a wrong use of a phone. I like most of the sangat was standing in line to Matha Tek at Darbar Sahib. It can easily take more than an hour to stand in line. But it's worth it. I remember once a man was arguing with a pehredaar who stands at the middle row who only allows disabled or women with little babies to go through. This man who was arguing with the pehredaar to allow him to go through. Since the pehredaar was not allowing him to go through, the man then phoned someone financial and gave it to the pehredaar. I don't know what the person on the other side of the phone said to the pehredaar, but he then allowed that man to go through while we all had to wait a hour to matha tek. It seems like safaarish also works in doing matha teking at Darbar Sahib. With this new phone jammer installed at least such people will no longer be able to misuse their phone at such a holy place.