SIALKOT/NAROWAL: Five domes of Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib which fell during a windstorm early on Saturday were repaired and reinstalled on Sunday.

The domes have been made from pre-fabricated fiber.

Fawad Chaudhry, Minister for Science and Technology, said an immediate inquiry into the collapse of the domes would be conducted.

“The matter has been addressed before the Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri with a request for an inquiry,” tweeted the minister.

India reportedly wasted no time in asking Pakistan to look into the matter.

“India has taken up with Pakistan the issue of collapse of domes of the Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara, one of Sikhism’s holiest shrines,” Indiatoday said quoting official sources on Sunday.

“India has conveyed to Pakistan that the damage to the structures in the gurudwara has caused great consternation among the Sikh community. India has urged Pakistan that in deference to the sentiments of the Sikh community, the deficiencies which led to the damage to the newly-constructed structures be urgently rectified and remedied,” the newspaper said.

Sardar Satwant Singh of Pakistan Gurdwara Bhandak Commettie said on his Facebook account on Sunday: “due to heavy rain with thunderstorm and strong winds at DSK on 17/18 April, 2 stalls and 5 domes of gurdwara got damaged which have been repaired today in 24 hours in record time by the expert team.

Gurdwara caretakers Sardar Inderjeet Singh , Sardar Manjeet Singh and Sardar Partab Singh said two golden and white domes fell from the minaret of Gurdwara’s museum and one each from from the minarets of the Deewan Asthaan and Darshan Dewoori.

The tombs fell on the floor without causing any further loss, they added.

The building of the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur was expanded and renovated by the government of Pakistan.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had opened the Kartarpur Corridor on Nov 9 last year to allow the Sikh community from India to visit their sacred place without getting visa.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2020