More than 170 years after it was taken to England by the British as one of the rare artefacts of Sikhs after the demise of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the kalgi (plume) of Guru Gobind Singh was brought home from London by a chartered flight on Tuesday. The plume was lying at the Victoria and Albert Museum and was received by Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh and SGPC head Avtar Singh Makkar.

The kalgi, one of the most revered relics of the Guru, made its journey home due to the efforts of Kamaljit Singh Boparai, a Ludhiana-based research scholar and secretary of the International Shiromani Sant Khalsa Foundation.

The kalgi, supposed to have been worn by the tenth Guru, who is also known as Kalgidhar (one who wears the plume), will be placed at the Akal Takht first. “The reports reaching here after meticulous research on the relic confirm its authenticity. It is being placed at the Akal Takht at present. A suitable place will be selected for it at the Golden Temple complex,” said Jathedar Gurbachan Singh.

Makkar said efforts of all Sikh leaders, sympathisers had borne fruit. “This is a rare relic of the Guru and it is a matter of great pride that it is with us today,” he said, adding that a special place would be allotted at the Sikh Museum at Golden Temple for the plume.

During the celebrations of the 300th year of Khalsa Panth in 1999 and the 400th year of the installation of Guru Granth Sahib in 2004, the demand was made to bring back the kalgi, but efforts did not bear fruit. “It is a rare honour that the museum authorities finally bowed to our appeals and requests and agreed to hand it over to us,” said a beaming Boparai.