A major fire destroyed Gurdwara Sahib Dashmesh Darbar in Adelaide, South Australia, late on Sunday night, with fears that the saroops of the Guru Granth Sahib may have been burnt in the blaze.

Gurdwara management said it was too early to confirm the condition of the saroop in Palki Sahib as the roof of the main hall had collapsed onto the Palki Sahib. Efforts are currently underway to cut through and remove the collapsed roof, after which the status of the saroop can be ascertained.

Local authorities have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.

According to information provided by the gurdwara management, the fire broke out in the kitchen of the langar hall at around 10:30 pm (Australian time).

Within minutes, the flames spread rapidly from the langar hall to the main prayer hall of the gurdwara. The Sunday night diwan had concluded at around 9:30 pm, nearly an hour before the fire started.

The blaze was so intense that several explosions were reported inside the langar hall building. A large portion of the gurdwara collapsed within a short span of time due to the severity of the fire.

Police and emergency services cordoned off the site and did not allow members of the community to enter the gurdwara premises.

Although firefighters have brought the fire completely under control, authorities continue to assess the damage while investigators examine the circumstances that led to the incident. The Sikh community is anxiously awaiting confirmation regarding the condition of the Guru Granth Sahib saroops.

Jathedar Akal Takht expresses deep grief over fire

Kuldip Singh Gargaj, Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib, has expressed sorrow over the fire that completely destroyed the building of Gurdwara Dashmesh Darbar in Virginia, Australia. He urged the Sikh Sangat across the world to remain vigilant to ensure that such incidents do not occur in Gurdwaras and that adequate safety measures are put in place. He also offered prayers before Guru Sahib for the continued well-being and high spirits of the Sikh community.

Gargaj directed Daljit Singh, President of the Central Sikh Association of New Zealand, to visit the site to assess the situation. He instructed him to submit a comprehensive report to Akal Takht covering the incident as well as the status of the sacred birs (scriptures) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib that were present in the Gurdwara. He further stated that Daljit Singh would coordinate with the local Australian authorities and the management of Gurdwara Dashmesh Darbar to gather complete information about the incident. The Jathedar also instructed the management committee of Gurdwara Dashmesh Darbar, Virginia, to independently send a detailed report on the incident to the Secretariat of Akal Takht Sahib.

Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargajj said that Sikhs today reside in many countries around the world, and wherever they have settled, they have Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji with them and established beautiful Gurdwaras through their hard work and devotion. He encouraged the Sikh Sangat of Virginia, Australia, to remain steadfast, patient, and in high spirits. He said the cause of the incident should be identified with complete transparency so that appropriate lessons can be learned and efforts made to re-establish the Gurdwara. He also stressed that it must be thoroughly investigated whether any act of mischief or foul play was involved in the incident.