Golden Temple Faces Shortage Of Siropas Due To West Asia War, Chemical For Processing Cloth Came From Iran
Of the 1 lakh metres of cloth placed for siropas, the supplier has till now only managed to provide 19,000 metres.
Published : March 31, 2026 at 3:29 PM IST
Amritsar: The ongoing US-Israel war on Iran is having a cascading impact on various sectors of the economy. It has now impacted the supply of siropas — honorary gifts in Sikhism — at Amritsar's Sri Harmandir Sahib, ie., the Golden Temple. Gurdwara authorities have said even orders for siropas placed beforehand are not being processed, as the supply of the chemical needed for their processing has been hit by the war.
A siropa (or saropa) is the highest honorary gift in Sikhism. It consists of a 2-2.5 m length of cloth, normally saffron or orange in colour, that is presented to honour individuals for exceptional seva (service), dedication or high merit.
The term has its origins in the words sir (head) and pao (foot). It's a robe of honour representing the Guru's blessing, and is often presented within the sangat (congregation).
A siropa symbolises that the recipient is ‘covered’ or protected from head to toe by the Guru's blessings. While it is usually placed around a recipient's neck, it is intended to be worn as a dastaar (turban). Its primary significance lies in its ceremonial, respectful presentation, rather than its material form.
Bhagwant Singh Dhageda, manager, Sri Harmandir Sahib, said, "A large number of bhogs of Sri Akhand Path Sahib are performed daily at Sri Harmandir Sahib, after which the sangat is offered siropas as a blessing from the Guru. Not only do we supply siropas to Sri Darbar Sahib, but also to other gurdwaras under the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)."
He said this is why, an order of 1 lakh metres of cloth was placed with a firm, which has till now only been able to provide 19,000 m.
“The firm says the chemical used to process the siropa cloth comes from Iran. Its supply has stopped because of the war. So, the firm has expressed its inability to deliver the entire order on time,” said Dhageda.
He clarified that although there is no impact on the arrival of the sangat or the langar that continues to be served as usual, the shortage of siropas has become a challenge, adding that the management is trying to continue the tradition of giving siropas to the congregation by utilising the existing stock.
