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January 2, 2010 | Sale of Amritsar kirpan on the rise | Amritsar: The sale of kirpans (a ceremonial dagger or sword
sported by devout Sikhs) has increased here in Amritsar. Devotees and tourists are thronging the Golden Temple here to acquire the kirpan as a blessed and decorative
item for their homes. According to an estimate, the annual turnover of swords
industry is around 500 million rupees. The swords are also exported abroad for
both devotees and tourists. There are around 10,000 skilled artisans engaged in
the manufacture of kirpans, and this includes those working in small units that
supply allied accessories to the larger units. The daily production is about 3000
kirpans. "The production of kirpan has risen tremendously as with the dip in its
quality, the quantity is on a rise. The present day sword in vogue is quite different
from the earlier ones and the difference is in quality and weight," said Amardeep
Singh, the owner of Adarsh kirpan Factory. "The total weight of a sword has now
been brought down from three kilograms to 500 grams, as a result the artisans
are making 100 to 200 swords a day," he added. Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims use it
in religious functions. The swords are worshipped during Muharram, Dussehra or
Durga Puja and Ramalila festivals. "I am buying the scared sword from the Amritsar
as I want to take along a memorabilia from this place, we worship sword during
our Durga Puja that is the reason I want to buy this sword," said Parag, a visitor
from Maharashtra. |
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